Earlier this month Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) presented an evening program focused entirely on classical music written by French and English composers during and right after World War I. Here’s the playlist if you’d like to order any of the pieces (for February 7th; the WWI music ran from 8-9pm). For the occasion Classical MPR … More WWI in Classical Music
Not just Boxing Day, Return Unwanted Gifts Day, or Two Turtle Doves Day, the second day of Christmas has enormous theological importance: It reminds us that when the angels returned to the realms of glory and the shepherds to their fields, Mary and Joseph still had a child to parent. What does it imply that … More “What Child Is This?”
12/7/11 – Looking for a Christmas present for the hymn-loving Pietist near and dear to you? Order a copy of Glen Wiberg’s new book, Singing the Story: Sightings in Christian Music. If you’re not already familiar with Glen (he helped edit the last two hymnals of the Evangelical Covenant Church and writes a regular column … More Singing the Story
During my Thanksgiving hiatus I’m reprising some older posts: one each from June/July, August, September, and October. This one was originally posted on September 6, when I took a break from my usual emphases on Christianity, history, and education to share another love: music. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! One of my favorite things about the church … More Best of The Pietist Schoolman: My Four Favorite Sounds
So I’m sitting at home last Wednesday night. Minding my own business, ignoring the last eight essays that I just didn’t want to grade, eating leftover Halloween candy, watching the CMA Awards because I was too lazy to change the channel after I realized Modern Family wasn’t on… You know, whatever. Hey wait… Did they … More “Both Kinds: Country and Western”
10/14/11 – Earlier this month I shared my love for Minneapolis country-rockers The Jayhawks and the Chicago-based indie-rock band Wilco, then added a post last week pulling apart my wish that the frontmen of those bands shared my religion. If you found any of that series interesting… My friend Michial Farmer and I recently co-wrote … More More on Wilco and the Jayhawks
What’s the best national anthem? I’ve spent much of the last two weeks taking a stab at giving a semi-serious answer to that question. Now I’d like to hear from you! First, do you agree with my students and me that “La Marseillaise” is clearly the best national anthem, or would you back a rival … More The Best National Anthems: Your Turn
At long last (okay, six days) we come to the end of our series counting down the best national anthems. And in the end, there was really only one choice. France, “La Marseillaise“ Longevity: official anthem since 1792 Singability: ranges from D4-E5 (C4 = middle C) Inspiration: 4.1% of Olympic golds won; 1 men’s World … More The Best National Anthems: France
As the week nears an end, we come to the final two spots in my (and my Modern Europe class’s) ranking of the world’s best national anthems. If you’re new to the series, you might go back to the beginning and read on to learn the methodology employed and the anthems that have already been … More The Best National Anthems: The US of A
With twelve nominees for world’s best national anthem having fallen by the wayside, we’re finally up on the medal platform and ready to reveal our 3rd best anthem. (See earlier posts for a full explanation of methodology. The brief version: the first round used objective rankings for longevity, singability, and inspiration to narrow the list … More The Best National Anthems: Germany
The Pietist Schoolman 