a musical life
-
Old Music Monday: John Sheppard and Making Whole
If you had to pick one phrase for 2020, what would it be? The year that sucketh? 2020: F You? What about a Latin phrase: Media vita in morte sumus, which means, “in the midst of life, we are in death”? That’s the name of the monumental work of John Sheppard, who lived from 1515 to 1558, was a gentleman of the Chapel Royal, and sang at the funeral of Edward VI. And a new recording from the early music consort Alamire might just be the perfect soundtrack for periods of quiet contemplation as we near the finish line of this year. David Skinner, director of the Alamire consort (the…
-
It’s that time of year: Music and Memory
It’s mid-August, almost two months after the summer solstice. The days are getting shorter, and the mornings have a distinct hint of nippiness in them. Not enough to actually warrant wearing more clothing, especially when the Spanish sun rises and the days heat up to nearly 100 degrees. But the early mornings, right before the sunrise, do have a freshness about them that I haven’t felt since April. I have mixed feelings about the changing seasons. Change has always been hard for me. I’m a Taurus. I like things fixed, and solid, and dependable. But I also move around a lot, having lived in 3 countries and 4 states in…
-
The fact is, it’s more than weight loss…
I’ve successfully lost weight in the past. Like a lot of overweight people, I’ve gone up, I’ve gone down. I lose 30 pounds, and gain back 20. Lose five, gain ten. I have a spectrum of “normal” where I’ve been for almost 20 years, and breaking through that is going to take the serious work, but I know I can do it because I’ve done it before. With that said, the number one lesson I’ve learned during those other times I’ve successfully lost weight – it’s not about the weight. It’s about you being happy and taking care of you. Like a lot of emotional eaters, I eat for stress.…
