I am continuing my series of exhortations on the book of Samuel today, and I want to consider the demise of Eli and his sons, and the rise of Samuel. First Samuel chapter two, verse 12: Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD. “Sons of Belial”–does that remind […]

There is a suite, by the composer Aaron Copland, called Appalachian Spring. It was written in the mid 20th Century, and first performed in 1945. It’s a particular favourite of mine at the moment. Appalachian Spring is one of those pieces that nobody has heard of, but everybody recognises. One of the themes is used […]