As it happens, when Classic 99 went off the air in July 2010, it never died. Classic99.com continues to live stream its vast catalog of classical and sacred music online, just as it did when it broadcast on the FM dial. Matter of fact, I’m listening to it as I write this post, and I’m even hearing the familiar voices of former KFUO-FM announcers, now volunteers for the Internet station. And The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod has announced that the Synod’s Board of Directors voted to provide an additional $193,000 through at least mid-2012 “not only to continue but to improve the way it provides quality classical and sacred music to listeners via the Internet.” And, evidently, both the online station and its listener base are expanding.

By now, it has been making the email and Facebook rounds many times over: The Opera Company of Philadelphia hides in the Center City Philadephia Macy’s on Saturday, October 30, and during the height of the busy shopping day breaks into an “impromptu” performance of the Hallelujah chorus from Handel’s “Messiah.” It was a “Random Act of Culture,” funded by the Knight Foundation as a campaign to bring “classical artists out of the performance halls, into the streets – and our everyday lives.” The only reason we know about it—and have “seen” it—is because it was posted on YouTube. And in the weeks since it has gone, as they say, viral. Three years ago, I wrote in a more academic venue about the experience of Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular as an experience of cultural “transgression.” It seems that a similar…

The first Bach at the Sem concert of the season will take place this Sunday, October 10, at 3:00 p.m. in the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus on the Concordia Seminary campus

I drive passed it every morning and evening to and from work. First Presbyterian Church in University City currently displays a massive sculpture of ladders in its front lawn at Delmar Blvd and Midland Blvd. Assembled by sculptor Charlie Brouwer , they’re calling it Transcend2010 . I finally got a chance to walk through it this past weekend.

A little over a year ago, I wrote here about the premiere of the short film “Ragman.” Now, with over 25 international film festivals on its cart, two awards and a finalist for a third, “Ragman” is finally available on DVD . The film, directed by local artist Dale Ward (I was the production designer), is a direct adaptation of the well-known parable by renowned writer Walter Wangerin . Simply, it is a subtle story of grace and transformation

The “Chandos portrait” of Shakespeare Last night I taught our first class in a course entitled “The Bible as Literature” in Wash U’s University College . So don’t be surprised if there’s a few posts here over the next weeks with that title before the colon. One of my basic theses for the course is that perhaps the most foundational event in the history of English-speaking literature was the translation of the Bible into the Authorized Version, otherwise known as the “King James.” Shakespeare is a very close second. To illustrate my point, we played a famous little game with the King James version of Psalm 46

"The Risen Lord" by He Qi When the artist He Qi visited the Concordia Seminary campus recently, he told the following story about the artwork above, “The Risen Lord.” A church in China commissioned the work from He Qi for their sanctuary without any strings attached.

Awhile back, I wrote here about the Chinese artist He Qi . Near the end I mentioned that “there’s a chance we may be bringing his work to campus for an exhibition in the fall.” Several commented that they hoped it would come to pass.

The American Kantorei, under the direction of Robert Bergt Recent events notwithstanding, the arts?ج�?in particular, classical music?ج�?will continue to be alive and well on the Concordia Seminary campus.