Sunday Drive: The Lord's My Shepherd

A metrical psalm from the Scottish Psalter, 1650.  It was a favorite of the late Queen, who was raised by a Scottish nanny, and was played at the Queen's wedding and at her funeral. I like it too.

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Waitin' for the Weekend

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The Coronation in Focus: The Imperial State Crown

English historian Dr. Allan Barton explains the history and design of the Imperial State Crown:

Your Head Trucker was fortunate enough to see this magnificent crown close up in the Tower of London on my one trip to Britain in the 1970s.  No photograph conveys the impression it makes, being completely encrusted with diamonds - a breathtaking sight.

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The Coronation in Focus: St. Edward's Crown

Two very informative videos by English historian Dr. Allan Barton:

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Sunday Drive: Handel, Water Music, Hornpipe

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Waitin' for the Weekend

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A Guide to the Coronation

English historian Dr. Allan Barton has a video channel on YouTube,  entitled The Antiquary.  He has created some excellent videos explaining various aspects of the coronation ceremony, past and present, and I'll be posting more of those in the coming days.

But my fellow Americans, let us understand one thing from the outset:  there is no such word as coronated.  

However, the King will be crowned at his coronation on May 6th.  You got that?

It should also be understood that the coronation is a deeply serious and solemn religious service:  the monarch is anointed and consecrated, and in turn dedicates his life to the service of his people.  It bears no resemblance to the hoopla attendant on, say, crowning a Miss America or other temporary celebrity. 

King Charles will be the 40th monarch since William the Conqueror to be crowned in Westminster Abbey - a line of continuity reaching back a thousand years.  There is nothing wrong with that; we could use a little more continuity and dignity over here, in my view.

Here is a snippet from a recent BBC documentary with some scenes of the late beloved Queen's coronation in 1953, and her thoughts on what it meant.

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Coronation Invitation

 The invitations for the Coronation are splendid:

Click to enlarge.

According to Buckingham Palace:

The invitation for the Coronation has been designed by Andrew Jamieson, a heraldic artist and manuscript illuminator whose work is inspired by the chivalric themes of Arthurian legend. Mr Jamieson is a Brother of the Art Workers’ Guild, of which The King is an Honorary Member.

The original artwork for the invitation was hand-painted in watercolour and gouache, and the design will be reproduced and printed on recycled card, with gold foil detailing. Central to the design is the motif of the Green Man, an ancient figure from British folklore, symbolic of spring and rebirth, to celebrate the new reign. The shape of the Green Man, crowned in natural foliage, is formed of leaves of oak, ivy and hawthorn, and the emblematic flowers of the United Kingdom. 

As a help to my fellow Americans, those emblematic flowers are the Tudor rose for England, the thistle for Scotland, the shamrock for (Northern) Ireland, and the daffodil for Wales - though for some strange reason, the Welsh much prefer the humble, inartistic leek.  Go figure.

More than 2,000 invited guests will attend the Coronation service on May 6 in Westminster Abbey.

Bonus:  Your Head Trucker's spies - who are everywhere - have found evidence that the King himself as a wee lad of 4-and-a-half received an invitation to his royal mama's Coronation in 1953 - and isn't it marvelous:

Click to enlarge.

Prince Charles at the 1953 Coronation, seated between his grandmama
and Aunt Margaret.

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Sunday Drive: These Foolish Things

What better way to spend a lovely Sunday afternoon than with the perfection of Ella's singing?

 

By the way - would you believe this old standard was not written by an American? It's true.

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Waitin' for the Weekend

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The Pork Boys Do Easter, 2023

Actually, these are scenes of both our Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday dinners.  I'll post captions soon, but I think most pics are self-explanatory.

Palm Sunday table setting.

Homemade split pea soup.

From 12 o'clock:  glazed carrots, parsleyed potatoes, baked fish with mayo &
egg white topping, crescent roll

Melting Moments cookies, the original recipe from the Argo cornstarch box.

Marinated lamb shanks ready to go into the oven. 
Two shanks make two meals for us.

Homemade bread - M.P. plaited four strands of dough into this pretty pattern.

Hors d'oeuvres.  From 12 o'clock, tomato and avocado slices on toast points, homemade Indian "egg cheese," cucumber sandwiches, crackers, tuna salad dip.

Easter table setting.

Left to right:  roast lamb with carrots, potato salad with radish roses,
and deviled eggs.

Asparagus and Hollandaise sauce, soon to be deliciously combined.

From 12 o'clock:  asparagus, lamb & carrots, mint jelly, potato salad,
bread & butter.

A parfait glass of lemon mousse, topped with whipped cream and a small slice of lemon.  This has become our customary Easter dessert, so sweet, fresh, and festive.

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The Right to Love: An American Family

This video was produced in 2012, but somehow I totally missed it back then, and just happened to come across it last week.  Be sure to watch the 2022 update as well. 

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Easter Sunday, 2023

Easter Sunday

Alleluia!  Christ is risen.

The Lord is risen indeed.  Alleluia!

Peace, joy, and Easter blessings to all my truckbuddies.

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The Crucifixion by Velazquez

Good Friday

He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.

Cristo crucificado, Digeo Velazquez, 1632.

Polish countertenor Jakub Josef Orlinski performs the poignant 23rd movement from Handel's Messiah:

Fr. Christopher Whitehead offers a brilliant meditation upon this painting in the second part of the video below:

Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us

for yourself, and, when we had fallen into sin and become

subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent Jesus

Christ, your only and eternal Son, to share our human

nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the

God and Father of all.

He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself,

in obedience to your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole

world.

-- The Book of Common Prayer

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Da Vinci's Last Supper

Maundy Thursday

A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another.

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The Audacity of Christian Art

A playlist from the National Gallery of Art, London, with a trailer and 8 short episodes discussing styles and techniques of various Renaissance painters.

 

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Sunday Drive: Ride On, Ride On in Majesty

Palm Sunday 2023

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

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