I had some good news on the piano trio front yesterday.  I was chatting with my violinist when she indicated that she was now interested in performing occasionally at Grace. Very cool! We are preparing some very attractive music which would be a significant addition to Grace.  Grace is now beginning service at 10 AM permanently which means that Amy my violinist could be available from for a prelude and an anthem since her church starts at 11 AM.

I have mentally been writing David Byrne a letter about some of the ideas in his book How Music Works. He seems to think that classical music has set itself up as anti people making music for themselves (amateurs). He makes this case by looking at the funding of the arts which he sees as elitist in the extreme. But what is missing is the whole world of choral music which relies heavily on amateurs to even exist since there are few completely professional choral groups.

I know church stuff is obscure. But the liturgical movement in the 20th century is largely dedicated to getting people to participate. I guess this stuff doesn’t count in the world of popular music where Byrne lives.

I am thinking of moving away from reading liturgy to reading history next. I have had my eye on Tony Judt’s Postwar: A History of Europe since 1945 for a while. It is now sitting next my reading chair and I have been perusing it. I will probably wait until I finish Bradshaw’s The Search for the Origins of Christian Worship.

Today we go to Chicago to hear an example of the work of Martin Pasi. This should be our last field trip. This committee will hopefully make a recommendation soon.

Bring Back the Party of Lincoln – NYTimes.com

This is a pretty biased look at the GOP but I like the history and its point of view.

ISIS’ Antiquities Sideline – NYTimes.com

People auctioning off history. Ay yi yi.