Evensong Webcasts

I've enjoyed listening to bbc radio 3's weekly Evensong broadcasts for about ten years now.  I recently discovered a few others, which I like as well.   They allow me to listen from my phone while I'm on the train, or out for a walk.  The first is the choir of King's College, the other is St. Thomas, New York. King's offers valuable commentary before each recorded service, though St. Thomas' site has a nice calendar of events and daily web-casts.  If you get a chance, I highly recommend King's October 13th webcast with selections from Mendelssohn's Elijah.  The featured boy soloist is particularly outstanding.

Peter Philips on Conducting

I've had this one on Google Drive now for a while.  It's a good thing to know when to lead and when to get out of the way.   Peter Phillips' The Cult of the Conductor is one good essay.  I feel renewed each time I read it. 

John Elliot Gardiner reveals another side of JS Bach

I saw this in the Guardian.  Conductor, John Elliot Gardiner has new book entitled "Music in the Castle of Heaven."  On Bach's school in Thuringia, Gardiner writes that it was largely attended by the children of bourgeois tradespeople. However, he also sites documents which damn the boys as "rowdy, subversive, thuggish, beer- and wine-loving, girl-chasing … breaking windows and brandishing their daggers".

This is the Bach, I've heard about from my organ teachers, though, not the one I read about in my music history classes.  I appreciate that one of my favorites could quote scripture, and still pick up chicks.

Secrets of Organ Playing

I found this web site by Lithuanian organist, Dr. Vidas Pinkevicius.  He has many short master classes on topics ranging from  improvisation and articulation to organ building.  Even if you know some of these things, there is something for every organist to take away from this site.

RIP Marie-Claire Alain

 

I was saddened to hear of the death of truly one of the World's greatest musicians, Marie-Claire Alain. I love her playing of Bach and French Baroque repertoire.  She was 86.

The following was borrowed from www.artsjournal.com.   Her father, Albert Alain (1880-1971), was an organ composer and builder. Her composer brother, Jehain Alain, died fighting the Germans in 1940, at the age of 29. Marie-Claire played his works all her life.

A second brother, Olivier Alan (1918-1994) was an organist and director of the conservatory in their birthplace, Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

 Marie-Claire Alain recorded the complete organ works of J S Bach no fewer than three times.

If you have a spare 9+ minutes, please take the time to watch the following video of her playing at St. Bavokerk, Haarlem, The Netherlands. The massive organ was built between 1735 and 1738 by German Christian Müller. At its completion, it was the largest organ in the world. Many famous people have played on the organ, including Mendelssohn, Handel and the ten-year-old Mozart in 1766.

We love the quote at the beginning of the video, which we assume was from her, that says: "When you listen to Bach, you see God materializing."

Richard III had a Brummie accent

"Ground penetrating radar" was to find the remains of Richard III.  I've been very curious about this story.  For instance, what led researchers to a parking lot in the first place?  And how can they determine with certainty such details as a man's accent?   Perhaps the most significant question to come out of this was from by a late night comedian who asked, "is there no limit to how far these paparazzi will go in invading British royal's privacy?" 

 

 

The Thurible Swing

 

I enjoyed this archival French video from 1960.  The footage is from Francein, showing a Corpus Christi procession. The best part for me was watching those guys swing thuribles like they just don't care. 

Inovating innovation

Just when you think arts funding couldn't get any lower and when the value of art has fallen below fluff status, then comes this.  Namely, two articles, one from five leading businessmen on creativity and innovation in the workplace.  The other, from a government south of the equator - "Brazil to give $25 monthly culture stipend to workers to go to movies, read books or visit museums".  As for the first article, I've sat in Howard Tullman's office (Howard is one of those five businessmen) and was blown away by the use of technology, art and career planning for students at his academy.   And as for the second, if you want educated and creative people, you need to invest in the arts.  What's interesting here, though, is that rather than giving that $25 directly to artists and arts organizations, Brazil gives it to each citizen for him or her to decide how it be spent.  As someone who works in arts funding, I find that pretty innovative.

On being a Good Chorister

I don't know Chris Rowbury apart from his blog, From the Front of the Choir.  But, I thought his post from 2009 entitled, How to be a Good Choir Member  might benefit my own group. Working with volunteers has a few challenges, though in my experience, they are most often not musical in nature.  Chris compiled some common sense guidelines that I think are worth sharing.