Summer reading for husband George Matthew and myself has always been scholarly… Middlebury College Davis Library and inter-library loan provides the majority of our research texts, in addition to those books we already own. While George continues to research his ethnomusicological interests in the traditional music and instruments of ancient India and in Jewish sacred music (he was a synagogue organist for many years in CT and NY), I continue my studies of the Church Fathers, early Gregorian chant illuminated music manuscripts, European Medieval history and Middle English (Chaucer in the original ME being a long-time favorite of mine).

Much of what we read is a continuation of earlier studies over the years; more focused and  applied in various ways to our respective arts: George as Middlebury College Carillonneur and myself as liturgical harpist at St. Thomas & Grace. We each find that there are various areas that we could know more about or that we could apply traditional and ancient music in innovative ways on our instruments: 48 bell carillon, pipe organ, wire-strung Irish harp. And quite often, we both find that we seem to be alone together in the development of our respective styles over the years (which is not an uncommon thing, as knowledge and skills become ever more focused over time).

As I play what are essentially Medieval harps in church each Sunday (only with modern features like steel strings, machined steel tuning pegs, and book-matched wood) and play in the ecclesiastical modes of over 1,000 years ago instead of our major/minor scale system for the Communion, and lastly play counterpoint on Gregorian chants for the prelude with George accompanying on the pipe organ, I feel a need to understand the history and context of the era in which this church music and my harps originate from.

Earlier this year I was also licensed as a lay Episcopal preacher, in addition to Morning Prayer leader (two years ago) and am continuing my studies, starting with St. Augustine’s works in translation (although I can read some Latin).

I’m listing the books I’m reading in the side bar, in case anyone is interested and wants to check them out further. Clicking on the cover images will take you to a Google Books page with more detailed info about them and availability.

They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.   Psalm 1:3