Bill McGlaughlin's guests were the exquisite Anonymous 4, singing a little of the medieval polyphony for which they are famous, and a lot of the 19th century American folk music to which they have devoted recent recordings. (You can listen to it here.) I'd never heard "shape-note" singing before, let alone noted how similar it is to premodern tonalities. (I ordered the CD, first I've bought in a while.) In any case, it was a surpassing lovely way to start the day, though I confess I lay there this morning, under my two down comforters (it's gotten cold), and allowed myself to feel far far away from yesterday or tomorrow...
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Shape shifting
My alarm radio goes off at 7 every morning. Monday through Friday, that means Morning Edition, which eases you genially into the real world. On Saturday it's annoying Christa Tippett's Speaking of Faith, which I tune out with satisfaction. And Sundays, it's Saint Paul Sunday, a wonderful live classical music program. This morning, host 
Bill McGlaughlin's guests were the exquisite Anonymous 4, singing a little of the medieval polyphony for which they are famous, and a lot of the 19th century American folk music to which they have devoted recent recordings. (You can listen to it here.) I'd never heard "shape-note" singing before, let alone noted how similar it is to premodern tonalities. (I ordered the CD, first I've bought in a while.) In any case, it was a surpassing lovely way to start the day, though I confess I lay there this morning, under my two down comforters (it's gotten cold), and allowed myself to feel far far away from yesterday or tomorrow...
Bill McGlaughlin's guests were the exquisite Anonymous 4, singing a little of the medieval polyphony for which they are famous, and a lot of the 19th century American folk music to which they have devoted recent recordings. (You can listen to it here.) I'd never heard "shape-note" singing before, let alone noted how similar it is to premodern tonalities. (I ordered the CD, first I've bought in a while.) In any case, it was a surpassing lovely way to start the day, though I confess I lay there this morning, under my two down comforters (it's gotten cold), and allowed myself to feel far far away from yesterday or tomorrow...