Witness: Five Plays from the Gospel of Luke

I note the current re-run of a series of plays by Nick Warburton on the life of Christ as given in Luke's gospel: see the Radio 4 site. I believe there are three left, with one available on the iPlayer service.

Youth Culture in Modern Britain

I note Ian's new review of David Fowler's new study, published today in Reviews in History. Issues relating to the relationships between generations and the growing cultural prominence of youth are never far away when considering 'pop' church music, and this study provides valuable background.

See also another review, in the Times Higher. Fowler himself appeared on Radio 4's Thinking Allowed programme in February.

St Peter's College, Cardross

A fascinating piece on 'the spaceship', the remarkable seminary, designed after Le Corbusier in the 1960s by architects Isi Metzstein and Andrew MacMillan. Brian Dillon visits the now derelict structure for the Guardian, 14th February. See also an older article from Jonathan Glancey in the Guardian, which discusses in passing the building's sudden obsolescence in post-Council Catholic Scotland.

The film director Murray Grigor filmed the interior in 1972 and has revisited it to remake his original film; it is to be screened later this year.

More on the credit crunch

By way of a footnote to an earlier post, Robert McCrum on the possible effects on publishing and writing, and David Smith on Waiting for Godot as a play de nos jours, both in the Observer.

Spender's Jewish roots

I note an interesting recent piece in the TLS (25th February) on the Jewish background to the work of Stephen Spender.

The Triumph of Music

Tim Blanning's new book has attracted a good deal of review attention. Amongst the most interesting:
(i) a joint interview with Blanning and Ian Bostridge in Standpoint
(ii) Simon Heffer in the Telegraph - very critical of the book, particularly its apparent neglect of 20th century English music, and its 'navel-gazing expatiations' on John Coltrane or Eric Clapton.
(iii) James Penrose in The New Criterion
(iv) further reviews in the Guardian and Independent

G. K. Chesterton

I note a review by A. N. Wilson of a new study of Chesterton by William Oddie, in the TLS, 28th Jan. It is also reviewed by Christopher Howse in the Tablet.

A scary crucifix

The Church Times reports a West Sussex church removing a crucifix figure from above the church door, partly because the figure has been scaring children, and partly because of a perceived inappropriateness of a crucifix as opposed to an empty cross. I feel sure that there is more to the issue than this, not least questions of style; the figure is by Edward Bainbridge Copnall, and dates from 1963.

Pinter in Poets' Corner ?

I note a recent exchange, related to the suggestion (impossible by custom, as it turns out) that Harold Pinter be commemorated in Poet's Corner. The suggestion is made by the Conservative MP Ed Vaizey on his blog, and subsequently objected to, by at least one newspaper letter-writer, on grounds of Pinter's expressed views on Christianity. (Times 8/1/09)

Art, culture and the credit crunch

I note a recent spate of articles dwelling on what effects the credit crunch might have on the arts, particularly in connection with the recent BBC adaptation of Little Dorrit. They are all interesting in their various ways for the views they take of the relation between art/culture and the economic 'base', as it were, as well as for their various takes on the virtuousness of thrift more generally. See:
(i) a Guardian review article by Colin Burrow, on the idea of indebtedness in literature from Milton to Martin Amis
(ii) George Walden in the TLS - After the credit crunch - the arts crunch ?.
(iii) A.S. Byatt on Little Dorrit, also in the Guardian.