The great American musical, “The Music Man”, is set in small town Iowa in 1912. Meredith Willson, whose boyhood home is still preserved in Mason City, Iowa, used that setting for the story of shyster salesman “Professor” Harold Hill, who, in mocking the ways of the town’s citizens and carrying out a contemptuous scheme to […]
War seems to bring out the best in songwriters. It’s as if the carnage reminds the composers and lyricists of the important things in life that are threatened by the conflict. Here’s a program about how the songwriters responded to the Civil War. We’ll make gallant charges upon the enemy, join Sherman’s march to the […]
In 1965 there burst upon the movie scene a musical destined to be one of the greatest ever: The Sound of Music. Nominated for ten Academy Awards and winner of five, it grossed more than any other movie up until that time. A number of factors combined to give it its place in movie history. […]
Some of my fondest childhood memories are of hours spent in church, those downhome country ones with plenty of pies for the fellowship dinners, little old ladies who were everyone’s grandmother, and the beginnings of lifelong friendships. And the music! Whether we were “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” or “Standing on the Promises”, it was […]
Great for Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, or Veterans’ Day! Another in a series of programs about the American illustrator, Norman Rockwell, this program combines selections from Rockwell paintings about soldiers and the American spirit with the patriotic music that has stirred our hearts through the course of our 200 year history. Music for […]
Buffalo Bill was the flamboyant scout who put together his “Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders” toward the end of the nineteenth century. But it was his discovery of Phoebe Moses, the little girl from Darke County, Ohio, who became Annie Oakley, the star of his show, that helped him take his show across […]
Music is a wonderful vehicle for the expression of feeling, the most notable example of which is the love song. This program is a romp through centuries of love songs, beginning with a hieroglyphic specimen from an Egyptian tomb of 1500 B.C., the lyrics of which show that things haven’t changed much in the love […]
Ancient Rome, Julia Ward Howe, and Anna Jarvis all had the same idea, to honor mothers with a special day, for which, in modern times, we set aside the second Sunday in May. Here’s a program to honor the mothers among us. We will see how mothers have influenced the course of history, join in […]
Here’s a great St. Patrick’s Day program: Take a tour of famed Blarney Castle, with it’s Cromwellian history, dungeon, “Witches Kitchen”, “Wishing Steps”, and “Murder Hole.” Imagine yourself dangling upside down to kiss the famous Blarney Stone! Then join me in singing a selection of those delightful Irish songs, like, “My Wild Irish Rose”, “When […]
Did you ever wonder where some of those wonderful Christmas songs came from? They came from the hearts and minds of a wide range of travelers, Tin Pan Alley writers, ministers, and just plain ordinary folks, who, by putting their thoughts, feelings, and experiences into words and music, have blessed us through the centuries. In […]
On November 5, 1911, young Leonard Slye was born, destined to become the greatest cowboy star of them all. Roy Rogers thrilled generations of young and old, first as the lead singer of the Sons of the Pioneers, and later, with his movie and life sweetheart, Dale Evans, the Queen of the West, in those […]
Where would music be without love? For that matter, where would love be without music? Has there ever been an era when a young swain did not pick up his lute, his viol, or his electric guitar, plant himself beneath the window of his love, and pour his heart out in song? There’s just something […]
From the Revolutionary War to the present, the American Flag has thrilled patriotic hearts. Ever since June 14, 1777, when it was adopted by Congress, the flag has been the visual representation of our country. It has changed over the years, as new states have been added, but after 200 years we’re still cheering for […]
What a part of American life was the railroad! Huge engines steaming down the tracks, hauling freight and passengers to destinations in every corner of the country. That day is nearly gone, and few persons today have a chance to experience the romance of the railroad. The story of the railroad, however, has been preserved […]
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