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• Post #4205335

  That last boost (from one of my alt accounts, on which all posts must be in iambic) is yesterday's wonderful discovery in the world of classical music. I bought a disc of three Marko Nikodijević compositions on a whim, never having heard of him, and I can instantly tell this is going to be in regular rotation. He is a contemporary composer who grew up in Serbia but now lives in Germany. He blends a lot of modernist ideas (including, but not limited to, 12-tone serialism) with a strong s...

• Post #4205334

  Cry out, O sinner, with all your might; for your Lord is merciful and loves those who repent. As soon as you return, your Father will come out to meet you. He will slaughter the fatted calf, clothe you in a fine robe, and rejoice in you. — St. Ephraim the Syrian, from “A Spiritual Psalter”

• Post #4205333

  When I was in tenth grade, our English teacher spent several weeks teaching us the correct use of the semicolon. It has had a major impact on my writing ever since. Thank you, Mr. Harvey! #gratitude

• Post #2386975

  American converts to Orthodox Christianity, particularly those coming from parishes following east-Slavic practice, often feel a real affinity with American shape-note hymns. They seem like the closest thing we have to an indigenous chant tradition. So it was inevitable that eventually someone would set the central hymn of Pascha to a shape-note-ish melody and harmony; Vlad Morosan did so in 2013. I’ve seen several YouTube videos from Russia where small choirs have joyfully embraced this setting...

• Post #2336165

  Today, the Wednesday of the fourth week of the Paschal season, is the feast of mid-Pentecost: the midpoint between Pascha and Pentecost. The gospel reading for today from John 7 mentions Jesus going up to the Temple “in the middle of the feast” and preaching. That feast was Sukkot, the “feast of booths,” which falls in September; but Jesus’s teaching is entirely applicable here too. On this day it is customary to bless the fields — though, having never lived in a heavily-Orthodox rural area, I...

• Post #1976583

  A dear friend sent me this quote tonight: “When we began our Christian life, we were full of enthusiasm. Without it, we would have been like an engine without steam, or a rundown clock, and in the end gotten nowhere. But we had our enthusiasm, we had our spiritual father, we had the writings of the Fathers, we were helped by the grace of God, and so we made some progress. But slowly, little by little, the difficulties set in, the failures, the compromises, the sins, the temptations, thoughts o...

• Post #1976582

  Last night I was able to get the new release of the Dillo browser to compile on my work MacBook for the first time. Homebrew does not yet have version 3.3.0. Unfortunately I discovered that none of the navigation elements on my personal site are visible. Here's the secret invocation: brew install fltk openssl CPPFLAGS="-I/opt/homebrew/include" LDFLAGS="-L/opt/homebrew/lib" CXXFLAGS="${CFLAGS}" ./configure --enable-experimental-flt...

• Post #1976581

  Today we remember with sorrow the incineration of the relics of St. Sava, first archbishop of the autocephalous Church of Serbia, by Sinan Pasha of Belgrade in 1594. St. Sava, the son of Serbian Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja, was responsible for setting in order the church of Serbia, as well as for re-founding the Monastery of Hilandar on Mouth Athos, which to this day is largely a Serbian monastery. He also restored many churches and monasteries that had fallen into disrepair. 700 years before...

• Post #1976580

  Thanks be to God, we now have... ... DRUM ROLL .... The first book of the Metal Translation Bible! https://christianmetalministrymusic.com/product/1260543-metal-translation-bible-genesis /me runs in shame to a dark corner

• Post #1976579

  The truth is that without mystical union with Christ, following His moral law in one’s life is impossible, for it is beyond mankind’s power to fulfill. — Archbishop Averky (Taushev)

• Post #1976578

  Tomorrow is the day when we remember St. Basil (Vasily) Martysz, a 20th century Polish new-martyr, a small portion of whose relics are in our altar. We realized too late to plan any services for him tomorrow, but we will be singing a hymn in his honor this morning. Because he was a missionary priest in the USA and Canada early in his ministry, we North Americans have a special attachment to him. He also served as a military chaplain in the Polish army, and is thus particularly dear to veterans...

• Post #1976576

  Yesterday I got to church at 8:45 in the morning, left shortly after 1pm, headed out to a friend's house about 30 minutes away, sat around alone in the cool outdoors for 45 minutes, and then made wood-fired pizza for the youth (and their parents) until 7pm. I was completely fried by the end, went to bed shortly after 9, and slept until 8:15 this morning. The shirt you see me wearing here is entirely apropos.

• Post #1976574

  Today is such a gorgeous day that I am working from the front porch while listening to various opera overtures by Luigi Cherubini, one of the most overlooked composers of the Beethovenian era. (I would nominate Louis Spohr as another forgotten Beethoven contemporary who deserves a lot more listens.) #NowPlaying #ClassicalMusic

• Post #1169984

  It is the custom among the eastern Slavs to read the prologue of St. John in many languages during the Paschal liturgy. (By contrast, those in the Greek orbit read the gospel appointed for Paschal vespers in many languages instead.) I think we had over a dozen languages; Danish was a new addition this year. Before I became a deacon, I used to read in Cherokee — someone my mom knows in Tahlequah, Oklahoma made me a recording so I could at least approximate the tonal aspect of the language. Nowada...

• Post #1009991

  I failed to post this link yesterday: “Rejoice, O Bethany,” a paraliturgical hymn from the Syrian tradition, on the subject of the raising of Lazarus, here sung in English. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r83vroiQj0

• Post #936328

  This is Lazarus. He is celebrating the eve of his feast with me on the backyard swing. #ballpython #snakes #herps

• Post #936327

  Today, Lazarus Saturday, we are getting ready for a bunch of baptisms. The most traditional day for baptism is Holy Saturday, integrated with the Divine Liturgy, but that service is already several hours long, so we have made it local custom to baptize on Lazarus Saturday. That way the newly-illuminated can experience Holy Week as full members of the Church.

• Post #936326

  Holy Week involves being at church a LOT around a lot of other people. This is highly rewarding but very draining. My wife, who knows me very well yet still somehow manages to love me, bought me this shirt. I inaugurated it today, wearing it under my cassock.

• Post #936325

  Getting ready to start vespers for Palm Sunday. A joyous feast to all tomorrow, whether you are starting or finishing Holy Week!

• Post #936324

  I have been a classical music nut since I was 10 years old. For years I had just assumed that Bruckner was given to the same histrionic excesses as Mahler, so I never bothered listening, until about a month ago, when I found used CDs of his 5th and 8th symphonies. Now I’m trying to make up for lost time. #ClassicalMusic

• Post #936323

  For my friends of the Roman persuasion… one of the lovelier hymns in the Gregorian repertoire. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty9eJAL9Ybg

• Post #779193

  One of the prophecy readings for the Annunciation is the account from Exodus of the Burning Bush. The bush is seen as a foreshadowing of the conception; for as the bush was burning without being consumed, so the Virgin received the Divine Fire into her womb without being consumed.

• Post #652493

  Tomorrow is the midpoint of the forty days for us. On this day, the Church brings out the Cross for veneration, as a consolation and source of joy, showing us where we are headed and giving us strength. By embracing the Cross, we join Christ in his saving Passion, and thereby take part in his Resurrection. Come, O Adam and Eve, our first father and mother, who fell from divine glory through the envy of the murderer of man. Bitter was the pleasure of the Tree of old; but see, the honored Tree of...