The English headwaters of American hymn singing
I had intended to write something about the American tradition of shaped-note hymn singing, but as I explore the subject, …Read the Rest
Clara Louise Kellogg: the soprano vs the Civil War
This month marks the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War, which had tremendous impact on American music. Clara Louise …Read the Rest
Three generations of Sitkovetsky’s: a historic reunion
I recently attended a concert of the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra (April 1), not knowing that it would be a historical …Read the Rest
Quotations about music: unspeakable until recently.
Plato wrote, “Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the …Read the Rest
Danzon no. 2, by Arturo Márquez
The orchestra I play in is working on Danzon no. 2, by Arturo Márquez. Since I have written quite a …Read the Rest
The glissando: from bad trombone technique to a common performance idiom
Perhaps no technique more perfectly characterizes the idiom of the slide trombone as the glissando. Its first deliberate use in …Read the Rest
March forth! A brief look at American marches
March music has played a huge role in American popular culture. What’s a parade without marching bands? Or half time …Read the Rest
The Wagner tuba: the orchestra’s least known brass member
What is the most recently member of the orchestra? The tuba, invented in 1835 would seem to qualify, except that …Read the Rest
A little classical music quiz
Let’s try something a bit more interactive today, classical music lovers. I have a little multiple-choice quiz for you. Don’t …Read the Rest
Grimethorpe Colliery Band, Saddleworth, and Nostalgia
I decided to look at YouTube for inspiration for today’s post and thought it was past time to mention the …Read the Rest
