Category Archives: Music

Handbells for Christmas

Posted on December 25, 2019 by

I love handbells. I play in a handbell choir at my church. Here we are playing Advent Carol on December 1, 2019. (If you listen carefully, you may hear O Come, O Come Immanuel and a snippet of Let All … Continue reading →

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Tchaikovsky and The Nutcracker

Posted on December 20, 2019 by

Poor Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Following the huge success of The Sleeping Beauty ballet in 1890, the Tsar wanted another hit from Tchaikovsky and choreographer Marius Petipa. Petipa took charge of the storyline of the ballet and created two scenes based on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas, Dancing, Holiday Traditions, Music | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Favorite Songs of the Season

Posted on December 7, 2018 by

Originally posted on ARHtistic License:
You know those $5 bins of CDs they have at Walmart? I always take a peek in the Christmas bin in case there’s a gem in there I don’t have yet. This year I treated…

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Two Years After Leaving My Church: Honest Reflections

Posted on November 6, 2018 by

I quit the worship band at my lifelong church a little more than two years ago. I typed the phrase “easily the most difficult and painful decision I’ve made” in that first sentence, and its sterility taunted me so I … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christian Living, Church, Faith, God, Life Transitions, Math, Music, Scripture | 2 Comments

Landfill Harmonic…by ARHuelsenbeck

Posted on July 27, 2018 by

This article previously appeared on ARHtistic License. You may have heard of the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, Paraguay. This YouTube video, posted in 2012, has been viewed more than seven million times: Cateura is the site of a huge garbage dump. … Continue reading →

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Merry Christmas Darling by Betty Mason Arthurs

Posted on December 11, 2017 by

Merry Christmas Darling By Betty Mason Arthurs   Are you lonely this holiday season? Have you experienced a loss so devastating you wonder if your heart will ever heal? I don’t have an answer for your grief, but I can … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas, Christmas music, Death and Dying, Music, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

My Country ‘Tis of Thee…Memorial Day Tribute by Betty Mason Arthurs

Posted on May 29, 2017 by

My Country, ‘Tis of Thee…Memorial Day Tribute The song, “My Country, ‘Tis of  Thee,” was written by Rev. Samuel Francis Smith in the 1800s when he was 24 years-old. This Memorial Day, May 2017, its beautiful words ring out over … Continue reading →

Posted in America, Faith, God, History, Legacy, Military, Music, Remembering, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 3 Comments