Thursday, December 8, 2011

High-class Christmas music -- balm for the soul during "interesting times"

Time for a break from the strictly socio-political. The Lord Jesus Christ came to (among many other things) fix it so politics would not be such a massive dead weight on everything.... and so that we could, as a result, spend less time dealing with corruption in high places and more time praising God, e.g. through the arts he has graciously allowed us to develop for this purpose.

I've just spent a few minutes tweaking the next edition of my Organ People email zine and thought you folks might enjoy a couple of the pickings:

St. Olaf Choir and Orchestra - Climb To The Top Of The Highest Mountain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjGMf7aO01A

Morten Lauridsen - O magnum mysterium - Polyphony
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xlUkpqvHWw

The first one aired earlier this evening on WMUU 94.5 FM, the thinly disguised Bob Jones University radio station. You really all should avail yourselves of this rare treasure among "beautiful music" outposts. It may be the only one in the country that also features the unique, gutsy preaching of the late Brother Lester Roloff. But the music occupies most of its programming, and right now it's mostly Advent/Christmas material.... including many a small masterpiece in a wide variety of genres.

The second has made a huge splash in the choral field. Its mildly modern harmonies are merely a slight pushing of the envelope past standard 19th-century textures, and this is truly a sublime performance. Trust Wikipedia to supply a translation of the old plainchant text:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Magnum_Mysterium

Many of you are musicians. We all have our favorite genres, but I suspect all of you can anjoy both of the above pieces -- one a folk song, one a classical composition.

I'm getting all choked up just handling this stuff -- I, one of the most jaundiced foes of Christmas mania. I wish all of you a warm, meaningful Nativity season. You who are in the "most politically-incorrect" category might like to contact me about two Christmas parties taking place this week expressly for our kind of people.

You who don't live within 100 miles of Greenville can enjoy the station streamed live via:

http://www.wmuu.com/listen/streaming-radio.html

/\/.\/\/. torpenhow@charter.net (864) 356-9966

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