The Sacred Harp, the collection from which the traditional American practice of communal shape-note hymn-singing takes its name, was first published in 1844 and has been in continuous use ever since. The compendium is currently undergoing its first update in decades; publishers stress that it is a renewal, not just a reprint. - AP
John McWhorter: “Sitting through a three-or-more-hour performance in a language we don’t understand is a peculiar cultural phenomenon, ... and it’s a big part of what keeps opera from reaching more people. ... The composers of yore had their works translated ... because they wanted audiences to understand what they were hearing." - The New York Times
The art schools were easy to get into and their teachers were well regarded. The schools’ core view was that the postwar world would be creative, incorporating a number of disciplines. Their graduates would be in tune with culture. - The Wall Street Journal
“Musicians relate calling in sick, among other things, when van Zweden conducts their orchestra. Others turn to tranquilizers such as beta-blockers.” Six former orchestra managers said they knew informally of complaints about his behavior but that those concerns rarely reached top decision-makers. - Pointer (Netherlands)
Deborah Rutter: “I stand by my assertion that at the time of my departure, the Kennedy Center was fiscally sound. … This malicious attempt to distort the facts, which were consistently, transparently and readily available in professionally audited financial reports, recklessly disregards the truth.” - Deadline
“Richard Grenell, whom President Trump installed as the president of the Kennedy Center, claimed Monday night that the center’s deferred maintenance and its deficit — two things commonly found at nonprofit arts organizations — were ‘criminal.’ He said he would refer the matter to federal prosecutors.” - The New York Times
Trump adores her performance of “Memory” from 1982. She felt “a glimmer of hope that wouldn’t it be great if he could allow us, as theater artists, to share with him that which we know in storytelling to assist him to see things a bit differently.” - The New York Times
“Congress approved $65 million for these councils in the 2025 fiscal year, which means that DOGE or any other member of the executive branch spending that money on anything else is doing so under an illegal process called ‘impoundment.’” - Oregon ArtsWatch
“He said if ministers go ahead with plans to allow AI firms to use artists' content without paying, they would be ‘committing theft, thievery on a high scale.’” - BBC
"The evidence was on the wall: A vertigo-inducing photo from that climb hung in the gallery.” The gallery owner, other climber-photographers, and the rest of the crowd were left in shock by the arrest. - The New York Times
“Since he began his second presidential term in January, President Donald Trump has moved quickly to obliterate a relatively stable and successful system for funding the nonprofit arts, humanities and sciences.” - Washington Post (Yahoo)
“It’s taking on new forms, shedding old skin, and adapting to novel venues. It’s as alive and relevant as ever, still generating conversation and controversy. Instead of fizzling out, … it’s a buzzing genre that attracts readers of all ages, from septum-pierced college students to cigar-puffing art collectors.” - Hyperallergic
While viewers watch the introductory videos known as postcards, dozens of people swarm the stage. Thirty-five seconds to get one set of performers off and put the next ones in the right place, make sure everyone has the right microphones and earpieces and the props are in place and tightly secured. - BBC
The project — “Canal Café” by Diller Scofidio + Renfro — filters water from Venice’s notoriously polluted canals and lagoon through a series of filters that mimic the natural cleansing effect of a tidal wetland. Once the water is made drinkable, it’s used to make a classic shot of espresso. - Artnet
Ben Davis: “I think it’s important for NEA advocates to actually understand the spectrum of arguments ranged against them, and not rely on dated or off-target counter-arguments. So I thought I would put down, here, replies to each of Heritage’s “Ten Good Reasons to Eliminate Funding for the National Endowment for the Arts.” - Artnet
The German conductor, currently Generalmusikdirektor of the Theater Freiburg, succeeds Martyn Brabbins, who resigned in 2023 to protest ENO management’s proposed elimination of 19 orchestral positions. While he starts immediately as Music Director Designate, de Ridder fully assumes the job in September 2027. - Opera Now
“For over half a century, (he) stood as a towering figure in French cinema, a titan known for his commanding physical presence, instinct, sensitivity, and remarkable versatility. … His fall from grace was completed Tuesday when a Paris court found him guilty of sexually assaulting two women on a movie set in 2021.” - AP
“It’s a show where you’re always thinking about the other people onstage. … Everyone is both lead and chorus, and you really can’t have an ego because it requires five minds to work as one.” - The New York Times
“A brief statement from the show , which earned seven Tony nominations this month, said that it had decided not to perform at the library ‘upon learning of the termination of Dr. Carla Hayden.’” - The New York Times
