Category: Music

A brief history of ‘O Holy Night,’ the rousing Christmas hymn that garnered mixed reviews

“It might be a good thing to discard this piece whose popularity is becoming unhealthy,” one early critic wrote.

Twenty-six years ago, George W. Hunt, S.J., then editor in chief of America, wrote that “O Holy Night” was one of his favorites among Yuletide songs, modestly adding: “I’ve sung it countless times in choir (the dull second tenor part).”

Our fond memories of “O Holy Night” are closely associated with the familiar English words translated from the original French by the Unitarian minister John Sullivan Dwight. Former director of the school at the 19th-century Brook Farm commune in Massachusetts, Dwight witnessed the conversion to Catholicism of a number of his fellow commune members, including Isaac Hecker—later a Roman Catholic priest and founder of the Paulist Fathers, the first religious community of priests created in North America. Continue reading “A brief history of ‘O Holy Night,’ the rousing Christmas hymn that garnered mixed reviews” →

Comme une Française: Use these French lyrics to woo an old love

Comme une Française

Love changes over the years, and nothing expresses it better than this romantic love song in French by Belgian singer Jacques Brel.

Welcome back to this special series, where I teach you how to learn French using love songs in French! Today, I have a beautiful, quite melancholic song for you to discover. Love changes. A couple is not the same after a lifetime together. Jacques Brel explains that very well when he writes the beautiful, beautiful La Chanson des Vieux Amants (= Song of the Old Lovers.) Let’s use this song to learn more about romantic French. Perhaps you can practice saying these lyrics to your significant other?

Take care and stay safe. 😘 from Grenoble, France.

Géraldine

Rodolphe Burger streaming concert

Rodolphe Burger, accompanied by double bass player and singer Sarah Murcia and drummer Christophe Calpini, delivers the first concert of the “Environs” tour, under the watchful eye of director Yvan Schreck.

In the intimate atmosphere of the Saint-Pierre-sur-l’Hâte Chapel nestled in the Alsatian massif, Rodolphe Burger gave on November 14, 2020 the first concert of his “Environs” tour. Accompanied by the double bass player and singer Sarah Murcia and the drummer Christophe Calpini, he elegantly leads this musical and poetic stroll where you take your time. Candles, neon lights, romantic texts and electric riffs form an extraordinary liturgy: we let ourselves be captivated by the songs composed by Burger, who with this 8th album, invites you to take other tracks.

There “for the pleasure of singing”, the actress Jeanne Balibar, surprise guest of the concert, performs two titles from her album Paramour produced in 2003 by Rodolphe Burger. She believes that the live performance by interposed screen at least allows people “to have access to the arts that they love despite the current circumstances, even if it is better with an audience”.

Founder of the group Kat Onoma, Rodolphe Burger has also distinguished himself thanks to a solo career through his label Dernier Bande and Compagnie Rodolphe Burger. Rich in his many collaborations (Jacques Higelin, Alain Bashung, Christophe, Rachid Taha …), he is also the founder in 2000 of the festival “C’est dans la Vallée”.

 

Source: Rodolphe Burger – Regarder le programme complet | ARTE Concert