In 1835, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow observed that “music is the universal language of mankind.” Does this ring true in your experience? I’m sure that Longfellow, a very wise and learned man, understood that his was not an original thought so much as a simple statement of fact which could then and can now readily be observed in every part of the wor…

According to Orson Welles, who was himself a phenomenal director and quite an authority about the art, the three greatest American directors were, “John Ford, John Ford, and John Ford.” At our house, we agree with that assessment. Even so, we don’t agree with what many people say, that our Film of the Week is his most magnificent achievement. That …

I’ve probably mentioned it here sometime or other, that I’ve got a sharp ear for distinguishing the calls of birds. I can tell there’s an oriole in the neighborhood at a single note — the beautiful loud clear whistle, which Mr. Oriole may repeat several times in the spring, till he bursts out in his lovely phrases of song. I miss the orioles, that …

“Seek,” says Jesus, “and you shall find.” The kingdom of God, he says, may be likened to a man who was seeking fine pearls, who when he found one pearl of great price, sold all that he had to obtain that pearl. Here’s the thing about the seeking that Jesus enjoins upon us: we can be confident of finding, not because we’re lucky, but because God is …

Sometimes a song just fills the bill at Word & Song. And don’t fear! I’m not going to venture into children’s songs such as “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep,” which I’m guessing many of our readers fondly remember from their earliest school days. (If you have forgotten to sing such sweet little songs with the sweet little childre…

You know what I’ve never really talked out in our Hymn of the Week? What a hymn is! Often the most important things are directly in sight, which is why we miss them. The obvious thing about a hymn is that we sing it, and singing, says Saint Augustine, is what the lover does. He doesn’t mean that nobody else sings, but that the lover by the very pow…

With “road” as our word of the week, I had some good choices, including a favorite of mine, a late Beatles number, “The Long and Winding Road.” But I’ve talked about that here already. Some of you may have expected Elton John’s “Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road” or even its inspiration, “Follow the Yellow Brick Road” from The Wizard of Oz. Or maybe a Ray…

Our Word of the Week, road, gives us a lot of chances to recommend again movies we’ve featured here — really fine movies, such as The Wizard of Oz and Dorothy and her dog Toto and her three faithful friends, singing along the Yellow Brick Road; or my vote for the greatest screwball comedy ever, a surprisingly profound film that shaves close to trag…

Specials on upgrades or gift subscriptions are up now through the end of April. People who study the art and literature of the high Middle Ages know that you get the merriest and most boisterous celebrations of Christmas then, and popular carols in all the languages of Europe. But you don’t get Easter carols — the high solemnity and the joy of East…