IXON SERVED as president from 1969 to 1974. He frequently brought up a speech given in Paris by his predecessor (Teddy Roosevelt) called The Man in the Arena. Those of us who post articles and compositions on this blog are likewise “in the arena”—whether we like it or not. In other words, we come within the view of the public. As a result, some of us become the object of insults, slander, and malicious gossip. Over the years, I’ve sometimes1 provided examples; not to evoke pity or portray myself as some sort of a martyr. Rather, I shared this information to make it clear to my fellow church musicians that one must expect such treatment once you enter “the arena.”
Those Awesome People • Why is being in “the arena” totally worth it? Because one meets so many generous and wonderful Catholics. In the face of defamatory statements (especially by those whom we’ve gone out of our way to help) it’s crucial to focus on the awesome people—not the haters. One example of a terrific person I’ve become friends with is CORRINNE MAY, a ‘platinum’ singer-songwriter who’s doing truly magnificent work forming parish choirs in Singapore.
Her Request • Corrinne asked whether my arrangement of What Child Is This? in Latin could be placed into English instead. This afternoon, I was able to complete this task:
* PDF Download • WHAT CHILD IS THIS? (18-DEC-2024)
Here’s the original version, posted two years ago:
If you’re interested in a PDF score of the Latin version—or rehearsal videos—please click here.
1 Let me give just one example. A few years ago, I was attacked online by a certain priest who had misunderstood one of my articles. This priest serves as RECTOR (!) of a cathedral, believe it or not. One of the things he claimed online was that I don’t accept the validity of the Novus Ordo Missae. His claim is rather rich, because for twenty years I’ve personally created thousands of scores, rehearsal videos, and tutorials for the ORDINARY FORM—scores which have garnered millions of downloads all over the world. I watched on social media to see whether anyone would come my defense. I thought (perhaps) some of the people who use my Novus Ordo scores on a weekly basis might speak up on my behalf. But not a single person did so—and this is part of being “in the arena.”
