Evolution of Christmas

The Wall Street Journal had two very good stories on our modern celebration of Christmas.  The first, "Merry Marketing" by the Jesuit, Fr. James Martin delves into the creative lengths companies go to tap into religious themes (without actually being religious).  These include JC Penney's "Joy of Giving" and Macy's "A million reasons to believe!".   Though I didn't see it, I wish I could have seen that Gap ad:  "Go Christmas!  Go Hannukah!  Go Kwanzaa!  Go Solstice!  You 86 the rules, you do what just feels right.  Happy Whatever-you-wannukah, and to all a cheery night!"

The second by Eric Felten was entitled "Christmas Spirit: It's All in the Cards: A nice tradition has become a do-it-yourself hassle."   Felten writes, "Cards are too secular, proclaiming "Happy Holidays" out of a politically correct fear that "Merry Christmas" might offend; cards are no longer about Christmas at all but just annual vehicles for sending out pictures of the kids or snaps of the family vacation; cards have become impersonal, with pre-fab sentiments replacing the handwritten note."

As long as we call it Christmas, I'm not sure we can compete with the secularization of the holiday.  However, if you were Orthodox (Russians, Armenians and Ukrainians), who celebrate on the Julian calendar, you wouldn't compete with any of it.  This article out of the Pittsburgh Tribune quotes Olga Burik, who has been preparing Christmas Eve meals for 30 years, "this is all about tradition.  Once you lose tradition, you lose your religion."

-LB

They do make them the way they used to!

My wife forwarded this article from the NY Times entitled, "New Pipe Organ Sounds Echo of Age of Bach".  This kind of story gets me all confused.

The instrument at the new gig is an electronic Rogers.  And at the top of my wish list is a Hauptwerk midi set-up for the home.  This, coming from a guy who still calls these things, "toasters".     Fact is, I love the technology.  And, I enjoy playing an instrument at church (for once) with a decent console.  But I also have a deep appreciation for the artistry put into the real thing.   The Cameron Carpenters and Rogers salesmen out there will tell you pipe organs are extinct.   Purists will throw phrases out there like, "the real thing doesn't need to imitate".

Like any political spectrum, the truth is likely somewhere in the middle, which is where I'll stay on this one.  Yes,  I'd rather play a cathedral pipe organ.   But until I become a cathedral organist, I'll be happy with what I've got.

-LB       

To simpler times

I do miss the days of the "Do Not Call List".   Nothing was better than coming home from work, having dinner with the family and enjoying a brandy by the fire without interruptions from telemarketers eliciting donations to the Firemen's Fund or Cancer Society.

And so when I received a call from a banker selling mortgage insurance, I decided against not answering, hanging up or arguing.  I just told him, "Can you please hold on for a moment?".   I then took the phone and placed it on the table next to where my ten year old son was practicing the saxophone.

Then, I went back to my brandy.       

-LB

Seasons Greetings

The Vespers service I participated in last Sunday went very nicely.  If you are an organist, you may be familiar with Andrew Carter's Toccata on "Veni Emmanuel".   It was a rousing finale and well worth the preparitive efforts.   So, now on to Christmas.

It is good to be back on the blog.   Facebook is fun but I've missed the collegiality here.   Looking forward to sharing with you in the weeks and months ahead!

-LB