Music
The world will be won by beauty
I am exactly like you. I love beauty.
Every human soul is instinctively attracted to beauty. This modern world needs more beauty. This blog likes to occasionally post a work of art that brightens your day through sheer beauty.
I heard the quote above on the radio once. I did a little digging and discovered it is a variation of Dostoevsky’s quote: “beauty will save the world.” The 19th century Russian philosopher, Vladimir Solovyov, had this to say about Dostoevsky’s words:
Read MoreAnnouncing the winning Wedding at Cana poster design
By Tom Quiner Thanks to everyone who voted on poster designs for my upcoming musical, “The Wedding at Cana.” The piece will be performed as dinner theater in Catholic Churches next year. Over one-thousand votes were tabulated in all. The design we selected finished in a dead heat with another design. Ultimately, this design generated…
Read MoreStill time to vote on your favorite poster design
By Tom Quiner Thanks to Quiner’s Diner readers who have taken the time to vote on your favorite poster design. We’ve had a number of designs prepared for my upcoming musical, “The Wedding at Cana.” The design on this page is in first place so far, but it is a tight race. A new design…
Read MoreQuiner’s Diner needs your opinion immediately
By Tom Quiner I have written a musical called “The Wedding at Cana,” based on the Gospel of John passage (John 2:1-11). It will be performed next year in a number of parishes in a dinner theater format as part of ‘the year of marriage and family,’ as proclaimed by our bishop. We have had…
Read MoreA little Tuesday morning reminiscing
By Tom Quiner [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YFT8MixHSE] I ran across a wonderful YouTube clip of the Tonight Show featuring its founder, Steve Allen. Steve Allen was a singular talent: actor, television personality, composer, writer, and comedian. He could do it all. Before there was Jimmy Fallon, Jay Leno, Johnny Carson, and Jack Paar, there was Steve Allen. In…
Read MoreRhapsody in Blue
To me, the three most important American musical figures of the 20th century were Gershwin, Bernstein, and Aaron Copland, since they created timeless music of substance that helped to define an entire century.
Read MoreElton John and the gay chic
“Any melodic songwriter owes a debt to Elton John, the supreme melodist. I don’t know sh*t about new bands, but anybody who plays the keyboard and likes melody must give a nod to Elton. Like Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, Carole King and the Beatles, he carries on the rich tradition of writing beautiful melodies.”
Read More"Hear, Smith of heavens"
What a beautiful way to exit this world.
A guy from Iceland named Kolbeinn Tumason wrote this beautiful hymn on his deathbed at the turn of the 12th century. Here is the English translation:
Remembering Roger Williams and the Younkers Building
I opened the piano lid and saw a name scrawled on the frame: Roger Williams.
Yesterday, I played piano at the 2nd Annual Catholic Men’s Conference which took place at St. Francis Assisi Catholic Church in West Des Moines.
As I set up for the Benediction at 8AM, I learned that the piano I’d be playing had been given to the church by the great pianist, Roger Williams. It was his practice piano, and he even autographed it …
"Make it so!"
It’s snowing in Des Moines today.
A friend sent me a link to this delightful video of Star Trek’s Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) speak-singing his way through the song, “Let it snow.”
For everyone in the world getting blasted by snow today, I think you’ll enjoy Star Trek’s take on a classic song.