"The painted angels ... once were among the defining features of Old North Church when they were painted around 1730. But officials at the church … painted over the angels in 1912 with thick coats of white paint, part of an austere renovation that restorationists are trying to reverse." - AP
Women led the way in recorded music this year, according to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), topping the singles chart for 34 out of the 52 weeks and accounting for half of the top 20 albums for the first time. - The Guardian
If we think of plots in the mathematicians’ terms, as data sets whose patterns can be objectively mapped and compared, then perhaps it makes sense that even as the number of books in the world has soared, the number of plots might not have followed suit. - The New York Times
No, the company wasn't started by the Pilgrims, even though it is near Plymouth. The Avedis Zildjian Co. was founded in Istanbul in 1623 to make cymbals for the Ottoman sultan's Janissary bands. The company was moved to the US in 1929 and is now the world's oldest musical instrument manufacturer. - WBUR (Boston)
The thieves used the basement of a condo building as their excavation site, tunneling 26 feet under the city to find thousands of ancient and medieval objects for the black market and even the remains of an 11th-century church. Here's how Italy's crackerjack art police caught the villains. - The Guardian
Just like Cleveland, Bradford (just west of Leeds in Yorkshire) has a mighty industrial past, a de-industrialized present, notoriously grey weather, and a very grim reputation. Also like Cleveland, Bradford has champions who insist it's underrated (especially for its South Asian community and food) and look forward to showing it off. - BBC
"Charme" is a popular dance style which developed in the 1980s as the Brazilian way to party to American soul and R&B. When COVID shuttered indoor clubs, this spot in a working-class Rio suburb became the happening place for charme, and a new generation has discovered it. - The New York Times
A three-judge panel of the Sixth Circuit Court Of Appeals in Cincinnati found that the Internet is an "information service" rather than a "telecommunications service," meaning that the Federal Communications Commission does not have the authority to impose regulations on it. - Axios
"She approved the last six state budgets, each of which included an increase for South Dakota Public Broadcasting. The organization’s annual state funding went up 27% during that period. … Now she’s proposed a 65% reduction, which will slash state funding to just under $2 million if legislators go along with the plan." - South Dakota Searchlight
"Whether or not you’re already familiar with these up-and-comers, our editors and contributors from across the dance world predict that we’ll be hearing a lot more from these artists on the verge of a breakout in 2025 and beyond." - Dance Magazine
O’Keeffe to Stieglitz: "Having told you so much of me — more than anyone else I know — could anything else follow but that I should want you?" Stieglitz to O'Keeffe: "You are so much to me that you must not come near me — Coming may bring you darkness instead of light." - Artnet
Despite these odds and obstacles, classical music — an art form best known for constantly dying and losing its grip on popular culture — has become part of the cultural fabric of TikTok, even as it’s shredded to bits. - Washington Post (MSN)
According to a 2022 study from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, people under 35 are actually more likely to listen to classical music than their parents. In early 2024, they reported interest in attending orchestral concerts peaked the previous year. They also found that orchestral music itself had a bigger increase in popularity than any other. - CBC
