And on the two hundred and fourth day . . .
There was purple.
And God said, "thank myself Pentecost is over".
Happy Advent.
Just in time for the Messiaen centennial: a bird song organ from Japan.
Labels: organs
The final choral work of Kenneth Leighton, the Missa Christi, will be performed as the Mass setting at St. Thomas Church in New York City tomorrow. (Listen online). If you want to hear the Credo, you're out of luck.
The Missa Christi was commissioned by Christ Church Cathedral, Indianapolis in celebration of their sesquicentennial and was completed in 1988, the year of Leighton's death.
The work is an ideal Mass setting for the last Sunday after Pentecost, or "Christ the King" Sunday.
Previously: Leighton, Kenneth - 20th anniversary of the death of
Labels: Leighton
| Episode | Time before initial Turbo Boost | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4:56 | shortest time |
| 2 | 7:36 | longest time |
| 3 | n/a | first episode without |
| 4 | n/a | second consecutive episode without |
| 5 | n/a | third consecutive episode without |
| 6 | n/a | fourth consecutive episode without |
| 7 | n/a | fifth consecutive episode without |
| 8 | n/a | sixth consecutive episode without |
Not even close.
At least we didn't have a main character poisoned, or KITT out of commission, or the whole organization on the verge of falling apart. Just a nice, simple, turbo boost-less mission.
Labels: television
The Tompmost Apple asserts that Psalm 151 is appropriate for Sunday next, also known as "Christ the King".
A composer who bears mentioning at this juncture is Richard H. Lloyd (b. 1933) who was from approximately 1966 to 1974 the organist and master of choristers at Hereford Cathedral.
The introit to the evensong service at the BBC this week is composed by Lloyd, as is the music below:
Labels: Hereford, Richard H Lloyd
| Episode | Time before initial Turbo Boost | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4:56 | shortest time |
| 2 | 7:36 | longest time |
| 3 | n/a | first episode without |
| 4 | n/a | second consecutive episode without |
| 5 | n/a | third consecutive episode without |
| 6 | n/a | fourth consecutive episode without |
| 7 | n/a | fifth consecutive episode without |
So far, only 28.57% of the episodes (the first two of seven) have included turbo boost.
At this point in the season, turbo boost stats are starting to look like presidential approval ratings.
In my live blog of this episode, "I Wanna Rock & Roll All Knight", I noticed that there was an opportunity to employ a turbo boost in the final chase scene. Maybe not a perfect one, but a possible opening nonetheless. But with the traffic and the need to stop the car they were pursuing, the writers certainly could have employed this option.
Why didn't they?
Labels: television
Online at the BBC this week, don't miss the choir of Hereford Cathedral singing the evening service Herbert Howells composed for them.
It is a lush, beautiful service which is rarely heard.
Howells, like a fine wine only got better with age (but was able to get you drunk all along). His later works are always intoxicating.
In Howells's extensive catalog or services it is the fourth to last service he composed. Written in 1969, it is succeeded only by settings written for Magdalene College, York and Dallas, Texas.
The Hereford service is authored by a fully mature Howells, and one who writes with increasing density. Standing in opposition to the harmonic activity is the opening of the Magnificat. The movement, like several other evening services by Howells, begins with a lyrical treble line. The full choir enters at the words "for he that is mighty".
Upon first hearing, one might be tempted to say that the Magnificat delves into the richness of Howells fully-developed harmonic language of complex flexibility and surprise. Certain moments sound as if they are poised spin out of control harmonically, but this is only an illusion. Howells has provided a sure foundation for these passages, and their resolution is powerfully satisfying.
The Nunc Dimittis seems to be a summary of the same ideas, but without all the arcane tangents -- just a hint at where they might have gone. It is much more innocent, but pleasingly so.
Cheat sheet: In the audio file at the BBC, the Magnificat starts at 20:50; Nunc dimittis at 29:37
Also noteworthy: the particularly lovely introit, "View me Lord" by Richard H. Lloyd.
20:58 Sad day in turbo boost land. But let me just suggest for the record that rather than the coördinated take out the tires thing, I think a turbo boost leap frog might have been in order.
20:55 Cars are stopped. I don't think we're going to see anything tonight.
20:54 It's getting narrower, but Mike weaves through traffic.
20:52 On the freeway. All we need here is some kind of obstruction . . .
20:49 Well, with this little to go on, the chase will come down to the wire, which means turbo boost, right?
20:48 This is bad, no trail? Goodyear? Do they have a product placement too?
20:47 Big wreck, now Mike is officially chasing the bad guys . . . in normal mode?. Ah yes, so as not to be seen. Are they on foot? Or "another car waiting?"
20:44 Okay, fifteen minutes, we can still get this done. Back in the car. Attack mode! yes!
20:39 Things are starting to pick up. The bad guys are l33t haX0rs, apparently.
20:38 Ack, back in the hangar. Let's get back outside.
20:35 There are too many commercials. Suddenly a half hour goes to less than 25 minutes.
20:31 We're a half-hour through this one, and I sense a couple of car chases in the near future. Possibilities of a turbo boost are high.
Labels: television
The Telegraph reports that "Singing from the same hymn sheet" may upset atheists
We at Sinden.org suggest that the hymn sheet simply be revised.
Or possibly an alternative sheet could be provided for atheists.
Assuming that they even want to sing hymns, might I suggest some texts from Emily Dickinson? This seems to work pretty well for the Unitarians.
Labels: language
Sinden.org continues to observe the Octave of the American Election. Normal programming, if there is such a thing, will resume eventually.
Major kudos to Miss Wombat of in time of daffodils for providing us with a keen election night musical analysis.
After his concession speech, the McCain camp piped in music from the film Crimson Tide: "a movie about an old white guy submarine captain, and the upstart young, black XO who have to deal with Russia attacking their sub."
This is, as Miss Wombat notes "an almost hilarious topical reference about black vs. white and experience vs. inexperience."
But more than that, isn't it a pointed reference a certain vice presidential candidate who was a threat to both campaigns? And to the ever present Russia, a country in close proximity to said vice presidential candidate's house?
Not to mention that the site of all of this drama is an electorally significant Ohio-class submarine?
Gene Robinson who, like Obama, is not
afraid to be photographed with pipe organs.
Bishop Robinson described his conversations with him as part of Mr Obama’s “extraordinary” outreach to all religious communities, not just Christian groups. Mr Obama, although not a member of The Episcopal Church to which Bishop Robinson belongs, is a committed Christian with the United Church of Christ.(via Thinking Anglicans)He said that the Mr Obama was taller than he had expected and described him as “Lincolnesque”, both literally and metaphorically. They discussed the dangers both of being demonised by opponents and idealised by supporters.
Gledhill, Ruth. "Barack Obama asked gay bishop Gene Robinson what it was like to be 'first'". Times (London), 6 November 2008.
Labels: Anglicanism, Obama
| Episode | Time before initial Turbo Boost | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4:56 | shortest time |
| 2 | 7:36 | longest time |
| 3 | n/a | first episode without |
| 4 | n/a | second consecutive episode without |
| 5 | n/a | third consecutive episode without |
| 6 | n/a | fourth consecutive episode without |
So far, only 33.33% of the episodes (the first two of six) have included turbo boost.
Turbo boost was particularly unlikely in this episode since KITT was largely confined to the cargo area of the plane.
Labels: television
The New York Times gave us a great interactive election map to play with this year.
But they only gave us two colors: red and blue.
Mohave County in Arizona circa 11:45 p.m. on election night should be a different color.
(Who are these guys voting for?)
Labels: journalism, web
Check out the music scheme PDFs on Hereford Cathedral's Services page.
They are at once beautifully abstract and totally impractical.
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