The Soul of Roger Scruton
I consider it one of the great blessings of my life to have studied with Sir Roger Scruton just prior to his death. After graduating from Yale,…
Roger and Me
Walking into the Reform Club in London’s ritzy Pall Mall, the aspirations of a 26-year-old American student had come true. Recently graduated from Yale but deciding against…
Sacred Truths in a Profane World
In America and across Europe, the business of government has been detached from religious faith. This detachment is made explicit in the First Amendment to the US Constitution,…
Tonality Now: Finding a Groove
The ear is a biological phenomenon; but the human ear is also a cultural product. It has a history, a perspective and an interest of its own.…
Michel Houellebecq and the Ruins of Modernity
Submission, by Michel Houellebecq, is a book whose layers of meaning a counterpoint to so much of the shallowness of our culture. The fact that this contemporary…
“The Ring of the Nibelung”: Romantic Nonsense?
The Ring of the Nibelung, Wagner’s great cycle of operas exploring the origin of consciousness and the birth of the human world begins in the depths of the river…
The Assault on Opera
The disappearance of the bourgeoisie has led to a crisis in the arts. How can we track down the defeated remnants of the philistine class, in order to…
How Bad Philosophy Destroyed Good Music
In the past, our musical culture had secure foundations in the church, in the concert hall, and in the home. The common practice of tonal harmony united…
A Short Introduction to Roger Scruton: Roger Scruton’s “Confessions of a Heretic”
Roger Scruton. Confessions of a Heretic. Kendal, UK: Notting Hill, 2021. “Heretic might seem like a strong word to describe Roger Scruton,” writes Douglas Murray in…
T.S. Eliot as Conservative Mentor
*Note from Editor: Sir Roger Scruton died on January 12, 2020. I had the privilege of studying with him just prior to his death. January also marks…
Reflections on “The Ring of the Nibelung”
The Ring of the Nibelung, Wagner’s great cycle of operas exploring the origin of consciousness and the birth of the human world begins in the depths of…
Music and the Transcendental
I am greatly encouraged by this initiative of actually bringing into public awareness just what matters about the symphony and what its place in modern cities should be,…
The Heart of Music
I grew up in post-war Britain, at a time when people were beginning to treat the radio as a daily companion, when long-playing records were edging their…
Redeeming Film Music From the Avant-Garde
There is a kind of listener who first becomes acquainted with the symphony orchestra through film music. And many such listeners want to hear the music again—willingly…
The Problem With Architectural “Genius”
For the truly great projects, architects are necessary, and can take credit for magnificent structures like London’s St Paul’s Cathedral and Istanbul’s Suleymanyie Mosque. Nevertheless, most architects…