Music & the Spoken Word Library

Blest Pilgrims – November 18, 2007

In September 1620 a determined band of British citizens filed down worn stone stairs to board the Mayflower, moored in Plymouth harbor. The ship set...

Duty, Honor, Courtry – November 11, 2007

Inscribed on the coat of arms of the United States Military Academy at West Point is the motto “Duty, Honor, Country.” These three words burn...

The Elements of Happiness – November 04, 2007

A perennial question echoes down the centuries: Whence happiness? It doesn’t take long to realize what doesn’t make people happy—wealth, possessions, prestige, and intelligence. We...

Worth While – October 28, 2007

More than a hundred years ago, the popular American poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox published poetry filled with simple eloquence and uncommon wisdom. She was born...

Brahm’s German Requiem – October 21, 2007

Over 150 years ago, Johannes Brahms began work on his masterpiece, A German Requiem. It premiered in Bremen, Germany, in 1868, one month before Brahms’s...

The Lesson of the Roses – October 14, 2007

For years an attentive woman had tended her rose garden, carefully pruning and maintaining her plants exactly the way her family had done for generations....

Do Thou Likewise – October 07, 2007

Very often, the greatest truths are taught simply. Principles that have the power to resonate in our hearts for generations need no embellishment. And while...

The Power of Patience – September 30, 2007

In today’s high-speed society, the time-honored virtue of patience is in short supply. We expect patience in others—sometimes impatiently—but we often deny ourselves the serenity,...

Selflessness – September 23, 2007

Our greatest blessings and deepest joys always come from helping others, from opening our hearts to someone in need. Service is evidence of our love,...