Category: Sacred & Classical Music
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The Sound of Stillness: Gregorian Chant and the Interior Life
Gregorian chant has, for millennia, haunted listeners throughout the world, drawing many into a deeper encounter with their own interior life and the reality of the eternal and divine. If there could be a sound for stillness, Gregorian chant would be it—and, in fact, seems to be a true close relative of silence. One could…
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A Song for Roger Scruton
This piece originally appeared in Dappled Things in 2020 and has been lightly edited for style. I recently wrote a simple song to honor the life of Sir Roger Scruton. For a man dedicated to the heights of civilization, it is certainly not Palestrina or Michaelangelo, but I have reason to believe the man himself…
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The Shawshank Redemption: A Film for Impossible Hope
The Shawshank Redemption, the 1994 film by Frank Darabont adapted from a Stephen King novella, quickly became a classic for its gripping telling of a man, Andy Dufresne, who is sentenced to life in the Shawshank State Penitentiary for the murder of his wife and lover — despite his innocence. What follows is a harrowing…
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Mo Ghille Mear (My Gallant Hero) by Choral Scholars of University College Dublin: Stunning, with Staying Power
The Choral Scholars of University College Dublin absolutely stun in their choral rendition of Mo Ghille Mear (Gaelic for “My Gallant Hero”). To hear it once is to be arrested and changed: the notable melancholy paired with the characteristic Irish lilting and soaring melody enters the depths of the soul and mind, filling it with…
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Sicut Cervus by Palestrina: The Piece that Continues to Move Listeners Centuries Down
Sicut Cervus, the likely most well-known piece by Palestrina, and perhaps even the most well-known polyphony piece from the Renaissance period, continues to move listeners centuries down from its original composition. In many circles, the piece is almost a cliché—the not uncommon fate of any great work. And yet, many more have not yet had…
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“The Lake Isle of Innisfree” by W. B. Yeats Reminds Us of the Real Needs of the Human Heart
One of W. B. Yeats’ most well-known poems, “The Lake Isle of Innisfree,” is an important reminder of the deep needs of the human heart for solace, silence, peace, and natural beauty. The poem articulates Yeats’ experience of a real place he remembered from childhood, in contrast to his bustling life in the city at the…
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Miserere Mei by Allegri: Why This Sacred Choral Work Still Haunts Listeners
Allegri’s Miserere Mei, based in the text of Psalm 51, continues to be one of the most haunting sacred choral pieces despite being centuries old. It is a serious encouragement that great works like this can still cut through the noise and chaos of modern life to listeners around the world. Notably, there are high…
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Josh Groban Song “You Raise Me Up” Remains a Classic
You Raise Me Up, the song made famous by Josh Groban in 2004, is still a classic to return to, alongside the many Italian songs that lend themselves to a an earnestness we have lost. I’ve spent many years contemplating my passion for his work when I was in high school: it unlocked what I’ve…