Poca favilla gran fiamma seconda
I endorse Allan Massie’s verdict on Chesterton as a pungent, brilliant essayist occasionally lapsing into tedium through overwrought prose. Here is one of his passages of pellucid power, from The…
I have posted the climactic scene of Poulenc’s opera, “Dialogues of the Carmelites”, not once but twice Today, three days after Bastille Day, is the feast day of the Martyrs…
Via the Unfinished Pyramid blog, I came across this touching story about the country singer Toby Keith and #AprilCountry outlaw fave Merle Haggard: “It was Super Bowl weekend. Merle had…
From labelmate of The Beatles on their own Apple Records, to composer of devout works of Orthodox faith, John Taverner followed an unconventional path from hippy fandom (the rather arch…
Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia; Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia, Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia: Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.
France’s last official dueltook place in 1967 between two French parliamentarians; Gaston Defferre, Mayor of Marseilles and newspaper owner, who shouted “Taissez-vous, abruti!” (Shut it, moron!) at Gaullist deputy…
I only realised that I misded out on April 18th when compiling this, apologies to anyone WHOSE ENTIRE LIFE IS IN RUINS because of this.
Last year I posted a YouTube video of the magnificent setting of the Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen) the concludes Poulenc’s opera Dialogues des Carmelites , with the sound of the…
Séamus Sweeney 