Do Strunk and White’s guidelines still apply, a half-century on? Mostly yes, but not entirely. Dorothy Parker’s opinion of the book stands, however: “If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they’re happy.”
Tag: 04.16.09
At Funerals, The Chairman Elbows Hymns Aside
“Abide With Me, Amazing Grace and Jerusalem have been eclipsed by the strains of Frank Sinatra, Celine Dion and Robbie Williams, according to the latest figures. A survey of 30,000 funerals conducted last year found that hymns were the most popular requests at only 35 per cent of services, down from 41 per cent in 2005. Contemporary songs accounted for 58 per cent of requests, up from 55 per cent, with classical pieces making up the remaining seven per cent (from 4 per cent).”
Seven Philadelphia Groups Split $1 Million In Pew Grants
“At a time when the flow of outside funding seems to be slowing relentlessly, the Pew Heritage Philadelphia Program has awarded a little more than $1 million to seven area cultural organizations. The grants, ranging from about $56,000 to $200,000, will be used to implement capital projects, explore new interpretive programs, install innovative technology and extend the reach of cultural groups into new and surrounding communities.”
McAnuff: Stratford Will ‘End The Season In The Black’
“Des McAnuff is confident the Stratford Shakespeare Festival will finish this season in the black, even though slow ticket sales have forced the company to put 30 performances on hold. … [T]he festival’s artistic director insists the season will fare well financially. ‘Our projections are that we’re going to end the season in the black. … I’m not being a Pollyanna. We’re putting strong work on the stage,’ McAnuff said.”
Movie Audiences Text Together, And Watch The Ticker
“Normally, rampant texting in a movie theater is grounds for ejection. But in St. Charles, it’s encouraged. During a screening of ‘Zoolander,’ audience members could heckle the movie via text, then watch as their comments appeared onscreen with the film.” It’s called MuVChat, and its inventor describes it as “a mash-up of ‘Mystery Science Theater 3000’ and Twitter.”
Beleaguered North Shore Music Theatre Hatches A Plan
“North Shore Music Theatre, trying desperately to survive, announced a new plan yesterday to dramatically cut costs so it can launch a season this summer. But the nonprofit Beverly theater said it must still raise $2 million by July in order to put on six musicals and its holiday production of ‘A Christmas Carol.'” New England’s largest nonprofit theatre is hoping co-productions will be the key to its survival.
For 2010’s Young Concert Artists, Less Cash, No Gala
“One highlight of the worthy Young Concert Artists series is its annual Irene Diamond gala concert,” but the organization “will not present the concert next year, because of budget woes and thinning donations. … ‘We’re cutting everything we can do without ruining everything,’ Susan Wadsworth, who founded the Young Concert Artists in 1961, said.” The group will also “lower cash prizes for audition winners to $2,000 from $5,000.”
YouTube’s Carnegie Hall Fantasy Collides With Reality
“[W]hat everyone was really hoping for was a wonderful musical experience to complete the fairy-tale idea that strangers at all levels of ability, from professionals to music students to hobbyists, could come together and join in top-flight musicmaking. Unfortunately, as Wednesday’s concert demonstrated, that’s the stuff of video, not reality. Music, it turns out, isn’t a language universal enough that people can converse in it easily right off the bat.”
Live At Carnegie, YouTube Symphony Acquits Itself Well
“So, after all the buzz about the YouTube Symphony Orchestra altering the audition process forever, after months of interactive computer chat about the world’s first collaborative online orchestra, after 96 winning players were selected from among the more than 3,000 musicians who submitted audition videos and were brought to New York for a group summit and Carnegie Hall concert, how did the YouTube Symphony Orchestra finally play? Quite well, actually….”
IMG Artists Chairman Guilty Of Securities Fraud
In his capacity as a hedge fund manager, Barrett Wissman has pled guilty to fraud in connection with the kickback scandal at a New York State pension fund; he will pay a $12 million fine and will receive a prison sentence at a later date. In 2003 Wissman, a former pianist, purchased IMG Artists, which manages a powerhouse roster ranging from Joshua Bell and Renée Fleming to Bill T. Jones and Pilobolus.