Lord Byron, Religious Music Lyric Writer

Lord Byron is not thought of first (or second or third, for that matter) as a religious figure. However, Isaac Nathan, the first successful Jewish musician in England, persuaded Byron to collaborate with him on several songs. Perhaps the best loved composition is She Walks in Beauty, which shows a very different part of Byron's oeuvre from what most readers know best.

Blake's Enduring Influence

The mystic, artist, and poet William Blake has inspired two centuries of poets, counter culture types, and even musicians. One of my students, originally from England, sent me the url for this stirring performance of Jerusalem, a segment of the long poem Milton. The pathos and raw patriotism seem utterly consistent with Blake's work, whether we view him as a Romantic or a proto-Romantic.

How Old Are Games?

When my children think of games, they think of something electronic and interactive. For my generation, many games are board games, with fake money, letters, troops, etc.

What sorts of games did our earliest ancestors play? When did they begin to play games? According to Professor John Sharp, games are as old as art and culture.

Think about that statement for a minute. If it's true, then it means the people who produced the Venus of Willendorf and the Lascaux cave paintings probably entertained themselves by playing games. I wonder how stimulating these games really were, and I wonder even more what was at stake.