Eileen joined me yesterday morning at church and helped me sort a box of old choral music. I have a box and a half left to go. This is working out as I hoped, since I have run across several pieces of music that I have tucked away to factor in when I begin final decisions about this upcoming season.
This church has a pretty extensive choral library. I forget how extensive sometimes. I was surprised to find a choral setting of psalm 96 by Sweelinck.
Our version has an English translation which I will probably avail myself of if I choose to use it this year.
Harold Darke seems to have been a colleague and friend of C. V. Stanford and is a familiar name to me as a choral conductor. At least Stanford has dedicated one of his organ sonatas to him (as he also did to Widor and “to the great country to which he belongs.” This is an surprising expression of affection from an Irishman to the country of France. (I have found more antipathy than sympathy back and forth between the British Isles and France in my reading and experience.)
I have done this anthem before, possibly even with this choir. But it bears repeating.
Thomas does excellent Choral arrangements of gospel and spiritual tunes. We own several but this is one I haven’t done with this group.
I also stumbled across some very valuable material on St. James Music Press. My church subscribes to their entire online catalog. They have two entire curriculums for children choirs, one for K-2 and one for 3-6. The latter grouping is the one I am thinking of for my attempt at starting up the children’s choir at Grace (my boss prefers Kids Choir so that’s probably what it’s going to be).
I have joined the Facebook group Organists Association.
I mention it because I have been able to have little discussions with other organists there about hymnals and hymnody and organ music. This is a long time dream of mine: to be able to have content conversations online with other people.
I think this is cool.
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Our Afghanistan strategy is causing troops to get killed – Chicago Sun-Times
Eileen and I watched TV news last night (a rare event). This story was on. Ay yi yi.
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Voter ID: Less Than Meets the Eye | RealClearPolitics
This writer has some balanced criticism of both camps on this.
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Peter Wood, Mark Regnerus & Me—Naomi Schaeffer Riley – NYPOST.com
This writer (and the one in the previous link) seem to be coming a bit from the right. I like that she is talking about her personal experience of being fired in an academic situation. I agree with her that open and honest dialogue is basic to the university.
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