“Terce: A Practical Breviary” doesn’t feel all that far from a worship experience—at least, what an ideal worship experience might be.
Music
Posted inFaith, Podcasts
Is this flowery Christmas carol about Jesus or Mary?
“Lo How a Rose E’er Blooming” presents a problem: It can be argued that the central rose metaphor of the song is about Jesus or Mary.
Posted inArts & Culture, Music
The descendant of slavery and choir director who saved a beloved Christmas carol from extinction
The Work brothers preserved the rich tradition of Negro spirituals, most notably in crafting the iconic Christmas carol “Go, Tell It on the Mountain.”
Posted inArts & Culture, Theater
Three new shows break the mold of the jukebox musical—for better and for worse
Three new Off-Broadway shows don’t just show us what draws musicians to their chosen medium; they make us hear it, with often bracing effect.
Posted inArts & Culture, Film
Review: In ‘Maestro,’ we see the complexity in Leonard Bernstein’s music, marriage and sexuality
Bradley Cooper’s new Leonard Bernstein biopic, “Maestro,” offers a portrait of a soul that struggled to determine which direction it wanted to take in the world of classical music.
Posted inArts & Culture, Ideas
Lights, camera, Amen: the love-hate relationship between the Catholic Church and Hollywood
Should a Catholic Church ever be a movie set? From our most iconic movies to some regrettable music videos, it’s a question that has been asked many times and answered in different ways.
Posted inArts & Culture, Music
Remembering The Pogues’ Shane MacGowan, the raucous and tragic sage of Irish music
Shane MacGowan once said that he was the one that God would use to save Irish music. Despite a public persona that was often less than saintly, he grappled with faith in many of his iconic songs.
Posted inArts & Culture, Music
The abolitionist history of ‘O Holy Night’
In “O Holy Night,” we are reminded of the promise of the Incarnation and its continuing resonance today.
Posted inArts & Culture, Music
The Gen Z Catholic Retreat Music Playlist
Whether you know it as Kairos, Spark, Magis or Encounter, we bet there was a song playing in the background that involved a banjo, a scraggly-bearded lead vocalist and lyrics about finding yourself through struggle.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
Lighting up Christ the Redeemer with a Taylor Swift T-shirt isn’t blasphemy. I still don’t like it.
This is an image of Jesus, who is God, and he surely loves Taylor Swift the human woman. But he’s not a Swiftie; he’s the Lord.