Upcoming Shows

10/4 - Sean Reefer and the Resin Valley Boys at Blanco's
10/6 - Slaid Cleaves at McGonigel's Mucky Duck
10/6 - The Octanes at the Continental Club
10/7 - James Hand at the Mucky Duck
10/12 - porterdavis at the Corner Pub (Conroe)
10/12 - Charlie Robison at the Firehouse Saloon
10/13 - Sideshow Tramps at the Corner Pub
10/13 - Alejandro Escovedo at the Mucky Duck
10/14 - John Evans Band at the Corner Pub
10/17 - Gurf Morlix at Puffabelly's (Old Town Spring)
10/18 - Ryan Adams at Verizon Theater
10/19 - The Gougers at the Mucky Duck
10/19 - Gary P. Nunn at Blanco's
10/20 - Hayes Carll at the Mucky Duck
10/23 - Rachel Loy, Brian Keane & Steve Wedemeyer at the Mucky Duck
10/24 - Michael Hearne at Puffabelly's
10/26 - Jimmy Lafave at the Mucky Duck
10/26 - The Hudsons with Idgy Vaughn at Anderson Fair
10/27 - Guy Forsyth at the Mucky Duck
10/30 - Bukka Allen at the Mucky Duck
10/31 - Larry Hooper at Armadillo Palace
10/31 - Red Elvises at the Mucky Duck (already have tickets...can't wait!)

Services at San Francisco Cathedral

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Here is a link to some audio and video files from the services celebrating the unification of the Russian Orthodox Church recently held at the ROCOR cathedral in San Francisco.

A report on the services can be found here.

The recordings highlight the choirs of the cathedral as well as the Sretensky Choir.

The video clips take a long time to load but are worth the wait.

Byzantine Chant

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I've recently begun studying Byzantine Chant in the traditional neumatic notation.

I am constantly amazed at the vastness and richness of this musical tradition of the Church.

Here are some links to websites that I have found to be helpful in my studies:

PsalticNotes (compiled by Father Constantine Terss)

The Divine Liturgies Music Project of Saint Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery in Arizona

Analogion

Former Asbestos Attorney Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charges

This article from the Houston Chronicle has the details.

Earlier coverage can be found here.

Russian Orthodox Church quadrupled her parishes during two decades

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From Interfax:

Russian Orthodox Church quadrupled her parishes during two decades

Moscow, September 14, Interfax - Today there are four times as many parishes and almost four times as many monasteries as it was twenty years ago in the Russian Orthodox Church.

According to the figures, announced by Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia during his meeting with members of Valday Discussion Club held in Moscow on Thursday, in 1987 the Russian Orthodox Church had 6800 parishes, 19 monasteries, and three theological colleges, while by January 1, 2007 the church had 27300 parishes, 716 monastic houses, and 70 theological colleges and universities.

Many parishes on the Moscow Patriarchate have been established abroad, the primate said, yet ‘it should not scare or surprise anybody.’

The recent two decades made Russia experience fundamental changes in all spheres including spirituality, he noted.

‘Those who were in the Soviet Union twenty years ago and come here again can hardly recognize the country. There are a new country and new possibilities, the people have new rights and new freedoms,’ the patriarch said.

Spiritual life ‘miraculously’ revives in Russia, he said, and this proves that ‘the faith survived in people’s hearts and passed on from generation to generation even under the godless regime.’

The patriarch called the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, where he met the club’s members, a symbol not only of religious revival ‘but also of a new Russia.’ The number of younger people coming to church today has also substantially raised, Alexy II noted.

‘When we traveled abroad in 1960s or 1970s we could often hear, ‘Who comes to your churches but old ladies?’ Now everything has changed. We have many children, youth, and middle-aged people,’ the primate said.

‘Yet we gratefully remember those old ladies who bought up their grandchildren as believers in Christ. It is due to them that the faith survived in our people,’ he noted.

Terry Allen

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Last weekend I was able to hear Terry Allen in concert over at the Mucky Duck.

This article from the Houston Chronicle details Terry's recent projects.

Terry played two shows and was joined on stage by his son Bukka Allen and Richard Bowden.

I was only able to make the late show (and had to leave early) but it was still a pleasure to see one of Texas' legendary songwriters.

Terry played some "new" songs as well as a number of his most popular songs.

Some of the highlights included: "Amarillo Highway", "The Wolfman of Del Rio", "The Beautiful Waitress", "New Delhi Freight Train", "Buck Naked" (Terry explained that David Byrne wrote this song for a friend's funeral), "What of Alicia", "Peggy Legg", "Ourland", "Pedal Steal", "Yo Ho Ho", "Big Ol White Boys" and "I Love Germany".

Prempro Trial Begins in Nevada

The latest Prempro trial has begun in Nevada.

The trial involves three plaintiffs who allege that the drug caused them to develop breast cancer.

This article from the Reno Gazette-Journal offers an overview of the case.

Here is another article on some of the testimony in the trial.

The plaintiff's trial statement as well as Wyeth's trial statement can be viewed here.

Reviews of Sretensky Choir's Performance in NYC

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The Moscow Sretensky Choir recently performed a concert in Avery Fisher Hall in New York City.

The choir is touring the United States for the first time as part of the celebrations of the restoration of unity in the Russian Orthodox Church.

Here is a review of the concert at Avery Fisher Hall from the New York Times as well as another review from the New York Sun.

UPDATE - Here is another review from the Wall Street Journal as well as an article on the choir from the Guardian.

Breaking News: Mississippi Attorney Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison

Mississippi attorney Paul Minor has been sentenced to 11 years in prison and fined $2.75 million.

One of his co-defendants, former Judge John Whitfield, was sentenced to 9 years and two months in prison. The other co-defendant, former Judge Wes Teel, was sentenced to 5 years and 10 months in prison.

This article has the details.

The men were all convicted on charges of bribery and racketeering.

More information on the history of this case can be found in this post from the Overlawyered blog.

Celebrations of 1600th Anniversary of the Repose of St. John Chrysostom

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This year marks the 1600th anniversary of the repose of St. John Chrysostom.

Two important events have been scheduled as part of the observances of this anniversary.

On September 14-16 a special conference will be held at St. John Chrysostomos Greek Orthodox Monastery in Wisconsin.

This conference will feature noted speakers including: Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos (Greece), Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol (Cyprus), Metropolitan Athanasios (Serbian Orthodox Church) and Fr. George Metallinos (Dean of the School of Theology, University of Athens) among others.

Relics of St. John Chrysostom will also be brought to the Monastery for veneration by the faithful.

On September 28-30 another important symposium will be held in St. Louis, Missouri under the auspices of St. John Chrysostom Russian Orthodox Church of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

This symposium will also feature noted speakers including: Fr. John Behr (Professor of Patristics and Dean-Elect of St. Vladimir's Seminary, Crestwood, NY), Fr. Valentin Asmus (Professor of Byzantine History at Moscow Theological Academy), Fr. George Larin (Holy Protection Church, Nyack, NY) and Dr. Matthew Steenberg (Head of Theology, Greyfriars, Oxford University) among others.

The St. John of San Francisco Men's Chorale will also perform during the symposium.

Hierarchical services will be a part of both events.

The life of St. John Chrysostom can be found here.

An Akathist to St. John can also be found here.