* Dedicated to my friend Rev. Robert Eyman, Spokane, Washington, USA One of the finest of the so-called ‘Hallelujah Psalms’, the one hundred forty-seventh speaks an encouraging word to the broken-hearted among us. The poet angles in on the appropriateness of praise, recognizing that a universe governed in the way this one is ruled has [...]
Archive for August, 2008
a song fits: Psalm 147
Posted in textures, tagged biblical reflection, Psalms, textures on August 31, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
all for the glory: 1 Corinthians 10
Posted in textures, tagged biblical reflection, Corinthians, textures on August 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Freedom and self-restraint are not often seen walking hand-in-hand. Yet they make the most compelling couple. When the apostle Paul turns to instructing the Corinthian Christians regarding the best path though the thorn-filled gardens into which they been summoned, he is clear on the matter of freedom. Seldom has a writer who cannot be described [...]
background music for a romantic evening: Michael Bolton, Vintage
Posted in reseña, tagged music, reseña on August 24, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Michael Bolton is in his element in tossing off this 2003 collection—a very short one, it must be said—of fine old bluesy-romantic pieces. Gone for the moment is the flamboyant wall of musicians that backs up his more anthemic rock and roll pieces. The music here is supplied by a diminutive assortment of soft-spoken instrumentalists. [...]
founding brothers: David Halberstam, The Teammates. A portrait of friendship
Posted in paterfamilias, reseña, tagged baseball, sports on August 23, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
The late David Halberstam’s insightful baseball writing has been a boon for fans with long memories. There are more of them attached to this odd American sport than any other. A penchant for statistics and scars that never heal are practically the calling card of those of us who are drawn, inexorably, to the diamond [...]
lost jewel: Vivaldi/Karakan/Berliner Philharmoniker/Michel Schwabé (La Gran Música Classical Collection)
Posted in reseña, tagged music, reseña on August 23, 2008 | 5 Comments »
In the mid-1990s in Great Britain I purchased a Linguaphone French language learning package and, as a result, received this marvelous booklet and Karajan/Berliner Philharmoniker/Deutsche Grammophon/Michel Schwalbé recording of Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Concerto ‘L’Amoroso’, Symphony ‘Al Santo Sepolcro’, and Concerto ‘Alla Rustica’. Apart from a lone seller with a copy listed on Amazon, I [...]
going driftless: Greg Brown, The Poet Game
Posted in reseña, tagged music, reseña on August 23, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Returning to the shed from a first sea kayaking experience on Alaska’s Inner Passage, I was greeted by the voice of Greg Brown, soon interpreted by the enthusiastic commentary of my kayaking guide. I resolved that I would come to know this singer as a living souvenir of the kayaking thing. `Soon as I could, [...]
let us sing: Michael Bolton, Greatest Hits 1985-1995
Posted in reseña, tagged music, reseña on August 23, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
It must be hard to be Michael Bolton. Blessed with an unfathomably powerful voice, he nonetheless harvests love and grimaces only in about equal measure. He pays tribute to some sturdy old songs and gets labeled as a cover-only singer. It’s enough to drive a man to play baseball or something. Which he does. Softball, [...]
it’s a dance: Concerti. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Sunday Times Music Collection)
Posted in reseña, tagged music, reseña on August 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
The dance of an instrumental soloist and the disproportionately sized partner with which the classical concerti pair him or her is one of classical music’s most capable forms. Done well, the assymetry soars. The soloist’s work is framed as no other configuration could. The orchestra’s restraint against the danger of overpowering its smaller partner show [...]
nomistic pleasure: Psalm 119
Posted in textures, tagged biblical reflection, Psalms, textures on August 17, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
If Paul Simon could find only fifty ways to leave his lover, the writer of Psalm 119 clearly trumps him. Verse after verse of this acrostic poem—meaning that the first letter of each line follows the alphabet in a clearly identifiable pattern—lauds Yahweh’s word, law, and promise with language usually reserved for romance. I rejoice [...]
not many fathers: 1 Corinthians 4
Posted in textures, tagged biblical reflection, Corinthians, textures on August 15, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
The apostle Paul’s relationship with the Corinthian Christians was complex, even prickly. There is more pathos in his letters to this church than in all the others combined, a product of the wrestling for clarity on matters of authority, doctrinal clarity, and appropriate behavior.
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