Bruce

 

not my foto

 Well, Bruce had a concert, Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour, last night in Cleveland.  Did not see much of any coverage [free advertising] on teevee 'news'.  Way too often, much bally-hoo is given to 'country' music people, who i am not familiar with*.  Now, i did read in the plejn djilar a couple good articles on Bruce.  Bruce is an artist, a musician, poet, Christian, and patriot.  A lot of the other mentioned performers like to be billed as such.  Here is the double standard.  The powers that be object to talented people having certain publicly announced thoughts that point to inequities, and wrongs, and want a better society.  Their media pressure, and spokesmen criticise these folk as if they transgressed bounds by exercising free speech, but these hypocrites lionise reagan & *rump, who were not top talent, and came to power to push the agenda of economic royalists.  Springsteen does good for America by speaking up.  By contrast, Michael Jordan is accepted; supposedly he was asked why doesn't he speak up?  His answer was "Republicans buy shoes too".  What is the lesson mandated?  Empathy, integrity, solidarity, democracy — bad; unfettered capitalism, selfish behaviour — good. 

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*Had to look up Morgan Wallen.  He is a drunk racist.  Did not look up Kenny Chesney.  Jason Aldean, a faux hillbilly and trumpster, who did not care that scores of people were shot to death at one of his concerts. 

tuba season

Ghost of Christmas Present has a smart phone.

Tucker Jolly brought Tuba Christmas to Akron in 1980. In 2013, he semi-retired as professor of tuba and euphonium. Meredith Willson had people sing about 76 trombones, and a 110 cornets. Jolly gets over 500 tubas, and low bass brass. [see 2016], [2017], [2019] 

Four University of Akron students play while sitting at the edge of the stage.

tuba in lights, lower left

helicon

horse collar tuba

ophicleide in center

serpent

on or near High Street

 

In Akron, so much interesting things to see are on or near Market Street. In Columbus, it is High Street. There is a lot of more prestigious stuff on Broad Street, like state government, and establishment churches. 

Yesterday, there was a parade for the soccer team winning the season as champions. College age people were still walking about with yellow and black long scarves. The parade crossed High, we were there afterwards. 

Greystone Court Apartments were built in 1920, and there is this picturesque fountain, with four women, lions' heads, winged horses, and a little boy on top. I don't have information on this fountain.

Indian Springs Elementary has two entrances with an Indian head above them. Akron had a school with a stone relief of an Indian, that building has been demolished.

Red Men Sioux Tribe № 128 is part of the national Improved Order of Red Men. It is a social/fraternal lodge. Like the Free Masons they have an invented mythology, and rituals. Their claim is they are descended from the Sons of Liberty from revolutionary Boston. There are now six lodges in Ohio, and more nationwide. As with other such groups, their membership has greatly decreased.

Glen Echo Presbyterian has the Santa Maria above their main entrance.

St. John the Baptist is the Italian parish in Columbus. This Santa Maria is on the sidewalk next to the steps of the entrance. There were three public statues of Christopher Columbus in town. One was in front of City Hall, it has been removed. One was on Columbus State University, it has been removed. There remains the one outside the State Capitol. The three were in walking distance of each other.

 

There was a replica Santa Maria downtown. It was taken apart and put in storage before George Floyd. The murder of Floyd sparked protest about institutional racism. One bête noire was Columbus, another was using an American Indian for a logo, or symbol. Italians take pride in Columbus. The Presbyterian church was a surprise.

St. Patrick is the second oldest Catholic parish in Columbus. This was on their stoop, i had never seen one before. I wonder if there is an Italian term for this. It is not a garbage can, or ashtray for butts. There are holes on top for venting. There are miscellaneous vessels used in services. Censers/thuribles burn incense. A boat has a spoon to place hot coals and incense in the burners. Often these vessels are silver, or bronze. This looks to be a receptacle for the spent coals. Fires have happened when care was not taken.

First Indianola Presbyterian has a pulpit outside an entrance to the building. William Oxley Thompson, D.D. was president of Ohio State from 1899 to 1925. He also was a Presbyterian minister who had engagements in churches about town. From this spot he could directly see fraternities, and preach to/at students. If going about there, be watchful for careless drivers.

Hound Dog Pizza has a Cadillac. I have seen a foto of an earlier, more ritzy Caddie they had. Correct the guess, Matador Red 1963 Coupe de Ville.

This sign is flush against the wall, i have seen a foto where it was mounted 90°, and on bricks.

Nearby was this musical mural.

There are a few arches over High Street. This part of Columbus is called Short North, and for the season 'Pole' was added.

Immanuel Lutheran Cleveland

serpent in the Garden of Eden 

I am quite fond of stained glass, and pleased to see fine ones. The Immanuel Lutheran church building was started in 1879, and is the daughter congregation of Trinity Lutheran they began worship in 1880. Most of the windows were tall, but interrupted by a mezzanine level of pews, so the middle of the windows are not visible. This came in 1885.

an holocaust, sacrifice wholly burned in fire

Die Heilige Schrift (The Holy Scriptures) 

There are only a few windows in Cleveland that are German in language.

Sei getreu bis in den Tod (Be faithful unto death)

Gott ist meine Zuversicht und Stärke (God is my confidence and strength)

They are very proud of their 1964 Friedrich Weissenborn mechanical organ with 26 stops and 39 ranks, it is very valuable. Shane Brandes is the organist.

The Lieder board, Lieder is German for songs. English language worship did not begin until after World War One.

Mozart (Brian Skoog) and Salieri (Jason Fuh), and two members of Cleveland Opera

Camera decided to focus on the pulpit.

Pushkin wrote a verse play, Mozart and Salieri (1830),  Rimsky-Korsakov made it into an opera in 1897.  Peter Schaffer made it into the play, Amadeus (1987), a movie followed in 1984. In these fictive stories, Salieri's jealousy/envy led him to poison Mozart.

 

Also, to-day is the tenth anniversary of the day three Cleveland girls were released from their captivity. The house where they were held is on the same street. In church before the opera, there was a short prayer service for the three women. Further up the street, a public demonstration was also held.

50 years of not being music

Well, it has been noted that hip-hop/rap is fifty years in existence. No need to celebrate, just to acknowledge. It has rhythm, it has beat, maybe cadence, it has too much volume, and it is very percussive. Forget the lyrics, tune into the sound. It is not music, it is anti-music. It vexes the ears, an aural assault. It is an attack on sonority. Alcohol hangovers are unpleasant, supposedly the Danes (and maybe other former vikings) say "carpenters in the forehead" — an unrelenting, hammering on the brain. At least it doesn't make you barf, usually. It has physical posturing and gesturing in performance that is aggressive, confrontational, and often absurd, but ugly.

Music theory is taught, and studied. Music theory is not applicable to this genre. A song is a poem with music. Hip-hop has lyrics, and can be looked at as spoken poetry. The black community engages in a version of spoken word poetry that has much similarity to hip-hop. Music has a trajectory of progression, so does poetry. The words and the music have a relationship. None of this applies to hip-hop/rap. This essay has no musical notation, and neither does hip-hop/rap. Elements in recorded tracks can offer samplings from music, but they are independent and unnecessary for the lyrics. There are also sound effects that have the same role. 

The ear does hear. Machines can produce a drum beat, and bass; but the speaker's words do not need to align in these performances. There is an analysis that has the beat as cyclical, because it is not linear. It is alien from folk music, and art music. Jazz and rock does not apply either. It is pop, because it is charted there in sales; and it is popular to a segment of the population.

A while back, an accomplished musician from a family of musicians critiqued hip-hop/rap. Wynton Marsalis said, it is “more damaging than a statue of Robert E. Lee”. He was right, but he was only talking about the ugliness of the words. The pornographic words, and the "minstrel show ghetto routines" degrade people. He and me know this exists, and people have a right to have it; but rap is crap, and not music.

2022 Miscellany #18—more end year fotos

Burning River Brass, St. Wendelin Cleveland, tubist playing "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch". 

 

I have taken a lot of fotos, which i find interesting. Many did not find themselves placed with a complete essay. I still liked them, and end up placing themselves in pictorial grab bags. I received a new camera for Christmas, hopefully i will learn to use it.

Ohio City

Stan and Ollie. Independence O.

VW bug with horns

Ford Galaxie

in League Park Museum Cleveland 

Ethiopian Clowns were a barnstorming, and a Negro League team. Home fields were at Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and later Buffalo. Chiefly remembered as the Indianapolis Clowns, even when playing elsewhere. Hank Aaron played for them. They continued on, being the last Negro team. I wonder if there are people who object to the name.

One of the dragons on the roof of an outdoor shrine at Quan Âmm Vietnamese Buddhist Temple, Cleveland.

Some statues have added clothes, Jesus as Christ the King. In October a reredos went up at La Sagrada Familia Cleveland.

2022 Miscellany #12

The end of summer monarch butterfly migration from Canada, sometimes includes an overnight rest stop at Cleveland's Whiskey Island/Wendy Park. When it is a very cool, and maybe wet evening, they clump into clusters. When the new day warms up, they get active again, and flutter away south.

Not an Hallowe'en decoration, but a part of below porch outer space theme.

Der Name Beethoven ist heilig in der Kunst

I saw this a few years ago [click], and yesterday i was in the neighbourhood. I wanted to see if it still was in good shape. Sometimes in the past, i would have waited for his birthday to post, or have a count down like Schroeder. To-day, enjoy a fifth of Beethoven.

Sometimes while visiting a colorful site, other people are having their pictures taken by professionals. This was in the Rockefeller Greenhouse, Cleveland...

..and this was in front of Cleveland Art Museum.

look right

as seen from Red Green Walkway Cleveland

string of connections

This was the first reading, from the Prophet Micah (Michaes). He hath told thee oh man, what the Lord doth desire of thee "To do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with thy God".  This window is within the Columbus mausoleum of Fred Lazarus and family.

Saturday past, i was at Fr. Robert Begin's funeral. Morricone's Gabriel's Oboe was played. Father Bob spent time as a priest in Bolivia. After Mass, El Condor Pasa was played on flute. I saw Fr. Begin outside of St. Colman's twice, once at St. Stephen's when Lennon wanted to close Colman's, and when Fr. Begin was grand marshal of the St. Patrick's parade. I really did not know much about him outside of his priestly vocation. I found out he liked music. I had seen and heard his brother, Fr. Daniel Begin play flute.

Father Bob was a humble man, and a genuine rarity—a brave priest. His belief and practice of ethics, justice, and morality was strong. He had empathy, a desire to understand, and a desire to help. He loved Jesus, and was following His Way. Politely, he was called a rebel priest, and impolitely 'Red Bob' and worse. Unlike other American priests, his chief loyalty and obedience was to God, and not the local bishop. For that, one gets punished.  

As a young priest at St. Gregory's in South Euclid, Father Begin was deeply affected by a serviceman that came home from the ongoing Viet Nam War. The United States was involved in a deeply immoral war. Father Bob was enthusiastic about the reforms of Vatican II, and disappointed about church hypocrisy. He was involved with a local group, Catholics Who Care.

The first incident: he and Fr. Bernard Meyer presided over an unscheduled midnight Mass at Cleveland's downtown cathedral. The police were called in to break it up, and they did, and not delicately. Bishop Hickey [later archbishop of Wash. DC] denied him priestly faculties, residence, and salary for two years. As an aside: Fr. Begin's Uncle Floyd was the first bishop of Oakland California.

A couple of months later (March 1969), Frs. Begin and Meyer were part of the D.C. Nine. They broke into Dow Chemical's headquarters and threw red paint around, and files out the windows. Dow made the jellied gasoline, napalm, that was dropped on civilians in Viet Nam. F. Lee Bailey was a defense lawyer, but Fr. Begin dismissed him for not being moral enough. Bailey would in 1971 defend Captain Ernest Medina of the My Lai Massacre. Medina was acquitted. Fr. Begin got four years of probation for unlawful entry. Father Begin went on to become a lawyer during his lengthened, enforced 'sabbatical'.

After a time, he became the sacramental minister, and later, the pastor of St. Colman's. A new bishop came from Boston and closed 58 parishes. Two others, Colman's and Ignatius of Antioch were on the original list of 2009. Lennon did not account for Father Bob.

All pastors received a letter by Saturday afternoon on 14 March 2009. The 17th of March is St. Patrick’s Day. It is a big deal in Cleveland. St. Colman’s is the Irish cathedral. It is patterned after Rome’s cathedral, St. John Lateran. Many west side Irish convene there for Mass, or company before the big parade. Colman’s sits over a thousand on the floor, there is also a choir loft, that is without a massive pipe organ. As beautiful as Colman’s is, it is missing bells in its steeples and that grand organ. The Irish of the time loved white marble, and it is there in abundance. On the 17th people filled the church, and were on the steps, and sidewalks. A bass drummer, and bagpipers led a procession of twenty priests into Colman’s. Father Bob acted as cheerleader, and before the Mass started berated the decision to keep St. Stephen’s open and to close Colman’s, in direct opposition to the cluster committee’s [These committees were created to have conflict from parishioners directed at other parishes, and not at the diocese and Lennon. The committees were guided by a diocesan agent at the meetings, and anyway their opinion was not the final opinion] recommendation.  Petitions were passed throughout the crowd. Lennon received much mail. Now Lennon was Irish, but he bristled about it. It was an inopportune [read—stupid] time to announce Colman’s demise. Either he was obtuse, and/or he really wanted to be a prick. Lennon was forced to step back. SS. Colman, Ignatius, and Stephen were put on probation, and they had to all come up with money. Robert Begin's father was French Canadian, and his mother was German. Fr. Bob was the rare non-Irishman to be the grand marshal at Cleveland's St. Patrick's parade.

Well, Lennon struck at Fr. Begin again. [click and see] In 2013, Lennon wanted to force mandatory retirement to Fr. Begin.  Fr. Begin's pastorate was extended to 30 August 2014. After that, he would still say a Mass there on weekends. His spirit will remain at St. Colman's.

foto July 2018

Athens Ohio foto safari

Blue Eagle Music Company  

There is much to foto in Athens.

Court Street Athens Ohio bottoms out at the Armory. The Armory no longer has munitions (i guess),  but once the secessionists did make a couple of armed sojourns in southern Ohio. We did have insurrectionists attack the national capital last year.

Yesterday, somewhere south of Canton, the trees were leafing out. On a very cloudy, and somewhat rainy day in Ohio, the northern part was not green as the rest of the state. This is Jeff Hill, to the right is Jefferson Hall.

Peace mural, around Athens there is a lot of art on the outside of buildings.

Keith Wilde. Release. 2018. Stimson Avenue.

On Stimson Avenue beginning in 1890 and on to 1917, millions of paving bricks were made by the Athens Brick Company, across the street where post office 45701 is now. This is a 2019 mural by Keith Wilde.

Some of the bricks leading between Ellis Hall and Alden Library from University Terrace and Park Place.

Dogwoods have opened their white bracts. Biology tells us, those white or pink leaves are not flowers, the petals (specialised leaves) are at the intersection, and center of the bracts. White and green are the school colors. Between Ellis Hall, Cutler Hall, and Galbreath Chapel you can see the pink colored.

A lantern at the entrance of Scott Quad, facing the back of Gordy Hall. Rumour suggests Scott Quad may be soon gone.

Below Scott, and over Clippinger Lab, a woodchuck looks out.

Christ Enthroned. Kelly Latimore.

Church of the Good Shepherd Episcopal's main worship space is very low church, but elegant. Recently they have two icons by Latimore, who had lived in nearby religious community.

This Lady Justice has not always been gilded (perhaps 2004 or thereafter), and she is not blind, but she does have a lightning rod up her back. She has sat high on one side of Athens County Courthouse, since 1890.

Oscar recycles, who knew?

Great neon sign, really stinky beer. Have not had one since the January blizzard of 1978. For years, when someone opened one across the room, i could smell it unseen.