“You Are a Freak. But I Mean That in a Good Way…”
A jaw-dropping, forehead-slapping performance from “America’s Got Talent.” Folks, this has to be seen to be believed.
View ArticleRestoration: bringing back a pipe organ in Brooklyn
Left, the Rev. Michael A. Perry, pastor of Our Lady of Refuge, sat at the organ with Joseph A. Vitacco III, the mastermind of the restoration. Photo by Bryan Thomas for the New York Times Here’s a...
View ArticleAwesome: listen to this one-man choir
Behold: singer Sam Robson who, in multiple takes, created this stunningly beautiful a capella rendition of the hymn “I Need Thee, O I Need Thee.”
View ArticleRadio stations begin playing 24/7 Christmas music…NOW?!
This makes my head hurt: For the past several years, Central New Yorkers have come to expect all-Christmas music to hit the radio on November 1. This year, a new record — as of late Saturday night,...
View ArticleA “Tango Mass”?
Yes, there is such a thing. An Argentine composer introduced it a number of years back, but it’s gaining new life and new audiences, now that we have an Argentine pope. (It was played in concert at St....
View ArticleDeck the halls—and just see what four guys can do on one piano
These guys are apparently quite the sensation on the interwebs, but they’re new to me: The Piano Guys, four faithful Mormons who make amazing piano music. Their latest: this lovely rendition of...
View ArticleFlash mob, you had me at “Jesu”
I’m shamelessly stealing this from The Anchoress, who is right: I’m a sucker for this stuff. I haven’t seen any decent Christmas flash mobs this year. Until now. Right out of the gate, this one is...
View ArticleThe singing nuns: sisters release followup to their blockbuster album
Will wonders never cease? Details from the AP: Eight times a day, a group of nuns files into a chapel in their rural northwest Missouri monastery to chant and worship. Quite unexpectedly, this...
View ArticleKaty Perry video edited after Muslims charge blasphemy
Details from the BBC: The video for Katy Perry’s track Dark Horse has been edited following claims from some Muslims it was blasphemous. More than 65,000 people signed a petition which stated the clip...
View ArticleSister Cristina rocks the house with Mariah Carey’s “Hero”
She performed again a few days ago on Italy’s “The Voice.” As one of the judges noted, the song was a good choice for the singing nun, because it was about salvation. The lyrics: There’s a hero If you...
View ArticleHymn of the Week: ‘Holy God, We Praise Thy Name’
This most familiar of Catholic hymns serves as our recessional this weekend — and I doubt there are many in the pews who don’t know it. Its history is interesting — and it turns out its popularity in...
View ArticleHymn of the Week: ‘Taste and See’
This beautiful Eucharistic hymn will be sung at my parish this weekend. Written by James Moore, it’s a familiar modern hymn with a gentle, meditative melody. The words: Taste and see, taste and see...
View ArticleWATCH: This music video from the Norfolk Police Department is an instant classic
Want a nice little palate cleanser? This is something to see, as described on the NPD Facebook page: YOUR WAIT IS OVER!!!! The Norfolk Police Department was challenged by the Corinth Police Department,...
View ArticleHymn of the Week: ‘The King of Love, My Shepherd Is’
This great old Protestant hymn has found a welcome home in many Catholic parishes. It’s a soothing, gently-rendered interpretation of the 23rd Psalm, written by Henry Williams Baker. Some background:...
View ArticleWhen Francis met Sting
Pope Francis chatted briefly with Sting after the General Audience on Wednesday — see the video above, courtesy Rome Reports — and the pop star had a lot to say to Edward Pentin of the National...
View ArticlePachelbel’s Chicken?
And now for a little palate-cleanser. You hear Pachelbel’s Canon endlessly at weddings — full confession: this was played at our wedding 32 years ago — but you’ve probably never heard it like this....
View ArticleHymn of the Week: ‘Ave Verum’ (Elgar)
Our choir will be offering this as the communion hymn Sunday. Some background: “Ave verum corpus” is a short Eucharistic chant that has also been set to music by various composers. It dates from the...
View ArticleSince this is such a quiet, uneventful time in Church history, let’s tinker...
Seriously. This is what the U.S. bishops will be doing — among other things — next month: The US bishops are set to consider 139 English translations of Latin hymn texts that can be used in praying the...
View ArticleWATCH: Sister Cristina’s Jaw-dropping Performance of ‘Born This Way’
My blog neighbor Kate O’Hare has the full story and interview with the headline-making hitmaker right here. Meantime, check out the singing nun’s interpretation of Lady Gaga’s hit below. I didn’t...
View ArticleThey’re Playing Our Song: Great Catholic Music to Stream Online
Well, this is pretty cool, from CNS: Catholics hear hymns in church, but hardly ever on the radio. Now they can augment their weekly diet of hymnody through a new audio web streaming service called...
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