Vandalia River

We have an Advent tradition of reading a verse from Luke 2:1-20 throughout December. We’ve also picked a carol to go with each verse. This tradition serves a few purposes: 

1. The lyrics of these carols magnify the moment of…

You could also call this post “Consumer Report” or “R. Hall’s Gift Guide,” because I’ve consumed all these things and find them all promising as gift ideas. They don’t all have to do with music, but let’s start there. 

Music 

…

You might know Twila Paris’s song “The Joy of the Lord.” 

The joy of the Lord 
Will be my strength 
I will not falter 
I will not faint 
He is my shepherd 
I am not afraid 
The joy of the…

Poor authors. Together with their publisher they hone their book, fuss over every detail, and broadcast, broadcast, broadcast its existence and purpose and still — people in its intended audience don’t get the point. 

I heard more buzz about Adorning…

Anyone who comes to Harpers Ferry enters another story. That’s the point of a historical park. The landscape is kept in tact with signs and monuments as witnesses to something too important to forget. 

Seven years ago this week, we…

Today’s dominance of online streaming means my children do not have a way to touch the records we play.

I grew up often looking at the jewel cases in my dad’s music collection and leafing through the Sound and Spirit…

Put the big rocks in the jar first, goes the illustration, and you’ll have room to pour in the little rocks afterward. Put the little rocks in first, however, and you won’t fit the big rocks. It’s a metaphor for…

Piano literature is a many-splendored thing. 

Sonatas, nocturnes, variations, etudes, lyric pieces, humoresques, waltzes, songs without words, sonatinas, fantasies, rhapsodies, orchestral reductions, minuets, preludes, fugues — 

But I had to learn to love it. Growing up, I was inspired by…

I blogged a couple weeks ago about the Trapp Family Singers. We have their story and The Sound of Music for one simple reason. Captain von Trapp’s bank failed. They went public with their singing for the money. 

They…

Good poetry is always in season.

Hurrahing in Harvest

Summer ends now; now, barbarous in beauty, the stooks arise 
  Around; up above, what wind-walks! what lovely behaviour 
  Of silk-sack clouds! has wilder, wilful-wavier 
Meal-drift moulded ever and melted across skies? …

A few weeks ago I suggested some ways to encourage a music-making culture in the family. Around that time, daughter and I were in search of a new book to read out loud. I resorted to this grade-by-grade reading list…

A new single from Vandalia River released today wherever you listen to music. "September" is a work for piano and cello.

Listen to "September" on your preferred music service.

Nine years ago, we finally got a home big enough for…