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A Celebration of God's Grace
Adversity is the diamond dust Heaven polishes its jewels with.
--Robert Leighton
Alms are but the vehicles of prayer.
--John Dryden
Music is well said to be the speech of angels.
--Thomas Carlyle
When faith is lost, when honor dies
The man is dead!
--John Greenleaf Whittier
Ichabod
By aspiring to a similitude of God in goodness or love, neither man (sic) nor angel ever transgressed, or shall ever transgress.
--Sir Francis Bacon
Advancement of Learning
When the Church baptizes a child, that action concerns me, for that child is thereby connected to that which is my head too, and ingrafted into that body whereof I am a member.
--John Donne
If you judge men (sic) by their beards and their girth, then goats are the wisest creatures on earth.
--Joseph Solomon DelMedico
Man (sic) is wise only while searching for wisdom; when he thinks he has found it, he is a fool.
--Ibm Gabirol
Choice of Pearls
Not Angles, but Angels.
--Pope Gregory the Great
When a wise man (sic) is angry, he is no longer wise.
--Talmud
Pesahim
If life is a comedy to him (sic) who thinks and a tragedy to him who feels, it is a victory to him who believes.
--Anonymous
Maturity of mind is best shown in slow belief.
--Baltasar Gracián y Morales
Of all commentaries upon the Scriptures, good examples are the best and the liveliest.
--John Donne
Sermon Preached at a Marriage
God uses a man's (sic) good deeds as seeds to plant trees in Paradise: in this way every man creates his own Paradise.
--The Mezeritzer Rabbi
The only whole heart is the one that has been broken.
--"The Chofetz Chaim"
Who is strong? The man (sic) who can control his passions.
--Ben Zoma
Sayings of the Fathers
Saints and Seasons A page for spiritual and liturgical meditation |
Lent (begins March 9, 2011) |
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St. John of Nepomark – Oil on canvas (1770) by János Lukács Kracker  |
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| February 25 | Lutheran commemoration of Elizabeth Fedde, deaconess, 1921  Norwegian-born Fedde’s ministry was to Norwegian immigrants in New York City. From visiting the sick to running a boarding house for sailors far from home and a deaconess school and three hospitals throughout the country, she spent just thirteen years in the U.S. before returning to Norway exhausted to marry the man who patiently had waited for her. Franciscan audio essay commemorating Blessed Sebastian of Aparicio, 1600  Born of Spanish peasants, Sebastian traveled to Mexico to build roads. Successful at his work he eventually became wealthy. After two short marriages ended in death, he distributed his goods to the poor and entered a Franciscan monastery as a Brother, and spent the next 25 years begging for the friars. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Marco da Galiano (Italian composer), d. 1643; Johann Philipp Krieger (composer), b. 1649; Alessandro Stradella (Italian composer), d. 1682; First performance of Handel’s opera Nero, 1705; Armand-Louis Couperin (French composer), b. 1725; Hermine Spies (German alto), b. 1857; Enrico Caruso (Italian tenor), b. 1873; First performance of Tchaikovsky’s opera The Maid of Orleans, 1877; First performance of Godard’s opera Natoma, 1888; Dame Myra Hess (English pianist), b. 1890; Anton Arensky (Russian composer), d. 1906; First performance of Herbert’s opera Natoma, 1911; George Harrison (of the Beatles), b. 1943; First Broadway performance of Sondheim’s musical A Little Night Music, 1973 |
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| Crucifix – Oak and pine with polychromy (1150-1200) by an unknown Spanish Master |
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| February 26 | Greek Orthodox icon commemorating Photini, the Samaritan Women, & Her Martyred Sisters, 1st century  Photini was the name given in this commemoration to the Samaritan woman Jesus met at the well (John 4:1-42), the occasion of his comments on worshipping God in spirit and in truth. The icon portrays a young woman holding a cross. Roman Catholic audio essay commemorating St. Porphyry of Gaza, 421 Porphyry is celebrated mostly in the Eastern Church. He was known for his generosity to the poor and his ascetic lifestyle. Not ordained a priest until age forty, he seems to have been elected bishop of Gaza without his knowledge and against his will. This link gives an interesting glimpse of life in the early church. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: First performance of Handel’s oratorio Jephtha, 1752; Anton Reicha (Bohemian-French composer), b. 1770; Giuseppe Tartini (Italian violinist & composer), d. 1770; Emmy Destinn (Czech soprano), b. 1878; Frank Bridge (English composer), b. 1879; Howard Hanson (American conductor, composer & educator), d. 1981 |
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| St. John Chrysostom – Icon (20th century) by Nicholas Papas |
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| February 27 | Episcopal commemoration of George Herbert, Poet, 1633 Herbert was gifted in Latin and English, a talent which enabled him to become the Public Orator of Trinity College, Cambridge, a post which brought him to the attention of the King. The distraction of a possible ambassadorship caused him to delay ordination. After taking those vows, he served with distinction two churches near Salisbury where he was known for spontaneous generosity and good will. He is remembered today for his poetry, He is considered one of the best Metaphysical poets. His verses are marked by deep religious devotion, one of the most famous has been made into the hymn, “Let all the world in every corner sing.” Ercilla y Zuniga, Poet - Oil on canvas by El Greco (1590s)  Roman Catholic audio essay commemorating St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows, 1862 As a youth, Gabriel was rejected for membership by the Jesuits who had educated him. It is likely he was too young. He joined the Passionists and gave himself to their rule of penance. He was quick to be compassionate to the poor, to pray, and to be considerate of others. Soon, however, symptoms of tuberculosis appeared and he died at the age of 24. He is remembered for finding the path to holiness, not through great big deeds, but through great small ones. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: First performance of Bach’s Cantata No. 159 "Sehet, wie gehn hinauf gen Jerusalem", 1729; First performance of Handel’s opera Giustino, 1737; First performance of Handel’s oratorio L’Allegro, il Penseroso, ed il Moderato, 1740; Anna Magdalena Bach (German wife and collaborator or J.S. Bach), d. 1760; Sir Charles Hubert Parry (English composer), b. 1848; Alexander Borodin (Russian composer), d. 1887; Lotte Lehmann (German-American soprano), b. 1888; Margaret Lee Crofts (American Patron of the MacDowell Colony), b. 1893; First performance of Damrosch’s opera Cyrano de Bergerac, 1913; Heimo Erbse (German composer), b. 1924; First performance of Beach’s opera Cabildo, 1945; First performance of Zimmermann’s opera Weisse Rose, 1984 |
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| Christ on the Cross – Oil on canvas (1627) by Francisco de Zurbarán |
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| February 28 | Franciscan audio essay commemorating Blessed Daniel Brottier, 1936 After eight years on the mission field of Senegal, ill health forced Brottier to return to his native France. At the outbreak of WWI, he volunteered to be a chaplain at the front. In more than four years there, he received not a single wound. He spent the last thirteen years of his life establishing and serving in suburban Paris in a project for orphaned and abandoned children. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: First performance of Charpentier’s opera David et Jonathas, 1688; First performance of Handel’s opera Siroe, re di Persia, 1728; First performance of Gounod’s opera La Reine de Saba, 1862; John Alden Carpenter (American composer), b. 1876; Geraldine Farrar (American soprano), b. 1882; Guiomar Novaes (Brazilian pianist), b. 1895; Donal Henahan (American music critic), b. 1921; Seymour Shifrin (American composer), b. 1926; Reri Grist (American soprano), b. 1932; First performance of Shapey’s oratorio Praise, 1976 |
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| Young Man with a Skull (Vanitas) – Oil on canvas (1626-1628) by Frans Hals |
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| February 29 | MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: First performance of Rameau’s ballet Zaïs, 1748; Gioacchino Rossini (Italian composer), b. 1792; First performance of Meyerbeer’s opera Les Huguenots, 1836; First performance of Brubeck’s oratorio The Light in the Wilderness, 1968; Sir Frederic Hymen Cowen (English composer, conductor & pianist), b. 1852; Vladimir Vogel (Russian-German composer), b. 1896; McHenry Boatwright (American bass-baritone), b. 1928; First performance of Floyd’s opera Bilby’s Doll, 1976 |
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| March 1 | Feast of St. David of Wales, 544Episcopal essay; Roman Catholic audio essay.David is often seen as the apostle of Wales, and Patrick (March 17) is of Ireland, since he was largely responsible for the spread of Christianity in Wales after the invasion of the pagan Anglo-Saxons. There were no cities, so the centers of culture were monasteries; hence the style of Christian life was one devoted to learning, asceticism and missionary fervor. For centuries, Welsh Christians had closer ties to the Celts of Scotland and Ireland than to the English. These links provide an interesting picture of that age in human history. Greek Orthodox icon commemorating Euodikia the Martyr of Heliopolis, 2nd c.Eudokia was from modern-day Lebanon and began her life in licentiousness. Upon her conversion and baptism, she gave away all her material goods and entered a convent. For revenge, her former lovers denounced her as a Christian and she made her witness. The icon portrays her as a young woman whose face is marked either from the mortifications of her new life or from tears of repentance. She holds a cross upon which her life and death were focused.  Lutheran commemoration of George Herbert, priest, 1633 See February 27 for comments.MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Girolamo Frescobaldi (Italian composer), d. 1643; First performance of Handel’s oratorio Alexander’s Feast, 1736; First performance of Handel’s oratorio Samson, 1738; Georg Christoph Wagenseil (Austrian composer), d. 1777; Frédéric Chopin (pianist & composer), b. 1810; Ebenezer Prout (English music theorist & writer), b. 1835; Wilibald Gurlitt (German musicologist), b. 1889; Dimitri Mitropoulos (Greek conductor), b. 1896; Kurt Adler (Austrian-American conductor), b. 1907; First performance of Menotti’s opera The Consul, 1950; First performance of Pizzetti’s opera Assassinio della cattedrale, 1950; First performance of Lloyd-Webber’s musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, first version, 1968; Jean Martinon (French composer & conductor), d. 1976; First performance of Sondheim’s musical Sweeny Todd, 1979; John Jacob Niles (American folksinger & folksong collector), d. 1980 |
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| The Inquisition Tribunal - Oil on canvas (1812-1819) by Francisco de Goya y Lucientes |
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| March 2 | Lutheran commemoration of John and Charles Wesley, renewers of the church, 1791, 1788 See March 3 for comments. Episcopal commemoration of Chad, Bishop of Lichfield, 672Chad lived in a time of controversy over papal supremacy versus certain local options. The political intrigues in England caused him to be deposed as Archbishop of Canterbury and re-consecrated as bishop of Mercia in Lichfield. He served with distinction and humility that when he died after only 2½ years he was immediately marked for sainthood. Franciscan audio essay commemorating St. Agnes of Bohemia, 1282The daughter of a Bohemian king, Agnes rejected several marriage offers and entered the religious life. She built hospitals for the poor and several monasteries. As a Poor Clare, Agnes became known for prayer, obedience and the mortification of her flesh. Even as abbess, she served the other sisters and the sick. She was known for her kindness and her strict observance of poverty. Greek Orthodox icon commemorating Nicholas of Plana Nothing is known of Nicholas Planas. The icon shows him in the garb of a patriarch holding a shepherd’s crook in one hand and extending a Trinitarian blessing with the other. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Bernhard Breitkopf (German book & music publisher), b. 1695; First performance of Handel’s opera Giulio Cesare, 1724; Bedrich Smetana (Bohemian composer), b. 1824; Kurt Weill (German-American composer), b. 1900; Marc Blitzstein (American composer), b. 1905; John Gardner (British composer), b. 1917; Robert Simpson (British composer), b. 1921; Denis Stevens (musicologist), b. 1922; Yrjö (Henrik) Kilpinen (Finnish composer), d. 1959; Goffredo Petrassi (Italian composer), d. 2003; Malcolm Williamson (Australian composer), d. 2003 |
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| St. Albert – Chalk on buff paper (1626) by Jusepe de Ribera |
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| March 3 | Episcopal commemoration of John and Charles Wesley, priests, 1791, 1788 The Wesleys led the Evangelical Revival in 18th-century England. Educated at Oxford, they and a few friends undertook a life of worship and adherence to the Book of Common Prayer, a lifestyle that caused them to be nicknamed “Methodists.” They were converted within a few days of each other and set about stirring up in others a similar awareness of God’s love. John’s preaching and Charles’ hymns still mark the movement that became a major denomination. Greek Orthodox icon commemorating Gerasimos the Righteous of Jordan, 7th c. Gerasimos lived in the desert as a monk and became known for his virtue and intimacy with God. It is said that he even had control over wild animals—the link tells an interesting story to this effect. The icon portrays him as a desert dweller outside the city walls holding a lion’s paw and conversing with it. Roman Catholic audio essay commemorating St. Katharine Drexel, 1955 Born of a father who was a wealthy international banker in Philadelphia who spend a half hour each evening in prayer and a mother who opened their home to the poor several days a week, Drexel became a missionary nun to the Dakotas. She systematically funded missions to them, and to black and rural schools throughout the U.S. She also founded Xavier University in New Orleans, the first Catholic University in the U.S. for African Americans. In twenty years of retirement due to ill health, she engaged in intense prayer, and writing prayers and meditations. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Johann Pachelbel (German composer & organist), d. 1706; Nicola Porpora (Italian composer), d. 1768; Giovanni Battista Viotti (Italian composer & violinist), d. 1824; Sir Henry Wood (English conductor & singing teacher), b. 1869; First performance of Brahm’s Alto Rhapsody, 1870; First performance of Bizet’s opera Carmen, 1875; Federico Moreno Torroba (Spanish composer), b. 1891; Frank Wigglesworth (American composer), b. 1918; The Star Spangled Banner becomes the U.S.A national anthem, 1931; Eugàne d’Albert (British-German composer & pianist), d. 1932; First performance of Menotti’s opera Labyrinth, 1963 |
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| Crucifix – Polychrome wood (1560s) by Juan de Juni |
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| March 4 | Franciscan audio essay commemorating St. Casimir, 1483 Polish-born Casimir was third in line to be king of Poland, but chose a life of disciplined asceticism and pacifism instead. Instead of marrying the emperor’s daughter, he chose to be celibate. He died of lung trouble at age 23 while visiting Lithuania of which he was Grand Duke. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Antonio Vivaldi (Italian composer), b. 1678; First performance of Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake, 1877; First performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 (“Resurrection”), movements 1-3 only, 1895; Lili Kraus (Hungarian pianist), b. 1908; Carlos Surinach (Spanish-American composer), b. 1915; Halim El-Dabh (Egyptian-American composer & ethnomusicologist), b. 1921; Moritz Moszkowski (German composer), d. 1925; Bernard Haitink (Dutch conductor & violinist), b. 1929; Miriam Makeba (South African singer), b. 1932; Mario Davidovsky (Argentinian-American composer), b. 1934; Samuel Adler (German-American composer), b. 1938; First performance of Argento’s Te Deum, 1988 |
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| Mount Sinai - Oil on canvas by El Greco (1568) |
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| March 5 | Roman Catholic audio essay commemorating St. John Joseph of the Cross, 1734 John Joseph was a Franciscan with a reputation for holiness. Only because he was obedient to his superiors did he accept appointments as officers in the Order. Because of his ascetical practice he extended discipline with graciousness and served the friars even as their leader. He is remembered because his self-denial led, not to haughtiness, but to charity. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Thomas Arne (British composer), d. 1778; First performance of Rossini’s opera Mosà in Egitto, 1818; Arthur W. Foote (American composer), b. 1853; Philip Hale (American music critic), b. 1854; First performance of Boito’s opera Mefistofele, 1868; Ernst T. Ferand (Hungarian musicologist), b. 1887; Heitor Villa-Lobos (Brazilian composer), b. 1887; Lorin Maazel (French-American conductor), b. 1930; First performance of Barber’s Dover Beach, 1933; First performance of Cage’s vocal work |
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Two Saints by Jusepe de Ribera
St. Christopher – Oil on canvas (1637) |
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| March 6 | Roman Catholic audio essay commemorating Servant of God Sylvester of Assisi, 1240 Sylvester was one of the first followers of Francis of Assisi and the first Franciscan priest. After his profession of vows, he became Francis’ companion and trusted advisor, a holy and prayerful man committed to the life of poverty and preaching expected by Francis. St. Francis Receiving the Stigmata - Oil on canvas by El Greco (1572)MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: First performance of Bellini’s opera La Sonnambula, 1831; Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov (Russian composer), b. 1844; First performance of Verdi’s opera La Traviata, 1853; Oskar Straus (Austrian composer), b. 1870; Adolfo Salazar (Mexican composer & musicologist), b. 1890; Knudage Riisager (Danish composer), b. 1897; Julius Rudel (Austrian-American conductor), b. 1921; H.C. Robbins Landon (American musicologist), b. 1926; Friedrich Hänssler (German composer & publisher), b. 1927; John Philip Sousa (American composer & band leader), d. 1932; Zoltán Kodály (Hungarian composer), d. 1967; First performance of Ruders’ opera The Handmaid’s Tale, 2000; First performance of Harbison’s Requiem, 2003 |
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| Auto-da-Fe on Plaza Mayor, Madrid – Oil on canvas (1683) by Francisco Rizi |
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| March 7 | Feast of Sts. Felicity & Perpetua, Martyrs at Carthage, 202
Episcopal essay; Franciscan audio essay. |
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| St. Lesmes – Oil on canvas (1655) by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo |
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| March 8 | Franciscan audio essay commemorating St. John of God, 1550 John gave up his active faith while a soldier, but came to repentance at age forty. After a period of physical mortification, he was advised to focus more on serving others that on his own guilt. That advice helped him gain peace of mind and heart and he began to tend the sick poor. His own begging for his cause was so eloquent that money, provisions and helpers began to pour in. After his death, his project became an independent order known as the Brothers Hospitallers, now worldwide. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (German composer), b. 1714; First performance of Handel’s oratorio Jephtha, 1752; Ruggiero Leoncavallo (composer), b. 1858; Hector Berlioz (French composer), d. 1869; Paul Juon (Russian-German composer), b. 1872; Franco Alfano (Italian composer), b. 1876; Nikos Skalkottas (Greek composer), b. 1904; Alan Hovhaness (American composer), b. 1911; Christian Wolff (American composer), b. 1934; Othmar Schoeck (Swiss composer), d. 1957; Sir Thomas Beecham (British conductor & arranger), d. 1961; First performance of Rihm’s opera |
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| Vase of Flowers - Oil on canvas (17th c.) by Juan de Arellano |
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| March 9 | Feast of St. Gregory of Nyssa, c. 394 Gregory was Basil the Great’s (June 14) brother and Gregory of Nazianzus’ (May 9) best friend. Together known as the Cappadocian Fathers, they were a major force in the triumph of the Athanasian position at the Council of Constantinople. That council affirmed the dual nature of Christ, fully divine and fully human. He is chiefly remembered as a writer on the spiritual life and on the liturgy. The icon in this link portrays him in liturgical garb holding the book of orthodoxy. St. Gregory - Oil on canvas (c. 1797) by Francisco de Goya y LucientesRoman Catholic audio essay commemorating St. Frances of Rome, 1440 Frances’ parents objected to her desire to be a religious, so they married her to a young nobleman. Among her new relatives was another young woman who had a similar desire, so, with their husbands’ blessing, they set out to help the poor of Rome. A woman of prayer, she is remembered for combining prayer and service, a lifestyle that is not limited to those who have taken vows. Greek Orthodox icon commemorating 40 Martyrs at Lake Sebaste, 4th centuryForty Roman soldiers were Christians. After being tortured for refusing to renounce their faith, they were tied and thrown into Lake Sebaste in mid-winter. This link tells of the miracles surrounding their martyrdom. The icon portrays them under the protection of Christ. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Johann Pachelbel (German composer), buried 1706; Josef Mysliveczek (Bohemian composer), b. 1737; First performance of Handel’s oratorio L’Allegro, il Penseroso, ed il Moderato, 1740; First performance of Handel’s oratorio Joshua, 1748; First performance of Verdi’s opera Nabucco, 1842; First performance of Verdi’s opera Ernani, 1844; First performance of Nicolai’s opera Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor, 1849; First performance of Thomas’ opera Hamlet, 1868; Gerald Abraham (musicologist), b. 1904; Samuel Barber (American composer), b. 1910; Ornette Coleman (American composer & jazz saxophonist), b. 1930; First performance of Weill’s opera Die Aufsteig und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny, 1930; Thomas Schippers (conductor), b. 1930; First performance of Berio’s opera La vera storia, 1982 |
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| March 10 | Roman Catholic audio essay commemorating St. Dominic Savio, 1857 Dominic was a choirboy at the Oratory in Turin who wanted to become a priest to help St. John Bosco (January 31) in his work with neglected boys. A natural peacemaker and organizer, he formed a group called the Company of the Immaculate Conception, which was devotional, helped Bosco with the boys and with manual work. The entire company became priests except Dominic who died very young. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Muzio Clementi (Italian composer), d. 1832; First performance of Mercadante’ s opera Il Giuramento, 1837; Dudley Buck (American composer), b. 1839; Pablo de Sarasate (Spanish composer & violinist), b. 1844; Henry E. Krehbiel (American music critic), b. 1854; Ignaz Moscheles (Czech composer), d. 1870; Felix Borowski (British-American composer & critic), b. 1872; First performance of Goldmark’s opera Die Königin von Saba, 1875; Clarence Adler (American pianist & teacher), b. 1886; Arthur Honegger (French composer), b. 1892; Bix Beiderbecke (American composer & jazz cornetist), b. 1903; Carl Reinecke (German composer), d. 1910; First performance of Loeffler’s Irish Fantasies, Nos. 2, 3, & 5 only, 1922; First performance of Henze’s opera Il re cervo, 1963; Elie Siegmeister (American composer), d. 1991 |
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| Still Life with a Pendulum – Oil on canvas (1652) by Antonio de Pereda |
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| March 11 | Franciscan audio essay commemorating St. John Ogilvie, 1615 Ogilvie was a Scot who was confused by the debates between Calvinists and Catholics. Eventually he became convinced that the Catholic Church embraced many different kinds of people—just look at all the different kinds of saints. He began his studies with the Benedictines and then with the Jesuits, whom he joined. After undergoing ten years of their rigorous intellectual and spiritual training, he was sent to Scotland as a missionary. Arrested and tortured, he was condemned to death as a traitor. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Emilio del Cavalieri (Italian composer), d. 1602; Mendelssohn presented J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, 1829; First performance of Bellini’s opera I Capuleti e I Montecchi, 1830; First performance of Verdi’s opera Rigoletto, 1851; First performance of Verdi’s opera Don Carlos, 1st French-language version, 1867; Carl Ruggles (American composer), b. 1876; Henry Cowell (American composer), b. 1897; Howard Mitchell (American cellist & conductor), b. 1911; John Weinzweig (Canadian composer & teacher), b. 1913; First performance of Ravel’s ballet Ma Mère l’Oye, 1915; Ilhan Kemaleddin Mimaroglu (Turkish composer), b. 1926; Kermit Moore (American cellist), b. 1929; First performance of Corigliano’s A Dylan Thomas Trilogy, 1999 |
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| Moses and the Golden Calf – Oil on wood (1536-1537) by Domenico Beccafumi |
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| March 12 | Episcopal Feast of St. Gregory the Great, 604 Gregory the Great served as pope during a time of barbarian invasions of Italy complicated by famine and epidemics. The political vacuum of the day made Gregory effective the governor of central Italy as well as pope, a task he performed admirably. As pope, he made great contributions to the liturgy and calendar (although his responsibility for Gregorian chant is debated among scholars), and sent Augustine of Canterbury as a missionary to England. Franciscan audio essay commemorating Blessed Angela Salawa, 1922Polish-born Angela is remembered for tending wounded soldiers during WWI without regard for their nationality or religion. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: John Bull (English composer), d. 1628; Thomas Arne (British composer), b. 1710; First performance of Handel’s opera Scipione, 1726; Friedrich Kuhlau (German-Danish composer), d. 1832; Alexandre Guilmant (French organist & composer), b. 1837; First performance of Verdi’s opera Simon Boccanegra, 1st version, 1857; Hall Johnson (American singer & conductor), b. 1888; Roger L. Stevens (American arts administrator), b. 1910; Ralph Shapey (American composer), b. 1921; Charles Marie Widor (French organist & composer), d. 1937; Charlie Parker (Amercian composer & jazz saxophonist), d. 1955 |
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Two Visions by Francisco de Zurburán
Vision of Blessed Alonzo Rodriguez – Oil on canvas (n.d.) |
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| March 13 | Episcopal commemoration of James Theodore Holly, bishop of Haiti and Dominican Republic, 1911 Holly was descended from freed slaves and active in the abolitionist movement with Frederick Douglass. He was baptized Catholic but left that communion over a dispute about ordaining local black clergy. Ordained Episcopalian, he left the U.S. in 1861 for Haiti where he built schools, trained clergy, started churches and medical programs. He was ordained bishop by the evangelical branch of the church, the first African American Episcopal bishop. Roman Catholic audio essay commemorating St. Leander of Seville, 600 Leander introduced the weekly reciting of the Nicene Creed at the Mass as a means of reinforcing the people’s faith and as an antidote against Arianism, which was a serious issue of is day. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Michel Blavet (French composer & flautist), b. 1700; First performance of Handel’s oratorio Joseph and His Brethren, 1744; First performance of Cherubini’s opera Médéa, 1797; Luigi Cherubini (Italian composer), d. 1842; Hugo Wolf (Austrian composer & music critic), b. 1860; First performance of Wagner’s opera Tannhäuser, 1861; Dayton C. Miller (American philanthropist – flute collection in the Library of Congress), b. 1866; Georg Schuenemann (German musicologist & educator), b. 1884; Fritz Busch (German conductor & pianist), b. 1890; Lili Boulenger (French composer), d. 1918; First performance of Schoenberg’s unfinished opera Moses and Aaron, 1954; Alec Rowley (English composer), b. 1982; First performance of Adamo’s opera Little Women, 1998 |
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| Apparition of Apostle St. Peter to St. Peter of Nolasco – Oil on canvas (1629) by Francisco de Zurbarán |
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| March 14 | Roman Catholic audio essay commemorating St. Maximilian, 295 Maximilian refused to reenlist in the Roman army because of his faith, a stand for which he died. Greek Orthodox icon commemorating Benedict the Righteous of Nursia, 547 Benedict established a monastery on Mount Cassino, the Rule of which was inspired by the writings of John Cassian and Basil the Great (June 14). His Rule became the model for other Rules in the Western church. The icon shows a man in monastic garb holding a scroll which indicates his Rule. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Georg Philipp Telemann (German composer), b. 1681; Johann Gottlieb Goldberg (German composer & keyboard virtuoso), b. 1727; First performance of Handel’s anthem This is the day which the Lord hath made, 1734; Johann Strauss (the Elder) (Austrian composer), b. 1804; First performance of Verdi’s opera Macbeth, 1847; Heinrich Reimann (German organist & musicologist), b. 1850; First performance of Gilbert & Sullivan’s operetta The Mikado, 1885; Theodore Mitchell Finney (American musicologist), b. 1902; François d’Assise Morel (Canadian composer, pianist & conductor), b. 1926; First performance of Creston’s Hyas Illahee, 1976 |
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| Antigua Altar (1545-1562) Cathedral, Valladolid - polychrome wood by Juan de Juni Antigua Altar (detail) Antigua Altar (detail) |
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| March 15 | Roman Catholic audio essay commemorating St. Louise de Marillac, 1660 Louise married when her parents died young, despite her desire to be a nun. Her husband had a long illness before he died leaving her with her only son. Her confessors were Francis de Sales (January 24) and then Vincent de Paul (September 27). The latter needed helpers who were close to the poor who could teach and organize them. Louise gave herself to that work so enthusiastically that other women joined her; they formed the Sisters of Charity of Vincent de Paul, an order that by the time of her death had more than forty houses. Roman Catholic audio essay commemorating St. Clement Mary Hofbauer, 1820Austrian-born Clement Mary studied for the priesthood in Rome where they were drawn to the Redemptorists. Living in a time of religious and political upheaval, his return to Vienna was short-lived, and he spent twenty years serving a church in Warsaw. He preached several times a day and was active in social work among children. He was arrested twice and exiled from Poland. Finally arriving back in Vienna, he quickly became beloved and successful; the Redemptorists were firmly established north of the Alps. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Eduard Strauss (Austrian composer), b. 1835; Maria Luigi Cherubini (Italian composer), d. 1842; Johan Halvorsen (Norwegian composer), b. 1864; Ernest Charles Schirmer (American music publisher), b. 1865; Colin McPhee (American composer), b. 1901; Lili Boulanger (French composer), d. 1918; Lockrem Johnson (American composer), b. 1924; Nicolas Flagello (American composer), b. 1928; Alexander von Zemlinsky (Austrian composer), d. 1942; First performance of Stockhausen’s opera Donnerstag, aus Licht, 1981; First performance of Corigliano’s Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan, 2000 |
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Three by Bartolomé Bermejo
Christ at the Tomb Supported by Two Angels – Oil on panel (1468-1474) |
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| March 16 | Greek Orthodox icon commemorating Christodoulos the Wonderworker of Patmos, 11th c. Christodoulos (“slave of Christ”) is the name given him when he took the monastic habit. After a formative period in the ascetic life, he built a church and monastery on the island of Patmos in honor of St. John the Evangelist; they stand to this day. He was forced to leave there when the Arabs attacked. The icon portrays him in monastic garb holding a model-sized church and a parchment. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: First performance of Handel’s Organ Concertos Op. 4, nos. 2-3, 1735; Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (Italian composer), d. 1736; First performance of Bellini’s opera Beatrice di Tenda, 1833; First performance of Dvorák’s choral setting of Psalm 149, Op. 79, 1879; First performance of Massenet’s opera Thaïs, 1894; Nikolai Lopatnikoff (Russian-American composer & pianist), b. 1903; Howard Boatwright (American composer & educator), b. 1918; David Del Tredici (American composer), b. 1937; First performance of Martinu’s opera Julietta, 1938; Elizabeth Sawyer Parisot (American pianist & educator), b. 1942; Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (Italian-American composer), d. 1968; Roger Sessions (American composer), d. 1988 |
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Two by Jaume Huguet The Flagellation of Christ – Wood (1450s) |
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| March 17 | Feast of St. Patrick, 461Episcopal essay; Roman Catholic audio essay.Patrick turned to God for help when he was kidnapped and sold into slavery. When he was freed, he studied for the priesthood, and eventually was sent from France, where he served and was ordained bishop back to Ireland as missionary. His success was not single-handed but he was largely responsible for Ireland becoming a Christian nation. The hymn, “I bind myself today,” is attributed to his pen; includes the Irish blessing “Christ be with me.” Greek Orthodox icon commemorating Alexios the Man of GodAlexios fled from his arranged marriage on the day of the wedding and lived eighteen years in Edessa. Then he returned to Rome in the disguise of a beggar. No one knew him. When he died a paper on his body revealed his identity and he was given a solemn burial. The presiding bishop has a vision and announced that Alexios was a “Man of God. The icon portrays him as a beggar, but holding a cross and a scroll (indicting the note). MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (Italian composer), d. 1736; Manuel Patricio García (Spanish singing teacher), b. 1805; Josef Rheinberger (German composer), b. 1839; First performance of Verdi’s opera Atilla, 1846; César Thomson (Belgian violinist & editor), b. 1857; Jacques François Halévy (French composer), d. 1862; First performance of Tchaikovsky’s opera Eugene Onegin, 1879; Joseph Bonnet (French organist), b. 1884; Robert Goldsand (Austrian-American pianist & teacher), b. 1911; Brian Boydell (Irish composer), b. 1917; Nathaniel Adams “King” Cole (American musician), b. 1917; Dinu Lipatti (Rumanian pianist), b. 1917; John La Montaine (American composer), b. 1920; Toshinari Ohashi (Japanese viol teacher), b. 1932; John B. Sebastian (American singer & song writer), b. n/a; First performance of Dessau’s opera Die Verhör des Lukullus, 1951; First performance of Levy’s opera Mourning Becomes Electra, 1967 |
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| Bust of an Apostle - Unpainted wood sculpture by El Greco (1612-1614) |
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| March 18 | Feast of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, 386Episcopal essay; Roman Catholic audio essay.Cyril lived and led the Church during the years when the doctrine of the Trinity was being developed, a time of distress and harsh controversy between Christians. Cyril’s leadership was so controversial that he was exiled from his bishopric three times, once by one side of the argument and twice by the other. In the end, he and most other theologians came to conclusion that the Nicean formula was the best one possible. These links provide an interesting summary of the controversy and of his faith. Roman Catholic audio essay commemorating of St. Salvator of Horta, 1567 Salvator was a child of Spain’s “Golden Age,” when art, politics, wealth, and religion were flourishing. Born into poverty, he entered the Franciscans as a brother and developed such a wide reputation for asceticism, humility and charity that the public treated him as paparazzi hound celebrities today. When asked to heal diseases, he counseled a self-examination of conscience and participation in the Eucharist; some were healed as a result of his awareness of the link between physical health and spiritual vitality. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov (Russian composer), b. 1844; Gian Francesco Malipiero (Italian composer & editor), b. 1882; Willem van Hoogstraten (Dutch conductor), b. 1884; First Broadway performance of Rodgers & Sondheim’s musical Do I Hear a Waltz?, 1965; William Bergsma (American composer), d. 1994 |
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| Holy Week in Spain in Times Past – Black chalk (1820-1824) by Francisco de Goya y Lucientes |
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| March 19 | Feast of St. JosephLutheran and Episcopal essay; Roman Catholic audio essay.In difficult circumstances, Joseph graciously assumed the role of Jesus’ father, and is remembered for the nurture he gave Jesus and the tender affection he gave Mary. Descended from David, a pious Jew and a carpenter (or builder) by trade, Joseph likely died before Jesus began his ministry. His influence on Jesus must have been great because of Jesus’ positive use of the metaphor of God as a loving Father. St. Joseph and the Christ Child - Oil on canvas (1597-1599) by El Greco Greek Orthodox icon commemorating Chrysanthos & Daria the Martyrs, 283 Chrysanthos was a Christian from Alexandria, whose father objected to his faith. He forced him to marry Daria to lure him toward paganism. Chrysanthos, however, turned the tables and brought Daria to faith in Christ, the faith for which both died. The icon shows only one person who is holding a cross. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: First performance of Gounod’s opera Faust, 1859; First performance of Gounod’s opera Mireille, 1864; First performance of Gomes’ opera Il Guarany, 1870; S.P. Diaghilev (Russian ballet impresario), b. 1872; Max Reger (German composer), b. 1873; Normand Lockwood (American composer), b. 1906; Elizabeth Maconchy (Irish-English composer), b. 1907; Robert Muczynski (American composer), b. 1929; Rena Robbins Shapiro (American violinist & cantor), b. n/a; First performance of Tippett’s oratorio A Child of Our Time, 1944; First performance of Adams’ operanThe Death of Klinghoffer, 1991 |
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Three Spanish Ecce Homos
Ecce Homo - Polychrome wood (1560-1570) by Juan de Juni |
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| March 20 | Episcopal feast of St. Cuthbert, Missionary, 687 Scottish-born Cuthbert was a shepherd who, in his work, had ample time for prayer. After several years, he became a monk at the Melrose Abbey from which he began him missionary work. Later as abbot of Lindisfarne he continued his walking and preaching tours around the diocese, as he did after he was consecrated bishop. Between tours, he spent time as a hermit. He is remembered for his successful missionary work, and for combining it with personal spiritual discipline. Franciscan audio essay commemorating Blessed John of Parma, 1289 John, the seventh minister general of the Franciscan Order, is remembered for his attempts to bring the Order back to its original discipline and priorities. As a young man, he taught philosophy and was known for his piety and learning. After ordination he taught theology at Bologna, Naples and Rome. As minister general, he visited nearly all of the convents reviving the spirit of poverty and humility. < MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Jan Ladislav (Johann Ladislaus/Ludwig)Dussek (Dusik) (Bohemian composer and keyboard virtuoso), d. 1812; Johann Nikolaus Forkel (German musicologist), d. 1818; Beniamino Gigli (Italian tenor), b. 1890; Lauritz Melchior (Danish tenor), b. 1890; Sviatoslav Richter (German-Soviet pianist), b. 1914; Bernd Alois Zimmermann (German composer), b. 1918; Vivian Fine (American composer), d. 2000 |
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Christ's Entry into Jerusalem - Fourteenth Century Style
Entry into Jerusalem – Fresco (1304-1306) by Giotto di Bondone |
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| March 21 | Episcopal commemoration of Thomas Cranmer, Bishop & Martyr, 1556 See October 16 for comments. Episcopal commemoration of Thomas Ken, Bishop & Hymn Writer, 1711Ken was involved in political intrigue throughout his life and kings came and went in England. King Charles II was impressed enough at his honesty when Ken rebuked him for his moral laxity that he got rid of him as Royal Chaplain and appointed Bishop of Bath and Wells. Charles also requested that Ken be with him at his death. He was known then for his sermons, and now for his hymns, “Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun,” “All Praise to Thee, My God, This Night,” and Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow.” MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Johann Sebastian Bach (German organist & composer), b. 1685; Modest Mussorgsky (Russian composer), b. 1839; First performance of Ravel’s opera L’enfant et les sortiléges, 1925; Franz Schreker (German composer), d. 1934; Alexander Glazunov (Russian composer), d. 1936 |
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Cleansing of the Temple
The Purification of the Temple - Oil on canvas by El Greco (1571-1576) |
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| March 22 | Lutheran commemoration of Jonathan Edwards, 1758 Edwards was a Puritan who was immersed in Bible, theology, classics and ancient languages. In the First Great Awakening, his fame as a revivalist led to his being known as a “theologian of the heart.” This was also the period of one of his most productive periods of writing as he sought to explore the intellectual framework of the Awakening. His thought also had a strong millenarian strain. When he was dismissed from his pastorate for trying to apply too strict a discipline, he spent the rest of his life in mission work to Native Americans. He commonly regarded as America’s first theologian. Episcopal commemoration of James De Koven, Priest, 1879De Koven’s career was as a theologian and college administrator in Wisconsin. He is remembered for spear-heading efforts in the Episcopal Church to place more emphasis on the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. He was successful to the degree that he reminded General Conventions that the doctrine and other “smells and bells” have always been approved by ecclesiastical courts and shared with Roman Catholics, Lutherans and Eastern Orthodox Christians. Roman Catholic audio essay commemorating St. Nicholas Owen, 1606 Nicholas lived during a time when English statutes punished Catholics for practicing their faith. He was a humble artisan who, as both architect and builder, built secret hiding places for priests throughout the country. His projects always began by receiving the Eucharist, ensuring that the glory for his work would go to God. After years of this work, he joined the Jesuits as a lay brother, secretly, of course. He was caught twice and tortured to death. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Gioseffo Zarlino (Italian composer & writer on music), b. 1517; Jean Baptiste Lully (Italian-French composer), d. 1687; Otokar Sevcik (Czech violinist & teacher), b. 1852; Hamisch MacCunn (Scottish composer & conductor), b. 1868; Emanuel List (Austrian-American bass), b. 1891; William Oliver Strunk (American musicologist), b. 1901; Madeleine Milhoud (French librettist for Darius Milhoud), b. 1902; Stephen Sondheim (American composer & lyricist), b. 1930; Joseph C. Schwantner (American composer), b. 1943; Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber (British composer), b. 1948 |
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Three Spanish Last Suppers
The Last Supper – Panel (1560s) by Juan de Juanes |
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| March 23 | Episcopal commemoration of Gregory the Illuminator, Bishop and Missionary of Armenia, c. 332 Gregory is given credit for helping Armenia become the first Christian nation. After enduring years of mistreatment, he finally brought the king to faith. Gregory was ordained bishop and evangelized several other nations, including Georgia and Albania. The icon in this link portrays him in simple liturgical garb holding a Bible. Franciscan audio essay commemorating St. Turibius of Mogrovejo, 1606 As a young lawyer, Turibius became the Chief Judge of the Inquisition in Granada, but he was too successful and was posted to Lima. During his 26 years there he addressed the abuses of the clergy, and then began his missionary work—learning local languages and sharing the life of the poor. Spanish-born Turibius is, with Rose of Lima, the first known saint of the New World. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: First performance of Bach’s St. Mark Passion, 1731; Johann Gottfried Walther (German organist, composer & music theorist), d. 1748; Julius Ruebke (German composer, pianist & organist), b. 1834; Franz Schrecker (Austrian composer), b. 1878; Egon Petri (Dutch pianist), b. 1881; Edna McEachern (American music educator), b. 1893; Dane Rudhyar (French-American composer & painter), b. 1895; First performance of de Falla’s opera El retrablo de maese Pedro, 1923 |
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The Last Supper - Old and New The Last Supper - Tempera on wood altarpiece (1370-1400) by Jaume Serra |
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| March 24 | Episcopal commemoration of Oscar Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador, 1980 Oscar Romero witnessed numerous violations of human rights and began to speak out on behalf of the poor and victims of El Salvador’s civil war. His type of political activism was condemned by both the Roman Catholic Church and the government. He was assassinated while consecrating the Eucharist during mass, an act which provoked an international outcry for human rights reform in El Salvador. The process for his canonization has been started. Franciscan audio essay commemorating St. Catherine of Genoa, 1510In Catherine’s day, many Italian nobles patronized the arts and writers and ignored the poor and sick. At confession one day, she became aware of her own complicity in selfish indulgence and reformed her life. Her example helped her husband reform, too, but his extravagance bankrupted them. They went to live in a hospital and dedicated themselves to works of charity. After her husband’s death, Catherine took over management of the hospital. Franciscan audio essay commemorating Blessed Didacus of Cadiz, 1801 Didacus was a Capuchin (he was not academically gifted enough for the Franciscans whose Order he preferred would not receive him ) with the gift of extraordinary preaching skills which he used in his extensive travels through Andalusia. He was called the “apostle of the Holy Trinity” because of the easy with which he preached about this mystery. His sermon preparation each night was by prayer and severe penances. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Samuel Scheidt (German composer), d. 1654; John Antes (American-Moravian composer), b. 1740; First performance of Verdi’s opera Simon Boccanegra, 2nd version, 1881; Maxim Schapiro (Russian pianist), b. 1899; Enrique Granados (Spanish composer), d. 1916; Deódat de Sévérac (French composer), d. 1921; Byron Janis (American pianist), b. 1928; First performance of Glass’ opera Akhnaten, 1984 |
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| Annunciation – Wood (c. 1430) by an unknown Spanish Master |
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| March 25 | The Annunciation of the Lord to MaryEpiscopal essay; Roman Catholic audio essay; Greek Orthodox icon.This ancient feast occurs on this date because it is nine months prior to the feast of the nativity of Christ. Its popularity can be seen by the large number of artists that have portrayed it. This feast reminds us of the non-democratic nature of Christianity. Our faith does not result from something we seek out, but from something that is initiated for us by God. (C.S. Lewis, Miracles God’s method is selective, not general; Israel is chosen from the nations; some within Israel die in the desert or stay behind in Babylon; and finally a single young girl is chosen from the faithful remnant. In her song, the Magnificat, Mary sings that “He that is mighty has done great things for me,” no less than to make her the Mother of God, Theotokos (Martin Luther’s sermon on The Magnificat. The great work is the incarnation, no less than that God has become one of us, not just for one, or for the chosen few, but for the world, all of us, and Mary is the link between the divine and the human. The icon portrays the winged angel speaking to Mary as she sits on her throne, an indication of devotion to her that developed in later centuries.
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| Christ on the Cross – Oil on canvas (1632) by Diego Rodriguez de Silva Velázquez |
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| March 26 | Greek Orthodox icon commemorating the Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel A synaxis is our gathering to honor someone, this time the Archangel Gabriel. Greek Orthodox Christians honor him on this day because it is the day after we commemorate his message from God to the Virgin Mary. The icon portrays him wearing armor as the leader of the heavenly host. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Antonio de Cabezón (Spanish composer & organist), d. 1566; First performance of JS Bach’s St. John Passion, 1723; Ludwig van Beethoven (German composer), d. 1827; First performance of Rossini’s opera Moíse et Pharaon, 1827; Nicolas Sokolov (Russian composer), b. 1859; Siegfried E. Gruenstein (American organist), b. 1877; Isadore Freed (Russian-American composer & educator), b. 1900; André Cluytens (Belgian-French conductor), b. 1905; Cesar Cui (Russian composer), d. 1918; Pierre Boulez (French composer & conductor), b. 1925; First performance of Schuman’s cantata A Free Song, 1943; Madeleine Dring (British composer, pianist & actor), d. 1977; First performance of Glass’ Act V “The Rome Section” from The CIVIL warS, 1984 |
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The Garden of Gethsemane
Christ on the Mount of Olives - Tempera on wood (1500-1510) by M.S. Master |
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| March 27 | Episcopal commemoration of Charles Henry Brent, Bishop of the Philippines, and of Western New York, 1929 During the Spanish-American War, the United States acquired Guam and the Philippines. The Episcopal Church appointed Charles Brent, who had been serving as a priest in one of Boston’s slum parishes, as Bishop of the new territory. He focused his efforts on the non-Christians of his diocese, and began a campaign against the opium traffic. Years later, after he had been transferred to a bishopric in the U.S., he worked for Christian unity, especially with the World Council of Churches. Franciscan audio essay commemorating Blessed Francis Faà di Bruno, 1888 Francis was committed to the scholarly life and was very well educated, but he devoted much of his energy to charitable activities, from the Society of St. Zita for maids and domestic servants and unwed mothers, to hostels for the elderly and the poor, to finally a hostel for prostitutes. Francis was ordained at age 51, a reminder that God’s call can rearrange our life at any age. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: First performance of Handel’s oratorio Belshazzar, 1745; First performance of Handel’s oratorio Theodora and |
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Christ Betrayed The Betrayal of Christ – Tempera on wood (2nd quarter, 15th c.) by Bartolomeo di Tommaso |
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| March 28 | Roman Catholic audio essay commemorating St. Hesychius of Jerusalem, c. 450 Hesychius is better known in the East than in the West. He wrote treatises attacking two heresies— Nestorianism which claimed that Jesus has two separate persons, and Arianism which denied the divinity of Christ—in favor of the orthodox view that Jesus was fully divine and fully human in the same person. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Henricus Glareanus (Swiss music theorist), d. 1563; First performance of Handel’s oratorio Deborah, 1733; First performance of Beethoven’s ballet The Creatures of Prometheus, 1801; Willem Mengelberg (Dutch conductor), b. 1871; Rosina Lhevinne (Russian pianist & teacher), b. 1880; Modest Mussorgsky (Russian composer), d. 1881; Paul Whiteman (American band leader), b. 1890; First performance of Giordano’s opera Andrea Chénier, 1896; Rudolf Serkin (Austrian-American pianist & teacher), b. 1903; Jacob Avshalomov (American composer & conductor), b. 1919; Paul Doktor (Austrian-American violist & conductor), b. 1919; Robert Ashley (American composer), b. 1930; Karol Szymanowski (Polish composer), d. 1937; Sergei Rachmaninoff (Russian-American composer & pianist), d. 1943; Grigoras Dinicu (Rumanian composer & violinist), d. 1949; First performance of Moore’s opera Giant in the Earth, 1951; William Christopher (W.C.) Handy (American blues composer), d. 1958 |
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Christ before Pilate
Christ before Pilate – Oil on wood (late 15th c.) attr. to Ludwig Schongauer |
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| March 29 | Episcopal commemoration of John Keble, Poet, 1866 As a young man, Keble was Professor of Poetry at Oxford, but for most of his life he was priest of a small parish in Hursley, near Winchester. In history he is remembered for beginning the Tractarian, or Oxford, Movement that emphasized the importance of celebrating, and receiving, the Eucharist every Sunday. He is remembered today for his hymns, “New every morning is the love,” “Sun of my soul, thou Savior dear,” and “Blest are the pure in heart.” Lutheran commemoration of Hans Nielsen Hauge, renewer of the Church, 1824Hauge was a revivalist Norwegian lay preacher who criticized the established Church for not emphasizing “the living faith” enough. Although his teachings were in line with Lutheran doctrine, he was arrested several times for his “illegal” (i.e. without the supervision of a pastor) preaching. He was also an important figure in the industrialization of Norway as he kept the common people in the thinking of the new capitalism. His influence on Lutherans in the U.S. is considerable because he flourished at the time when many Norwegians were emigrating due to the economic crisis. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Johann Kindermann (German composer), b. 1616; Nicolaus Bruhns (German composer & organist), d. 1697; First performance of Wagner’s opera Das Liebesverbot, 1836; Charles-Henri Alkan (French composer), d. 1888; Sir William Walton (British composer), b. 1902; E. Power Biggs (American organist), b. 1906; Alexandre (Felix) Guilmant (French composer & organist), d. 1911; Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (British composer), d. 1924; Sir Richard Rodney Bennett (British composer), b. 1936; Teresa Sterne (American producer of classical recordings), b. 1927; John Lewis (American jazz pianist & composer), d. 2001 |
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Aftermath of Christ's Trial
Pilate Washing His Hands – Oil on canvas (1663) by Mattia Preti |
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| March 30 | Franciscan audio essay commemorating St. Peter Regalado, 1456 Peter became a Conventual Franciscan at age thirteen. He must have shown great ability and promise because shortly after his ordination he was made superior of the friary at Aguilar, and later head of all Spanish Franciscans in his reform group. He is remembered for his combination of spiritual discipline with his special love for the poor and the sick. Greek Orthodox icon commemorating John Climacus the RighteousExperienced in the solitary life of a hermit and the cenobitic life of a monastery, John was appointed Abbot of the Monastery of Mount Sinai. While there he wrote a series of thirty homilies on virtue, which together are known as The Divine Ladder of Ascent. The icon portrays an elderly man in monastic garb holding a scroll indicating his writings. Roman Catholic audio essay commemorating Blessed Claudio Granzotto, 1947. After serving in the Italian army for six year and getting an artist’s certificate with highest honors, Claudio entered the Friars Minor. His short life was marked by prayer, charity to the poor and artistic work, especially sculpture. A brain tumor took him too soon. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Antonio de Cabezón (Spanish composer & organist), b. 1510; First performance of Bach’s St. John Passion, 2nd version, 1725; Samuel Scheidt (German composer), d. 1654; Pietro Locatelli (Italian composer), d. 1764; Carl Friedrich Peters (German music publisher), b. 1779; Max Pollikoff (American violinist), b. 1904; Peter Jona Korn (German composer & conductor), b. 1922; Milko Kelemen (Croatian-German composer), b. 1924; Gordon Mumma (American composer), b. 1935 |
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Christ Tortured
The Flagellation of Christ – Tempera and gold on wood (c. 1400) by Master of the Berswordt Altar |
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| March 31 | Lutheran and Episcopal commemoration of John Donne, Poet Donne was a Roman Catholic turned Anglican who aimed for a career in government. He secretly married a 16-year-old, whose father objected and had him imprisoned. That was the beginning of years of poverty, debt, illness and frustration. However, at about that same time—long before his ordination, he began to write religious poetry that saw in his wife, Anne, a glimpse of God’s glory and in human love a revelation of Divine Love. After ordination, he eventually became dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. He wrote of love both in devotional and erotic terms, and of the paradox of humanity both seeking and pulling away from God. Roman Catholic audio essay commemorating St. Stephen of Mar Saba, 794Stephen’s uncle, St. John Damascene, introduced him to monastic life. While serving the community, he asked if he could become a hermit. The abbot said he could during the week, but he must serve as a counselor on weekends. He is remembered for his skills as a counselor and spiritual guide. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Marin Marais (French viola da gambist & composer), b. 1656; Franz Joseph Haydn (Austrian composer), b. 1732; First performance of Handel’s Organ Concerto in A (HWV 296a), 1739; First performance of Rameau’s ballet Platée;, 1745; Johann Abr. Peter Schulz (Moravian composer), b. 1747; Sergei Diaghilev (Russian ballet impresario), b. 1872; Henryk Wieniawski (Polish composer & violinist), d. 1880; Sir John Stainer (British composer), d. 1901; First performance of Dvorák’s opera Rusalka, 1901; Y-Kwei Sze (Chinese bass-baritone), b. 1915; First performance of Still’s opera Troubled Island, 1949 |
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Two Scourgings from Spain
The Scourging of Christ – Oil on panel (16th century) by Alejo Fernández |
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| April 1 | Episcopal commemoration of Frederick Denison Maurice, Priest, 1872 Maurice came from Unitarian roots before becoming an Anglican priest. His book The Kingdom of Christ expresses his commitment for the church to speak to social questions. He is credited, through his founding of the Christian Social Movement, for the absence of anti-Christian overtones in British socialism. His career was principally as a university professor. Greek Orthodox icon commemorating Mary of Egypt After living a depraved life for many years, Mary, out of curiosity, went with pilgrims to Jerusalem. There she decided to change her way of life and reconcile herself to God. She spent the last 47 years of her life as a desert monastic. The icon portrays her as an elderly woman emaciated from her ascetic lifestyle. She is clad in rough clothes and holds a cross high. Franciscan audio essay commemorating of St. Hugh of Grenoble, 1132Hugh served as a bishop in France for 52 years effectively reforming the Church from clerical abuses, lay indifference and in conflicts with the state. He is remembered for eloquent preaching, good management and the civic improvements he made in Grenoble. St. Hugh of Grenoble in the Carthusian Refrectory - Oil on canvas (c. 1633) by Francisco de Zurbarán MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Ferruccio Busoni (Italian composer), b. 1866; Will Earhart (American music educator), b. 1871; Sergei Rachmaninov (Russian pianist & composer), b. 1873; First performance of de Falla’s opera La vida breve, 1913; Dinu Lipatti (Rumanian composer), b. 1917; Scott Joplin (American ragtime composer), d. 1917; Exten Ehrling (German band leader), b. 1918; William Bergsma (American composer), b. 1921; First performance of Menotti’s opera Amelia Goes to the Ball, 1937; First performance of Copland’s opera The Tender Land, 1954 |
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Bearing the Cross
Christ Bearing the Cross – Oil and tempera on wood (late 14th c.) by Nicolaos Tzafouris |
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| April 2 | Episcopal commemoration of James Lloyd Breck, Priest, 1876 Born in Philadelphia and committed as a teenager to missionary work, he worked with Bishop Jackson Kemper (May 24) in the founding of Nashotah House in Wisconsin. Later he moved to Minnesota where he founded Seabury Divinity School, now part of Seabury-Western Seminary in Chicago. He also began missionary work with the Chippewa Indians aimed at providing priests from their own people. Years later, he founded yet another Episcopal seminary in California. Roman Catholic audio essay commemorating of St. Francis of Paola, 1507 Francis preferred the life of contemplative solitude, yet when called upon he performed years of active service in the world. That service took the form of miracles and prophecy, by which he ministered to the poor and oppressed. The pope requested that he travel to France for help the king prepare for death. During that time, he helped negotiate a restored peace between France and Brittany.He is remembered for his personal characteristics of poverty, chastity, obedience and humility, keeping a perpetual Lenten fast. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Franz Lachner (German composer & conductor), b. 1803; First performance of Hartmann’s opera Simplicius Simplicissimus, concert performance, 1948; Wallingford Riegger (American composer), d. 1961; First performance of Norgard’s The Will-o’-the-Wisps Go to Town, 2005 |
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Via Dolorosa
The Man of Sorrows – Tempera and gold on wood (c. 1430) by Michele Giambono |
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| April 3 | Episcopal commemoration of Richard, Bishop of Chichester, 1253 Orphaned as a child and impoverished by an incompetent guardian, Richard worked to restore the family fortunes. When he succeeded he turned it over to his brother and went of Oxford to become a scholar. He succeeded at that, also, and soon became Chancellor of Oxford. After a self-imposed exile in France, he returned to be elected Bishop of Chichester. Henry III refused to recognize the election for two years, forcing Richard to live in poverty and travel throughout the diocese on foot, preaching and reforming the practices of clergy and laity alike. When his election was finally recognized, Richard continued to live as he had. His memory is conflicted because, despite his holiness, or perhaps because of it, he preached for a Crusade to open Jerusalem to Christian pilgrims. His prayers continue to inspire through being set to music. Franciscan audio essay commemorating St. Benedict the African, 1589 Born of slave parents, but freed when his family was brought to Italy, Benedict joined a group of hermits near Palermo and soon became their leader. He ruled with humility and charity, but was renowned for his gifts for prayer and spiritual guidance. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: First performance of Handel’s oratorio Alexander Balus, 1748; Janáclav Tomášek (Bohemian composer), d. 1850; Frans Berwald (Swedish composer), d. 1868; Grigoras Dinicu (Rumanian composer & violinist), b. 1889; Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (Italian-American composer), b. 1895; Johannes Brahms (German composer), d. 1897; First performance of Roussel’s ballet Le Festin de l’araigné, 1923; First performance of Holst’s opera At the Boar’s Head, 1925; Kurt Weill (German-American composer), d. 1950; Ferde Grofé (American composer), d. 1972 |
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Three Hungarian Golgothas
Golgotha Sketch (c. 1936) by C. Pál Molnár |
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| April 4 | Episcopal commemoration of Martin Luther King, Jr., Civil Rights Leader, 1968 Intellectual, pastor and civil rights leader until his assassination, King inspired a generation of non-violent activists in the task of overthrowing the Jim Crow laws that were the wall between the races in America during the first half of the 20th century. He is remembered for his personal courage in applying the ideals of Christianity, using the techniques of Ghandi, to articulate the “dream” of and work for the achievement of equality in every aspect of American life. Roman Catholic audio essay commemorating St. Isadore of Seville, 636 Isadore lived in a time of division between Catholic Romans and Arian Goths. It was his successful effort that reunited Spain and made it a center of culture and learning. He was a learned man, writing an encyclopedia that remained in use for centuries—and that while performing the duties of a bishop. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Bishop Ambrose (Italian hymn writer), d. 397; First performance of Handel’s oratorio Israel in Egypt and Organ Concerto in F, 1739; Niccolo Zingarelli (Italian composer), b. 1752; Hans Richter (Austrian conductor), b. 1843; First performance of Meyerbeer’s opera Le Pardon de Ploërmel, 1859; John Frederick Wolle (American Moravian organist & conductor), b. 1863; Pierre Monteux (French-American conductor), b. 1875; Mary Howe (American composer & pianist), b. 1882; Joe Venuti (Italian-American jazz violinist), b. 1898; Eugéne Bozza (French composer & conductor), b. 1905; Willson Osborne (American composer), b. 1906; Searle Wright (American organist & composer), b. 1918; Elmer Bernstein (American film score composer), b. 1922; George Whitefield Chadwick (American composer), d. 1931; First performance of Sondheim’s musical Anyone Can Whistle, 1964; First Broadway performance of Sondheim’s musical Company, 1971; Stefan Wolpe (German-American composer), d. 1972; First performance of Gorecki’s Symphony No. 3 “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs”, 1977 |
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Four Centuries of Crucifixion
The Crucifixion with St. Francis – Tempera on wood (c. 1285) attr. to Jacopino da Reggio |
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| April 5 | Roman Catholic audio essay commemorating St. Vincent Ferrer, 1419 Spanish-born Vincent became a Dominican who practiced the austerities of the Order energetically. A brilliant student, he was ordained and soon became prior of his house. It was a time of division in the Roman Church when there were two popes each with loyal followers. Vincent worked for the Cardinal who would later succeed the Roman pope (the other one lived in Avignon) and become Benedict XIII and who tried to keep the division going. Benedict felt betrayed and spent the last twenty years of his life as an itinerant preacher of repentance and God’s judgment. At last Vincent was able to force his former friend to resign the papacy and the division in the Church ended. St. Vincent Ferrer - Oil on panel (1545-1550) by Juan de Juanes MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Georg Gottfried Wagner (German composer), b. 1698; Ludwig Spohr (German composer, violinist & conductor), b. 1784; First performance of Beethoven’s oratorio Christus am Ölberg, 1803; Albert Roussel (French composer), b. 1869; First performance of Strauss’ operetta Die Fledermaus, 1874; Harry T. Carlson (American church musician & arranger), b. 1894; Thomas B. Pitfield (British composer, poet & artist), b. 1903; George Schick (American conductor & educator), b. 1908; Herbert von Karajan (Austrian pianist & conductor), b. 1908; Goddard Lieberson (American recordings producer), b. 1911; First performance of Stravinsky’s ballet The Rite of Spring, 1914; Richard Yardumian (American composer), b. 1917; Vincent Youmans (American composer), d. 1946; First performance of Rouse’s Mitternachtslieder, 1980 |
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Lamentations and Entombments (Personal Favorites)
Christ Nailed to the Cross – Oil on panel (c. 1500) by Juan de Flandes |
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| April 6 | Episcopal commemoration of Albrecht Dürer, painter, 1528 Born of Hungarian parents whose name meant “door,” when the family moved to Germany they took the name “Türer,” which means “door.” The first letter got changed phonetically. As a boy Albrecht learned the trade of a goldsmith and jeweler, but by the age of thirteen he was already a skilled painter. He learned his woodcut art by apprenticing to a master designer. His style awareness grew as he traveled throughout Germany and Italy. This link provides further links to many paintings and etchings of his creation. Franciscan audio essay commemorating St. Crescentia Hoess, 1744 Crescentia displayed attributes of holiness even as a child and became a Tertiary of St. Francis. She won the love and respect of the sisters to such an extent that she became superior of the convent. The financial condition of the convent improved and her reputation for spiritual guidance spread widely. The highly placed, including royalty and princes of the Church, sought her counsel. Despite chronic physical sufferings and unsought fame she is remembered for her humility. Episcopal commemoration of Michelangelo Buonarroti, artist, 1564His name is synonymous with “masterpiece” because he created works of art that expressed the full range of human experience. In a personal way, he was caught between the power and whims of the Medici family in Florence and the papacy in Rome. Because of a lack of affection in childhood he was always shy, quick tongued and tempered, and distrustful. From the “David” of his youth to the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and “Moses” of his middle years and the huge fresco of “The Last Judgment” of his final years, his creativity and skill never flagged. He is remembered for his ability to express and interpret emotions within his, and his age’s, Christian understanding of humanity. This link includes an interesting biography and a number of photos of his greatest works. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Johann Kuhnau (German composer), b. 1660; André Cardinal Destouches (French composer), baptized 1672; First performance of Handel’s Organ Concerto Op. 4, no. 5, 1735; Friedrich Robert Volkman (German composer), b. 1815; Carlos Salzedo (French-American composer & harpist), b. 1885; Nicolas Bretan (Rumanian composer), b. 1887; Rexford C. Keller (American conductor), b. 1904; William S. Newman (American musicologist), b. 1912; Andrew Imbrie (American composer), b. 1921; André Previn (German-American pianist & conductor), b. 1929; Edison Denisov (Soviet composer), b. 1929; First orchestral performance of Thompson’s The Testament of Freedom, 1945; Igor Stravinsky (Russian-American composer), d. 1971 |
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Lamentation - Old and New
The Lamentation - Oil on canvas (c. 1520-1525) by Ambrosius Benson |
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| April 7 | Episcopal commemoration of Tikhon, Patriach of Russia and Confessor, 1925 Tikhon became Patriarch of Russia via the route of seminary professor, and the bishopric of the Aleutians and North America, and the Metropolitanate of Moscow. He led the Russian Orthodox Church during the early years of the Soviet Union. His opposition to the Bolsheviks led to his imprisonment at the end of his life; hence, he was considered a martyr for the faith. Roman Catholic audio essay commemorating St. John Baptist de la Salle, 1719 Blessed with early advantages, John Baptist seemed destined for high station in the Church and a good “career.” He was led to become interested in the creation of schools for poor boys. Once he was convinced it was his mission in life, he gave away his fortune, left family and friends, abandoned is good position and began to live at the level of the poor whom he served for the rest of his life. To help in his work, he founded a community of men, Brothers of the Christian School. His success was tempered by ill health and opposition from secular schoolmasters and the Jansenists, whose moral rigidity made them much more pessimistic about human nature than John Baptist. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: First performance of Handel’s Utrecht Te Deum, 1713; Matthias van den Gheyn (Flemish composer), b. 1721; First performance of Bach’s St. John Passion, 1724; First performance of Handel’s oratorio Belshazzar, 1745; Domenico Dragonetti (Italian composer & bassist), b. 1763; Ignaz Holzbauer (German composer), d. 1783; Franz Ries (German violinist & composer), b. 1846; J.A. Fuller-Maitland (British musicologist), b. 1856; Michio Miyagi (Japanese composer), b. 1894; Robert Casadesus (French composer & pianist), b. 1899; Ravi Shankar (Indian composer & sitarist), b. 1920; First performance of Hahn’s operetta Ciboulette, 1923; Ikuma Dan (Japanese composer), b. 1924; Johannes Somary (Swiss organist & conductor), b. 1935; First performance of Henze’s opera Der junge Lord, 1965; First performance of Thomas’ Final Soliloquy of the Interior Paramour, 2005 |
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Two Spanish Pietas Pietá - Painted wood (c. 1550) by an unknown Spanish Master |
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| April 8 | Episcopal commemoration of William Augustus Muhlenberg, Priest, 1877 Born of a German Lutheran family in Philadelphia, Muhlenberg became an Episcopalian because they used English in worship. He is remembered for his promotion of Sunday Schools, for his insistence that the Church should minister to all social groups, and for his expansion of range of music in the Episcopal Church. He combined the use of “high church” emphases and liturgy with the vigorous preaching of the Reformation doctrines of grace and justification by faith. He called himself an “Evangelical Catholic,” and was able to communicate to all parties in the Church. Roman Catholic audio essay commemorating St. Julie Billiart, 1816 Throughout her life Julia was interested in teaching the catechism. She did so in her spare time after doing manual labor as a youth, while lying in bed as an invalid for twenty years, and after beginning the Sisters of Notre Dame. Her teaching and ability to give spiritual guidance caused her to attract people to her bedside. When the French Revolution erupted, she was forced to go into hiding for several years. Her concern for teaching spread beyond the poor as she became aware of the need of instruction throughout the classes of society. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Claudio Merulo (Italian composer & publisher), b. 1533; Giuseppe Tartini (Italian composer & violinist), b. 1692; First performance of Handel’s oratorio La Resurrezione, 1708; Gaetano Donizetti (Italian composer), d. 1848; Anton Diabelli (Austrian composer & publisher), 1858; First performance of Ponchielli’s opera La Gioconda, 1876; Sir Adrian Boult (British conductor), b. 1889; Josef Krips (Austrian conductor & violinist), b. 1902; John Bitter (American song writer), b. 1910; Charles Tomlinson Griffes (American composer), d. 1920; Arnold P. Broido (American music publisher), b. 1920; Franco Corelli (Italian tenor), b. 1923; First performance of Shostakovich’s ballet The Bold, 1931; Arthur Foote (American composer), d. 1937; First performance of Larsen’s Songs from Letters, 1989 |
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Two Entombments from Spain Entombment of Christ - Tempera on wood (1490s) by Pedro Sanchez |
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| April 9 | Lutheran & Episcopal commemoration of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Theologian & Martyr, 1945 Bonhoeffer is chiefly remembered for his martyrdom at the end of Hitler’s domination of Europe, but he made many other contributions to the Church. He was a public leader of the Confessing Church, the center of Protestant resistance to the Nazis; he was a seminary professor and an author of books still influential, such as Life Together, Letters and Papers from Prison, and The Cost of Discipleship. The Nazis took serious note of his opposition, but his death came as the direct result of his involvement in a plot to assassinate Hitler. In liturgy, he is remembered for his hymn, “By Gracious Powers.” Franciscan audio essay commemorating St. Casilda, 11th c. Casilda grew up Muslim in Toledo Spain and exhibited special kindness to Christian prisoners. She became ill as a young woman and, for some unknown reason, made a pilgrimage to a Christian shrine where she was healed. In response, she became a Christian and lived in solitude and penance for the rest of her long life. In an age of violent tensions between Muslims and Christians, she served her Creator in both faiths, in one and then the other. Saint Casilda - Oil on canvas (c. 1630) by Francisco de Zurbarán MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Johann Crüger (German composer), b. 1598; Johann K. Kerll (German organist & composer), b. 1629; Georg Matthias Monn (Austrian composer), b. 1717; Theobald Boehm (Bavarian inventor & flautist), b. 1794; Sir Francesco Paolo Tosti (Italian-British composer & voice teacher), b. 1846; Florence Price (American composer), b. 1887; Sol Hurok (Russian-American impresario), b. 1888; Efrem Zimbalist (Russian-American violinist), b. 1889; Paul Robeson (American singer, actor & activist), b. 1898; Antal Dorati (Hungarian-American conductor), b. 1906; Noah Greenberg (American conductor & early music specialist), b. 1919; Sigfrid Karg-Elert (German composer & organist), d. 1933; Aulis Sallinen (Finnish composer), b. 1935; First performance of Barber’s song-cycle Knoxville: Summer of 1915, 1948; Arthur Benjamin (Australian composer & pianist), d. 1960 |
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A Century of Entombments
The Entombment – Oil on canvas (1554) by Moretto da Brescia |
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| April 10 | Episcopal commemoration of William Law, Priest & Writer, 1761 Like Lutheran Dietrich Bonhoeffer whose death-day is also April 9, Anglican William Law walked the tightrope between the twin errors of works righteousness and free grace with no virtue required. Both of these scholar-theologians saw and taught grace freely received requires a response of virtuous living. Unwilling to take the oath of allegiance to the Hanover dynasty of English rulers, Law was forbidden to preach and teach, so he was a private tutor and an author whose books still correct and inspire. His best known book, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life was a major influence on the English Evangelical movement spearheaded by the Wesleys (March 3). Lutheran commemoration of Mikael Agricola, Bishop of Turku, 1557 Agricola, not to be confused with the musician, is remembered as the de facto founder of the Finnish language which occurred through his translation of the New Testament, the prayerbook, hymns and the mass into Finnish. He is also remembered for his work instituting Protestantism in Finland and Sweden. Roman Catholic audio essay commemorating St. Magdalen of Canossa, 1835 Magdalen defied the protests of wealthy relatives to respond to Christ’s call that she spend her life serving the poor without distinction—the poor and sick in hospitals and at home and among delinquent and abandoned girls. Others joined her and eventually became the Congregation of the Daughters of Charity. Later she founded a smaller order for priests and brothers. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Eugéne d’Albert (Scottish-German composer & pianist), b. 1864; First performance of Brahms’ A German Requiem, 1868; Sigmund Spaeth (American musicologist), b. 1885; First performance of Chabrier’s opera Gwendoline, 1886; Victor de Sabata (Italian composer & conductor), b. 1892; Herbert Graf (Austrian-American opera producer), b. 1904; Mikolajus Konstantinas Ciurlionis (Lithuanian painter & composer), d. 1911; First performance of Montemezzi’s opera L’Amore dei tre re, 1913; Jacques Casterede (French composer & educator), b. 1926 |
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Descent into Hell
Descent into Limbo - Oil on canvas (c. 1640) by Alonso Cano |
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| April 11 | Episcopal commemoration of George Augustus Selwyn, Bishop of New Zealand, and of Lichfield, 1878? Selwyn was well educated at Eton and Cambridge and ordained in the Episcopal Church. With his appointment as the first bishop of New Zealand, he traveled by sea to his post. While sailing, he learned the Maori language so he could preach in it on arrival. He had an effective ministry not only in New Zealand but throughout Melanesia. He was held in such confidence that he was able to negotiate a Constitution that ensured the full participation of the Maori people at all levels of the Church. His final appointment was as Bishop of Lichfield. Franciscan audio essay commemorating St. Stanislaus, 1079 Stanislaus is remembered for his vigorous opposition to the evils of an unjust government in Poland. As Bishop of Krakow he denounced the evil behavior of both peasants and royalty. Finally and after his soldiers refused, in exasperation the King killed Stanislaus with his own hands. MUSICAL ANNIVERSARIES TODAY: Jean-Joseph Mouret (French composer), b. 1682; First performance (?) of Purcell’s opera Dido and Aeneas, 1689; First performance (?) of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, first version, 1727; Sir Charles Hallé (German-British pianist), b. 1819; Bernardino Molinari (Italian conductor), b. 1880; Harvey Gaul (American composer & conductor), Alberto Ginastera (Argentinian composer), b. 1916; Kazuo Fukushima (Japanese composer), b. 1930; First performance of Bloch’s Sacred Service, 1934; First performance of Amram’s Passover opera The Final Ingredient, 1965 |
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