March 2008
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Just a couple of liturgical thoughts after last night, intended more as observations than criticisms, because the service was, as I expected, excellent: (1) Romantic (meaning of the Romantic period) music doesn’t work as part of the liturgy. The Tenebrae service last night incorporated the Stations of the Cross, and for two of the stations…
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I can’t help feeling that there is something not quite right about looking forward with pleasure to a ceremony commemorating the betrayal and crucifixion of Christ. But I also can’t deny that I expect to enjoy the Tenebrae (“shadows”) service at our cathedral tomorrow night. It will be dignified, reverent, and beautiful, especially the music.…
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Death of a Cat Now that all our children have left home, my wife and I are entirely responsible for the care of the pets that have accumulated over the years: two dogs and four cats. The oldest of the cats, Jessie, was twenty years old when she died last Monday. I mention her age…
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That’s the question asked by a fascinating article at First Principles, the new web journal of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. It’s longer and more complex than the average web piece, so you’ll need a bit of time to absorb it. The answer might be summed up as “Well, there’s no inherent reason why there couldn’t…
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Janet recommended this movie to me a long time ago, and it finally floated to the top of our Netflix queue. Now I’m recommending it to everybody else. It’s a Norwegian film (Salmer fra kjøkkenet), and the sort that reviewers call “little:” there aren’t many characters, there isn’t a lot of action (though there is…
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From Father Alexander Men, a Russian Orthodox priest, by way of Magnificat: Let us try to pull ourselves together spiritually and this time let us offer the Lord a prayer for each other—not for ourselves, not for our own health, salvation or well-being, but for our sisters and brothers, for those who are dear to…
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Severed Children Some years ago (at least ten) I read the The Golden Compass, the first volume of Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy. I had seen a review praising it in terms that made it sound promising, and thought it might be something to recommend to my children. (I think we were no longer…
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I used that phrase in last Sunday’s journal, and it’s been on my mind ever since. I expect many or most people who read this blog recognize it: it’s from the last volume of C. S. Lewis’s Narnia series. Here is some context, a reminder for those who know the books, and an explanation for…
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It seems plausible that this can only exist because of some odd disruption in the fabric of the universe. Come to think of it, the disruption may be increased every time someone views it. Click at your own risk. Or everybody’s: Hat tip to Rod Dreher. ******************** Are you a white person? Not sure? Find…
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I mean literally little: the brief Romance in Cmaj for String Orchestra, of which you can hear a thirty-second sample at the preceding link. This is a very lovely piece which I discovered a month or two ago only because it’s packaged with the 2nd Symphony. (I bought this “disk” as mp3s but am slightly…
Light On Dark Water 