culture. education. literary studies.
Performed by numerous country, bluegrass, and pop music performers, Iโll Fly Away will soon mark its first centenary: originally written as a church hymn by Alfred E. Brumley in 1929, its folksy tune and the message of life eternal continues to inspire hope and faith.
Over the years Iโve given my students different pieces of advice on how they can improve their vocabulary and listening skills. Some of the more conventional ones Iโve already posted here on the blog, but in this post Iโll share another - somewhat unusual - idea on that subject: listen to opera! Before you roll your …
Continue reading "Learning English through opera: Purcell’s ‘Dido and Aeneas’"
In this post weโll travel to the time of the English Renaissance, with a jolly little music piece written by Thomas Morley. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, Morley (1557โ1602) was a true Renaissance figure: a composer, organist, music theoristโฆ It was largely thanks to him that the Italian madrigals became so popular in England, adding …
Continue reading "‘Now Is the Month of Maying’ by Thomas Morley"
O Come, All Ye Faithful is one of those Christmas carols that everyone knows. If not the full lyrics, at least the tune will sound very familiar: itโs an almost obligatory hymn in countless churches, regardless of denomination.ย
grammaticus 