A number of student organists in Victoria during the mid-1970s worked for local organ builder, Hugo Spilker. We loved playing the organ โ I speak here of large instruments placed in downtown churches, many comprising four manuals and a pedal division โ These were not small electronic substitutes which proliferate where I live today in... Continue Reading →
From This Day in Historyโs Post Gary Burghoff stood on the M*A*S*H (henceforth MAS*H) set in October 1979, holding a teddy bear that had become as famous as he was, and told the producers he was done. Not for more money. Not for better storylines. He was leaving because playing Radar O'Reillyโthe role that made... Continue Reading →
Pianist-composer Fazฤฑl Say premieres his 'Mother Earth' Piano Concerto with the Philharmonic Orchestra this weekend Days before itโs London premiere, Turkish pianist-composer Fazฤฑl Say talks about his powerful Piano Concerto 'Mother Earth' - a work inspired by the climate crisis and the urgent need to protect our planet. The work premieres Sunday 30 November with... Continue Reading →
Feel free to complete the phrase above with the response: โHere followeth the anthem.โ Since the Anglican Book of Common Prayer of 1549 the rubric welcomes and encourages musical creativity and ability in the public services of Morning and Evening Prayer. Visitors to Anglican cathedrals and larger parish churches throughout the Anglican Communion may find... Continue Reading →
Readers of this blog are well aware of my newfound interest in writing, not just non-fiction but most recently fictional short stories, a practice that may lead to longer forms in time. I am surprised how much fun I have in creating characters who participate in dramas f my own design based on memories of... Continue Reading →
More wisdom from Robert Reich on Substack Friends, Ten months of this shit. Enough to make one scream, run stark naked in the streets, mount a revolution. But we have to play the long game. In that long game, America learns from this catastrophe โ and turns those lessons into laws, rules, and norms that... Continue Reading →
Both COP30 and the Tapiri closing service described below are now history. There are however excellent suggestions named below for action following COP, suitable for all regions as the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Decade of Climate Justice Action (2025-2034) continues. Six days of intensive dialogue among faith communities concluded on 16 November with... Continue Reading →
UPDATE - At the time of publication talks still continue, now in overtime. See how this particular World Series ends. Letter from COP30 in Belรฉm, Brazil - University of British Columbia sociologist, David Tindall reports from COP30 โ Published in The Tyee, Friday, November 21, 2025 David Tindall, a sociology professor at UBC, is chair... Continue Reading →
Reposted from Sylvia Olsenโs blog here Dr. Sylvia Olsen is an author, story-teller, knitting designer, housing specialist and teacher, Sylvia Olsen is an eclectic mix of her creative and academic pursuits. Her books have received numerous awards and nominations and many are Canadian best sellers. Her knitting designs have received attention across Canada and the... Continue Reading →
It has been some time since we last heard from popular dog-blogger Juno, a six year old Labradoodle living in Summerland in the interior of British Columbia with his humans, Ken and Kathie. Still recovering from the Toronto Blue Jays amazing run to the 2025 World Series, Juno still has her eye on (base)ball. Tis... Continue Reading →
Take Note - Reflections on life, music, politics, retirement and more by Ken Gray 