All Purls. No Swine.
Today is the one-hundred-ninety-first anniversary of the death of Maria Szymanowska, nineteenth-century Polish composer and professional pianist who achieved the height of her fame at the court of Russian Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. Before settling in St. Petersburg, Szymanowska had toured most of Western Europe, and her performances, as well as her compositions had been respectfully… Continue reading Maria Szymanowksa: Composer, Pianist, Trailblazer
So, there I was, a couple of weeks ago, exchanging emails with a new friend who lives in California, and who's spent quite a bit of time in Bakersfield. (Note to self: Food. Sounds Awesome!) I think he assumed that--Brit that I am--I'd be unfamiliar with the city. But. No. He misunderestimated me. Hugely. TBC,… Continue reading Tuneful Tuesdays–The Bakersfield Sound
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffZI9ETWMmo He was born 110 years ago, on May 18, 1912, just a small piece down the road from me, in Canonsburg PA, home of (among other things) Sarris Candies and All-Clad cookware. Not to mention also Bobby Vinton, Marty Schottenheimer (giving the lie to the idea that the only good things, NFL-wise, to come… Continue reading Happy Birthday, Pierino Ronald Como!
I've often mentioned my fondness for Mark Steyn on this site. It's one which dates back many years, long before he referenced Dad's Telegraph obituary in his National Review column. I think it even dates to before my discovery that he spent many of his formative years in Birmingham in the UK, my family stomping… Continue reading Musical Mondays: Someone Waits for Me, on Serenade Radio
Lord. I remember, as a child and adolescent, Cliff Richard being the quintessentially British pop star. Better (and bigger) than the Beatles. He never really made it in the States, where his closest brush with fame came in the mid-1970s with something called "Devil Woman." Not really one of my faves, as I wasn't sure… Continue reading Triangulations (Apologies to Sir Cliff Richard)
It’s true that I haven’t been able to find a single source pointing me to the place where the putative author of today’s quote said exactly these words, even in translation (perhaps someone could help me out). But they are widely attributed to St. Augustine, and certainly embody the spirit of his Easter Reflections, an… Continue reading “We are an Easter People, and Alleluia is our song!”
She was Willie Nelson's big sister, happy to be overshadowed in her career by he little brother, who called her, "the most talented of all the Nelsons." This is just lovely: https://youtu.be/DDffMxTcgJY I suspect that--as often happens in such relationships--she truly was the wind beneath his wings. https://youtu.be/lh9aOV1FLg4
There aren't many iconic rock stars I recognize, let alone for whom I can identify a single "iconic" song. The list is endless, and includes such luminaries as Bruce Springsteen, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Guns N' Roses, Aerosmith (well done, Steven, if for nothing else than producing such a lovely Arwen), Prince, Lynard Skynard, Jimi… Continue reading RIP: Meat. Loaf.
So, reposting here--because just as it was appropriate for the Polish Pope's birthday, it's appropriate for Christmas--one which was originally posted on Ricochet, 5/2/2018. Funnily, I see this post has been stolen elsewhere since. It's all good. The medium is the message. And the message is what counts, no matter which of you decides to… Continue reading A Sweet Tooth (This New Year of 2022) for Song and Music
As some of you know, I’m British. And as such, I generally try to keep a pretty stiff upper lip about things. Not to whine unduly. And when I do whine, I try to whine directly at the person or people who are at the root of my dissatisfaction or unhappiness, or in the case… Continue reading Ave Atque Vale, Thou Bleak Midwinter of My Discontent!