At the turn of the year, I was thinking about what the role that music has played in my life, and I came across this article that I wrote at this time of year two years ago: Music has been a part of human life for as long as we know. It fascinates […]
Off The Podium: Is Music A Commodity?
Our consumer culture has a strong tendency to overshadow other human values and reduce every aspect of human life and culture to an economic appraisal. This is as true of music as it is of anything else. I’ve thought about this a lot over the years and discussed it many times with students and colleagues. Recently it […]
Off The Podium: The Boar’s Head Carol
The Boar’s Head in hand bear I,Bedeck’d with bays and rosemary;And I pray you, my masters, be merry,Quot estis in convivio. Caput apri deferoReddens laudes Domino. The Boar’s Head, as I understand,Is the bravest dish in all this land,When thus bedeck’d with a gay garland,Let us servire cantico. Caput apri deferoReddens laudes Domino. Our steward hath provided […]
Off The Podium: In Dulci Jubilo
In dulci jubilo is a famous medieval Christmas carol. It is a macaronic carol (i.e. the text is in a mixture of languages): the original text alternates between German and Latin. The words are attributed to the German mystic (and student of Meister Eckhart) Heinrich Seuse (1295 – 1366), and describes his vision of singing angels dancing with him. […]
Off The Podium: The Blue Bird
Although he is little recognized today, the English composer Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (1852 – 1924) was one of the most prominent musicians in the English-speaking world at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries, and he had considerable influence on the work of many composers and musicians whose work is better known. […]
Off The Podium: Wholehearted Attention
For Off The Podium this week, please check out this repost of Wholehearted Attention, which will be the basis of a FREE talk presented by the Richmond Symphony School of Music, featuring a discussion with: Dr. Ronald Crutcher, President, University of Richmond Alex Laing, Principal Clarinet, Phoenix Symphony and Walter Bitner (yours truly) Thursday, November […]