Attention, Irish Catholics

Celtic Cross at Clocmacnoise, Ireland. Photo by James Gaddis

Celtic Cross at Clocmacnoise, Ireland. Photo by James Gaddis

St. Peter’s Catholic Church on Capitol Hill is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day a few days early, on Saturday the 13th, with a special Mass and Irish music. The music is “St. Patrick’s Mass,” by Philip Green, at least part of it, and Four Hymns by Vaughan Williams, with guest soloist the acclaimed tenor John Aler. And by “acclaimed,” I mean, “He’s won four Grammys.” Aler is a friend of Music Director Kevin O’Brien, and both are Catholic University alumni.

This is the same choir I wrote about in December, which performed stunning selections of Handel’s Messiah on Dec. Additionally, I’m singing with them, in the mighty alto section. My contributions will be very minor, but it is a lot of fun. Kevin gets some really amazing sound out of a small group, and his high quality of musicianship attracts some very talented singers to this all-volunteer choir. We’re talking a high number of voice major students and semi-professionals.

The music begins at 4 p.m., followed by Mass at 4:30. After Mass, I am told there is quite a party in the Parish Hall, featuring “salmon, salad, soda bread and suds,” with performances by two Irish dance schools and a raffle. So, come take care of your Sunday obligation Saturday night, and hear some lovely music in the bargain.

Cemetery tours, part 2

Arlington National Cemetery, JFK Gravesite

I like visiting cemeteries. They offer history lessons, mortuary monument fashion shows, and countless little poignant stories of long lives and short ones.

Arlington National Cemetery gets 4 million visitors a year. It is a huge place. Unlike the Congressional Cemetery in southeast D.C., it is a solemn place. It’s here where presidents lay a wreath [More…]

Gay marriage legal in the District

Woo hoo! Same-sex couples could apply for marriage licenses in the District of Columbia beginning yesterday, and about 100 of them did, according to the
DC Agenda. The first weddings should be March 9.
The Superior Courts of DC site has more information, including the revised a marriage license application form, a form to request a [More…]

Big D, little d

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing has no plans for big, expensive campaigns to try to get Detroiters to be counted in the 2010 Census, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday. The city can’t afford it, and Bing feels it’s time to face reality and scale back city services to match its smaller population. The city of [More…]

Marion Barry v. Kwame Kilpatrick

Former mayors Marion Barry, top, and Kwame Kilpatrick, are under investigation for corruption

On George Washington’s birthday, let us now discuss public servants who have failed the public trust. Former mayors Marion Barry and Kwame Kilpatrick were both in the news this week with new allegations of corruption. In Barry’s case, a special counsel report to the City Council concluded he had received a kickback from a contract [More…]

Washington, the man

The front porch at Mount Vernon

Even in 2010, George Washington is a looming presence in D.C. Perhaps it’s inevitable, as his presence and legacy surrounds us. Mount Vernon is just a short drive from here, and the Washington Monument towers over the District. When you visit the Capitol, it’s clear that the young republic struggled with the extent to which [More…]

Skimageddon

Saturday, the temperature hovered around 30 degrees. There was three feet of powder on the ground. It was the beginning of a three-day weekend. Perfect for skiing!
The Whitetail Ski Resort is just 90 minutes from D.C. and had received good reviews from colleagues. “In the history of Whitetail Resort, the skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing [More…]