The appointment of Mark Carney as governor of the Bank of England made the front page, the business pages, the political pages and, so breathless was some of the commentary, perhaps the entertainment, gossip and sports pages, too. After all, he likes to get up early to go running. He is not your father’s central banker. Continue reading
Monthly Archives: November 2012
Coronation anthems and Christian culture
As the days grow colder and the nights longer, George Frideric Handel returns to the choir loft and the concert hall, to say nothing of the shopping mall. The naturalized British composer’s Messiah is sung by amateurs and professionals alike in these weeks. All of which is rather curious, for the celebrated “Hallelujah Chorus,” in salute of which both princes and peasants rise to their feet, is part of a vast biblical libretto — stretching from Isaiah to Revelation — and takes its place after the Ascension. So the chorus properly belongs more to Easter than Christmas, but Christmas is where it has stuck in our cultural imagination. Continue reading
Jacques Parizeau’s America
On this day, American Thanksgiving, Americans recall how the redskins and palefaces broke bread together on a Thursday, so as to better leave the remainder of the week for shopping. Continue reading
Viva the fight for Christian liberty!
Viva Cristo Rey! Long live Christ the King!
That was the defiant cry of the Cristeros, and the Feast of Christ the King is a fitting time to remember a dark period in history. Never heard of the Cristero rebellion? Most have not, including in Mexico. It is a story we should know. Continue reading
The Quiet Revolution’s corrupt children
So there are some limits. Gilles Vézina, a senior Montreal bureaucrat, testified this week that bribes and kickbacks were part of the “business model” of his city’s public works contracting. However, on Tuesday he told the Charbonneau commission that he turned down the offer of prostitutes. Hockey tickets, yes; hookers, no. There is apparently still honour among thieves. Continue reading