During the Christmas holidays, children from the village comes to sing South Tyrolean carols in exchange for sweet treats, a local tradition that’s sort of like a South Tyrolean Halloween.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Onscreen, contestants raced to solve word puzzles, spinning the wheel of fortune and following clues about Christmas carols.
Gustave Doré, the celebrated French illustrator, did elaborate engravings for the three canticles in the mid-19th century and devoted 99 out of 135 of them to Dante Alighieri’s darkest scenes.
Accompanied by ringing bells, ethereal music and chanting hymns, the priests gracefully moved their arms in unison, holding up various flaming brass lamps during the 45-minute serene and powerful ritual.
—
Norma Meyer,
Oc Register,
4 Feb. 2026
The old Latin Mass features readings and hymns in Latin with the priest facing the altar, his back to the faithful in the pews.
As iconic church songs that have crossed over into secular spirituals, they were written to be memorable and singable, crowd-tested for at least a couple of generations.
—
David W. Stowe,
The Conversation,
3 Feb. 2026
For their next concert, the VocalEssence choirs will recall the civil rights movement through anthems, spirituals and more.
While the weary court composer is buried in the bureaucracy of state music, teaching scores of pupils, serving on endless committees and composing anthems and choral pieces, Mozart is dashing off works of startling originality while acting like a complete goofball.
—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Longtime fans who adore her babymaker R&B anthems may be initially disappointed with the musical eclecticism.
Those ballads offer an avenue for getting in touch with grief that may prove for local audiences the most valuable element of experiencing this fine production.
—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
18 Feb. 2026
Recorded over a two-year period, Blue Mountain, Weir’s first solo album since 1978’s Heaven Help the Fool, was a beautifully ambient collection of modern-day ranch-hand ballads, and Weir soon launched an accompanying tour.
However, there are some quirky ditties that even multigenerational Southerners might not have ever heard, or that people commonly use in the wrong way.
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