David and I went back to Oklahoma a week or so ago to visit family and celebrate my very dear friend Krystal's 25th year at Salem Lutheran Church in Stillwater. Here's the Panis Angelicus that I sang at the concert:

(Link to file)

For all interested, this may serve as a preview to the Alumni Recital which I am planning! Sacred Latin works, Cantorial Masterpieces and arias by Verdi and Ponchielli! Coming to a stage (Lutkin Hall) near you on January 23rd, 2011.

Today, according to the lectionary, our reading from the Psalms was #42. I was on the menu for a solo, and by complete coincidence I had chosen a piece from the old Anthology of Sacred Song (ed. Max Spicker) that was new to me based upon that psalm. Full of sweet melody, it is a treacly old adaptation by composer Alfred. R. Gaul.

Here it is...from his cantata The Holy City composed in 1882..."My soul is athirst for God."

(I managed a furtive recording with my iPhone.)

(Link to file)

Every now and then I find myself at Awkward Family Photos...it's inevitable.

You know, I like to keep up with Redstate.com...they're sort of mainstream Republican thought...and while I disagree with almost all of the thinking there, it's good discipline to listen to those with whom you disagree. It doesn't usually piss me off as much as this guy's recent diaries:

http://www.redstate.com/vladimir/

Vladamir, an Operations Manager for a small Gulf of Mexico oil company, has been poo-pooing the oil spill from the beginning...in essence shilling for underwater oil drilling all the while.

Meanwhile... Rachel Maddow details how alike this spill is to the Ixtoc spill in 1979:

As she says...everything they are trying now, didn't work then either. We can expect another 8 to 9 months of this (like back then) before this ends.

Other things that are alike: Oil rig by Sedeco...now, known as Transocean, failed "top hat", "junk shot", "top kill" attemps to stop the flow of oil.

Some things that are different: 1979 11,800 ft underwater...now only 5,000 ft; 1979, Bay of Campeche on the far side of the gulf...now, right off the coast of Louisiana and Mississippi.

Vladamir of Redstate is busy complaining about the moratorium on offshore drilling, and I understand that this affects him personally and lots of other people who work in the industry. At some point though, these shills have got to start selling something that doesn't offer such risk. What about the jobs and livelihoods that are impacted by the spill???

The industry has to change.

There's no room for "Drill, Baby, Drill" when you look at the broader picture. There are other sources of energy, and it's time we began developing those technologies in earnest. I guarantee you there's money to be made there as well.

Ah! Short pants and a walk on the beach with the bean and my guy! God bless the spring!