Category Archives: On Music

Speaking of my friend Robert John Guttke, he also loved the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams. Vaughan Williams’s eternally-fascinating blend of modern symphonic sounds and instrumental writing, combined with his fascination with English folksong and melodies dating back to the … Continue reading →

Yesterday was Frank Sinatra’s birthday, so here’s Dean Martin! (With Frank Sinatra.) Well, you can’t stop with just one bit of Frank, so here he is with Bing Crosby: And here’s Frank all by himself.  

“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire….” Such a strong and evocative image of Christmastime…and yet, I’ve never once tasted a roasted chestnut, nor have I come close to roasting one on an open fire. But that’s not my fault: Hopefully … Continue reading →

Is there any mode of transportation that lends itself to the magic and mystery of Christmas better than the train? If there is, I don’t know what it is. Nobody gets wistful about the Christmas Airplane. The closest competitor is … Continue reading →

One thing I make sure to do every year while putting this feature together on a daily basis is to find stuff I’ve never heard before. Christmas music is such a huge genre that it seems a pity to only stick … Continue reading →

I heard this piece on one of the SiriusXM Holiday music channels yesterday, and…that’s literally all I know about it. Enjoy! It’s quite short. (Sometimes on this feature I go into depth talking about a longer-form work, other times I … Continue reading →

Yesterday, Taylor Swift. Today, Beyonce. I see no reason to have to choose between these two. I live in a time when they’re both doing amazing things.  

There’s no questioning that 2023 belonged to Taylor Swift. And I may have missed the Eras tour, but next time? I want to be there! I don’t know her music enough to call myself a “Swiftie”, but I like her … Continue reading →

In memory of my friend Robert John Guttke, I present one of his favorite works by a composer he dearly loved. Gerald Finzi was a British composer who lived from 1901 to 1956. His best-known output is primarily choral, and … Continue reading →