culture

The Importance of Civic Art to a Christian Nation

The Importance of Civic Art to a Christian Nation

Civic art, particularly public statues and monuments, plays a vital role in shaping and preserving a nation's cultural identity and values. Within the context of a Christian nation, these artistic expressions serve as tangible reminders of the foundational principles upon which the society is built and the ideals it strives to uphold.

Sir James MacMillan on Creativity and Sacred Music: From the Ashes of Modernism to Cultural Renewal

Sir James MacMillan on Creativity and Sacred Music: From the Ashes of Modernism to Cultural Renewal

Two video interviews and an article about his philosophy of sacred music, recently published in the National Catholic Register

Graced Imagination: Recovering True Creativity in the Age of Authenticity

Graced Imagination: Recovering True Creativity in the Age of Authenticity

Modern art and architecture reject traditional harmony and form, intentionally breaking with the past and seemingly deliberately disregarding beauty. This revolution in art is a sign of an even more profound revolution in the understanding of the human person and the desire to change Western civilization radically.

Book Recommendation: The Spiritual History of English, by Andrew Thornton-Norris

Book Recommendation: The Spiritual History of English, by Andrew Thornton-Norris

Thornton Norris shows us that even if the poet or novelist is sincerely Catholic and trying to express truths that are consistent with the Faith, he is at a great disadvantage if he is seeking to express those truths with vocabulary and poetic forms that reflect a post-Enlightenment culture.  

Is Beauty Worth It? Doesn't it Cost Too Much?

Is Beauty Worth It? Doesn't it Cost Too Much?

No! Beauty Transforms Us Spritually, Invokes the Principle of Superabundance that Generates Wealth for All, and Inspires Us to Love the Poor.

As St Francis of Assisi understood, beauty is a common-good, beneficial spiritually, to all who encounter it, rich and poor alike. But second, the poor will benefit materially as well. Faith inspires charity and so it will inspire the rich to give to the poor directly.

Study Choral Conducting with Master Teachers In Princeton, NJ, June 16-21, 2024

Study Choral Conducting with Master Teachers In Princeton, NJ, June 16-21, 2024

This is organised by Peter Carter's Catholic Sacred Music Project in partnership with, among others, the Scala Foundation (for whom I serve as Artist-in-Residence. The program will be held June 16-21, 2024, in Princeton, NJ. For more information, go to sacredmusicproject.org.

The Traditional Formation of the Artist is Mystagogical Catechesis and a Formation for the New Evangelisation

The Traditional Formation of the Artist is Mystagogical Catechesis and a Formation for the New Evangelisation

The fruits of a traditional artistic training in the formation of the person are such, I would say, that it would be useful too (with minimal adaption) for anybody, regardless of his personal vocation. And so would be of interest not just to artists, but to all people; (and especially those who are interested in the formation of children). It is a training in the via pulchritudinis and is the formation of the New Evangelisation, I suggest.

Composer's Workshop with Sir James MacMillan, Princeton, June 2024

Composer's Workshop with Sir James MacMillan, Princeton, June 2024

Do you want to learn how to compose beautiful sacred music with Sir James MacMillan. Sign up for this workshop at sacredmusicproject.org run by the Catholic Sacred Music Project partnering with the Scala Foundation