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Born 16 October 1833 in Ruabon, Denbighshire Died 1912 (aged 78) London Fields Military, Leisure Known for Inventing lawn tennis (disputed) | |||
A blog featuring whatever I fancy, often on the Christian faith but not exclusively
Welsh and Proud 4 Walter Clopton Wingfield
Walter Clopton Wingfield
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Welsh and Proud 3 George Everest
George Everest | |
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George Everest 1790-1866 (Maull & Polyblank, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
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| Born | 4 July 1790 near Crickhowell |
| Died | 1 December 1866 (aged 76) London |
| Residence | Crickhowell, Wales |
Known for Great Trigonometric Survey of India, Mount Everest named for him
(He pronounced his name Eve-rest)
Augustine on singing and its temptations
This is from Chapter 4 of Book X of Augustine's Confessions
49.
I was more entangled and submissive where the pleasures of hearing
are concerned until you cut me loose and gave me back my freedom. Now
when I hear music vibrant with your Scripture, sung with skill in a
sweet voice, I yield to some degree, I must admit, but am not
hypnotised by it, since I can break off at any point. Nonetheless,
when the music carries a meaning that enters into me, it makes
something in my heart honour it, I know not how properly - do I prize
it higher than I should? When music is added to the sacred words, I
find that our souls are kindled to more ardent piety than when they
stand alone, as if each emotion of our spirit were being touched by
its own special tone or tune, intimately responsive to it by some
secret tie. A delicious physical sound should not melt our reason,
but should attend it as its subordinate partner - but once admitted
on these terms, it tends to skip ahead of reason and take the lead
from it. When this occurs, I go wrong without realising it, and only
recognise what has happened later on.
50.
Yet at other times, suspicious of being misled, I adopt too great a
caution, harshly willing to ban all melodic sweetening of David’s
words sung in the psalms, not only from my own hearing but from that
of the entire church - though I think it safer to follow a rule often
reported to me as being that of Athanasius, Alexandria’s bishop. He
had the cantor so flatten out the tune that he seemed rather to be
speaking the psalm than singing it. But in the last analysis, when I
recall the tears I shed at the church music when I first returned to
the faith, and how moved I am even now by the meaning of the music
rather than the music itself - so long as the words are sung in a
clear voice appropriately fitted to the tune - I see just how useful
music can be. So, though my mind hovers between pleasure’s danger
and the custom’s benefits, and I would not want to adhere blindly
to one view of the matter, I increasingly favour the practice of
singing in church, which can strengthen the wavering soul’s feeling
for religion. Yet I must testify for myself that when I am moved more
by the music than by its meaning, I feel this offence should be
punished, and wish I had not listened to the cantor. That is my
plight. Weep for it, all you whose concern for virtue issues in good
works - those without that concern will not care enough to weep for
me. But you, Lord my God, hear me, heed, look on with pity, and heal
me, before whom I am made a riddle to myself, which is the symptom of
my sins.
Things seen (normal human beings)
I was in a local shopping centre recently and as I was coming up the escalator this woman called down to her husband or boy friend hurrying him along to something she wanted him to be with her on. She urged him to keep up with her "like normal human beings" - this as she and her partner literally ran through the centre. "Normal human beings" are not a common reference point for me as they are for some but I did wonder if her language was justified.
Britain's Great War
We watched the first of four episodes of Jeremy Paxman's series for BBC 1 on the First World War last night. It was pretty good. I had not realised that Britain was actually invaded in that period with over a hundred dying on the north east coast. My grandfather was a conscript who was at the Somme so I have always been aware of the war but not well informed about it really. Eleri's grandfather was a conscientious objector. More here.
Things seen (Augustine)
I was sat drinking coffee in a coffee shop and I came to the famous part of the Confessions where Augustine is converted (I mean the Tolle Lege bit). Anyway after reading it once again and being moved by it I looked up and I noticed on the other side of the street there was one of these fellows who walks around with a stick and something written on it (probably Jesus) as a way of witnessing. As he walked along with his friend a woman shouted something at him - probably not complimentary. She and her friend appeared to be people with a drink problems. After stopping briefly he walked on with his friend and she and her friend headed the other way so that we six soon briefly formed a triangle - me and Augustine in the coffee shop, the professing Christian and his friend at one angle and the two alcoholics at the other. Augustine was once as lost as the drunks and so was I but God saved him (and me) as he saved the man witnessing and his friend I hope.
Pete Seeger
I hear Pete Seeger has died. See here. I was looking for a version of Turn Turn Turn but spotted this. I remember my mother singing this gospel song that he re-discovered. I notice it includes the line "meet my mother on the other side". You betcha.
Welsh and Proud 2 John Cowper Powys
| John Cowper Powys | |
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John Cowper Powys (1872-1963)
8 October 1872 Shirley, Derbyshire |
| Died | 17 June 1963 Blaenau Ffestiniog |
| Education | Sherborne School and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Author and lecturer |
Welsh and Proud 1 Robert Recorde
Robert Recorde
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Robert Recorde (1512–1558)
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| Born | ca. 1512 Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales |
| Died | 1558 London, England |
| Fields | Mathematician and physician |
| Institutions | University of Oxford Royal Mint |
| Alma mater | University of Oxford University of Cambridge |
| Known for | Inventing the "equals" sign (=) |
Novelists 36 H Rider Haggard
Sir Henry Rider Haggard (1856 –1925) was an English writer of adventure novels set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa, and a founder of the Lost World literary genre. He was also involved in agricultural reform throughout the British Empire. His stories, situated at the lighter end of Victorian literature, continue to be popular and influential. His earliest novels are his most famous - King Solomon's Mines (1885)
Allan Quatermain (1887)
She (1887)
Cleopatra (1889). He wrote many more right up until 1921.
CYSK 12 David Brainerd
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| Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons |
Augustine's Confessions
I was at the John Owen Centre today for the 42nd (apparently) meeting of the Theological Study Group, which is a book reading group. Our book for today was an old one (we try and alternate with newer ones). Under the competent chairmanship of Jeremy Walker eight of us discussed Augustine's Confessions. Most of were working from Roman Catholic Garry Wills' relatively recent translation. There was general agreement among the eight of us that this was worth reading although some of it was hard to grasp. Augustine was a n enthusiast, almost maniacal at times. We liked the evangelical Augustine but recognised that there were other elements there that we would not be happy with. It is good when a real classic proves to be as good as people say. There was a variety opinion on the value of the exegesis and the spiritual stimulus it might prove to be. Next time it is Bruce A Ware's The man Christ Jesus.
10 Songs with lion in the title
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| © Giles Laurent, gileslaurent.com, License CC BY-SA, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons |
1. The lion sleeps tonight Tight fit
2. Little lion man Mumford and sons
3. Young lion Vampire Weekend
4. Three Lions Baddiel, Skinner and the Lightning Seeds
5. Iron Lion Zion Bob Marley and the Wailers
6. Gold lion Yeah Yeah Yeahs
7. Lion Toto
8. Lion's Den Dry the River
9. Can't tame the lion Journey
10. Lions Dire Straits
10 songs with tiger in the title
1. I'm a tiger Lulu
2. Tiger feet Mud
3. Eye of the tiger Survivor
4. Tame my tiger T Rex
5. Tiger ABBA
6. Tiger Emeli Sande
7. Neon tiger The Killers
8. Tiger in the night Katie Melua
9. I've got a tiger by the tail Buck Owens and the Buckaroos
10. Easy tiger Kids in Glass houses
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