‘Orchestra Tuning Up’ and Other Poetry by Cynthia Erlandson The Society January 16, 2021 Beauty, Culture, Music, Poetry 6 Comments _ Orchestra Tuning Up Is this the way the universe once sounded?A mass confusion of discordant trumpets,Flutes, horns, and violins like baffled cometsWithout a geometric course, confounded? Can this be how the...
‘Christmas Is a Person’: Words & Music by Jim Tweedie The Society December 24, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Holidays, Music, Poetry 21 Comments Christmas trees and Christmas carols, Christmas lights and reindeer, too.Christmas cards and Christmas presents, wrapped with paper, bows and glue.Christmas bells and Christmas cookies, Christmas ornaments...
‘Mozart on his Kegelstatt Trio’ and Other Poetry by Julian Woodruff The Society November 22, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Humor, Music, Poetry 42 Comments Mozart on His Kegelstatt Trio Quite recently I wrote a little trio While wasting time at skittles with some friends. We needed something for the clarinet, Something not dolorous, but not con brio— A...
Three Translations of Goethe and an Original Musical Setting for One of Them, by James A. Tweedie The Society November 15, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Music, Poetry, Readings, Translation 15 Comments Introductory Note These paraphrased translations represent three short poems composed by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a person so well-known that I will pass on offering a biography and only note that he...
‘Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, by Joseph Lange’ and Other Poetry Julian Woodruff The Society August 6, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Humor, Music, Poetry 3 Comments Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, by Joseph Lange (1783? / 1789?); as viewed by a Philistine Consider Lange’s well-known portrait Of his in-law, a composer: It’s good, we see, but it requires A scrutiny...
A Poem in Tribute to Dame Vera Lynn (1917-2020), by Jeff Eardley The Society July 25, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Music, Poetry 24 Comments Vera A fine and sunny Summer’s day And now our Vera’s slipped away. Auf Wiedersehen, we’ll meet again; We don’t know where, we don’t know when. A proper looker in the day, A smile to...
‘From J.S. Bach’s French Suites: An Allemande’ by Leo Zoutewelle The Society July 24, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Music, Poetry 19 Comments Alike a trusted hand that comes to rest On harried shoulders to relieve the stress, This allemande fulfills its basic quest: Bestowing thorough genial redress. When just too much encumbrance...
‘A Case of Ghosts’ and Other Poetry by Julian Woodruff The Society July 6, 2020 Culture, Humor, Music, Poetry 5 Comments A Case of Ghosts (Full Fathom Five parodied) In cradling case my fiddle lies, Waiting for the owner’s hand. Strings all slack, its music dies. Yet a not-quite-silent band There conspires to haunt my...
A Poem for July 4th 2020, by T.M. Moore The Society July 3, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Deconstructing Communism, Holidays, Music, Poetry 13 Comments All Gone Listening to William Billings' "Chester" I cannot help but weep to sing these words, and by them, lodge my soul with those who sang them many years ago. From their hearts rang both faith...
Poems on Famous Composers by Sally Cook The Society June 19, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Humor, Music, Poetry 9 Comments Johann Sebastian Bach Truly loved music, yet Managed to wed twice And father a gang. The kids took their tonics, Eschewed bad harmonics, Bach said Bohemian Life could go hang! Frederick...
A Poem in Tribute to Dame Vera Lynn (1917-2020), by Susan Jarvis Bryant The Society June 18, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Music, Poetry, Readings, Video 40 Comments https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZUryvFffTQ Some Sunny Day A tribute to Dame Vera Lynn who died today, June 18, 2020 (aged 103). She was the British Forces' Sweetheart who sang to the...
‘Im Fruhling’ (‘In Spring’) by Ernst Schulze, and Other Translations by David B. Gosselin The Society March 26, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Music, Poetry, Translation 5 Comments Im Fruhling (In Spring) by Ernst Schulze (1789-1817) I sit here lonely on a hill Where skies are clear and blue; The sunset casts a glowing veil Over the deep and tranquil dale— I used to love...
Poems for Christmas Day 2019 The Society December 25, 2019 Beauty, Culture, Holidays, Music, Poetry, Readings 7 Comments Come to Bethlehem / Silent Night Song and Poem by James A. Tweedie Come to Bethlehem, come and see God stripped bare of majesty. Fragile as a flower; Emptied of might and power; Come to...
A Poem on Violinist Fiona Zheng and Other Poetry, by Evan Mantyk (Video) The Society October 1, 2019 Beauty, Classical Literature, Culture, Human Rights in China, Music, Poetry, Video 12 Comments Sonnet VI. Fiona Zheng Violinist Fiona Zheng and her father spent part of their lives fleeing communist authorities in China after her mother and grandmother were killed for refusing to renounce their...
Poems of Hibernia & Caledonia, by James A. Tweedie (with Audio) The Society August 1, 2019 Beauty, Culture, Music, Poetry, Readings 13 Comments Poet's Note: These five sonnets and song are the product of a four-week journey taken in June to Ireland and through west central Scotland and the Inner and Outer Hebrides. Unlike the sonnets, the lyrics to...
‘Musical Comedy or Doggerel for Dilettantes’ by James A. Tweedie The Society August 31, 2018 Beauty, Culture, Humor, Music, Performing Arts, Poetry 15 Comments Musical Comedy or Doggerel for Dilettantes The Sonata Like a Classical sonata, our day opens with a theme, Whether thrown from bed by thunder or lulled softy from a dream. With our breakfast comes a...
Video: A Reading of Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare The Society June 14, 2018 Beauty, Culture, Music, Poetry, Readings, Video A short film by Gleb Zavlanov. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxnDmkKqaF4&feature=youtu.be Sonnet 18 Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds...
‘The Concert’ by Lynn Michael Martin The Society April 9, 2018 Beauty, Music, Performing Arts, Poetry 6 Comments A sonnet of longing and of a glimpse of hope. July 17, 2016. We looked imploring to the starless sky; we worlds and worlds of darkness, seeking light, that we might momently forget our night; for that...
‘A Lively Hope: Sonnets on Sir Hubert Parry’s Youth’ by Phillip Whidden The Society February 27, 2018 Beauty, Culture, Music, Poetry 19 Comments On the occasion of his birthday, 160 years ago, on February 27, 1848 At the Solitary Age of Twelve—Seven and Twelve Being Holy Numbers The first of seven early music books Reveals a boy methodical as...
Review: What Is Shen Yun All About? The Society January 19, 2018 Beauty, Culture, Deconstructing Communism, Essays, Human Rights in China, Music, Performing Arts, Poetry, Reviews 38 Comments By Evan Mantyk Advertising for it is everywhere. If you haven’t seen it, you just haven’t been paying attention. A brilliantly colored image depicts a Chinese woman striking an airborne pose. But what...
‘After E. T. A. Hoffman’ and Other Poetry by Bruce Dale Wise The Society April 4, 2017 Beauty, Culture, Humor, Music, Poetry 2 Comments After E. T. A. Hoffman "Only connect..." E. M. Forster, Howard's End By Ewald E. Eisbruc The inner structure of the movements, working joint by joint, the way they all are linked together, toward a...
A Tanka and Other Poetry by Bruce Dale Wise The Society June 26, 2015 Beauty, Humor, Music, Poetry 2 Comments Tanka By Ue "Bird Claws" Ee In dim morning light, attracting mates, warning males, dawn's choir's singing— liquid-silver jingling— nature's alarm clock...ringing. On a Piece of Johannes...
“French Suites” and Other Poetry by Mark J. Mitchell The Society October 12, 2014 Culture, Music, Poetry 2 Comments French Suites Each keystroke is precise, clear as a verb Untouched by modifiers. Sharps and flats Are reliable as death, the light trills All mapped out. This strict staff allows no room For cadenzas....