I just finished reading a most interesting book – Piano by James Barron. It describes the making of a Steinway Concert Grand Piano from start to finish in the Steinway factory in New York – also included is a bit of history of the Piano itself, and a history of the Steinway family business (a business built up by German émigrés to New York in the early 1800’s). I found it fascinating how this blend of craftsmanship, established company traditions, modern manufacturing techniques (or the lack thereof) and the forces of the modern marketplace interplay to produce what must be a magnificent musical instrument (I have never seen one up close).
Anyone who has a love of music and can appreciate fine craftsmanship will find it a great read.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Friday, August 25, 2006
The new LDS Temple
The Latter Day Saints folks (The Mormons) have just built a new temple here in Sacramento and before it is consecrated they have opened it up to the masses - to those non-believers and heathens, like me. So being curious about what Mormonism is all about, I went along for the tour.
The new structure is quite impressive from a distance - it sits on the top of a hill just outside Folsom with a gold statue on the top of its spire. However, up close and inside, I did not find it nearly so impressive (IMHO). The statue on top is apparently a representation of the Angel Moroni – the messenger that passed along the Book of Mormon, allegedly on gold plates, to James Smith the church's founder back in 1823.
I expected that the tours would be a low key affair with only a few people wanting to visit. I was totally unprepared for the crowds of people that I found there. There was a steady stream of cars going up the hill, overflow parking in an adjacent field, long lines to “check in” for the tour, and groups of 25 or so leaving every 4 or 5 minutes to go inside "the temple". I have no explanation for such a level of interest.
As you may now I am not a Christian, and I find the whole story of the LDS church very dubious, but each to his/her own and we certainly don’t need to go into that here. All the Mormons I have ever known have been fine people, but judging by the protesters and pamphleteers at the entrance to the temple, not everyone feels so friendly to the LDS church.
That aside, there were a few things that surprised me about the LDS Temple. First, I was expecting to see one large space for communal worship but the temple was divided into many small rooms for maybe 30 or so people at the most. So the temple is not a place for everyday worship, just a place for smaller ceremonies like weddings, christenings, etc. The main worship takes place elsewhere, but still in relatively small groups at an allotted time slot based on your area of residence.
The decor inside the temple was also a little strange - lots of sofas and upholstered chairs. The most sacred room of the temple, The Celestial Room, was just like a large living room – a huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling, 3 or 4 couches and some chairs – honestly, it would not have been out of place in Las Vegas. Needless to say, I couldn’t quite get the feeling of reverence or sanctity that the tour guides were saying they felt.
Of course the Mormons are very much into "The Family" and their belief that a wedding between two people is not for this lifetime, but for eternity - weddings in the church take place in a "Sealing Room" (again a type of small room in the temple).
I didn’t feel the welcoming hand being extended to us poor single folk. What is worse is that they believe you can be baptized as a surrogate for one of your antecedents, so say if I were to be a church member, I could be baptized for myself, and then I could be baptized for my father, my grandmother, etc and they could retroactively become church members and be spared eternal damnation or whatever (presumably that is why the Mormons are so big into keeping genealogical records). Unfortunately for me that means I am completely screwed; having no heirs, I will have no one to bring me into the fold and save me from my fate. Oh dear…
The new structure is quite impressive from a distance - it sits on the top of a hill just outside Folsom with a gold statue on the top of its spire. However, up close and inside, I did not find it nearly so impressive (IMHO). The statue on top is apparently a representation of the Angel Moroni – the messenger that passed along the Book of Mormon, allegedly on gold plates, to James Smith the church's founder back in 1823.
I expected that the tours would be a low key affair with only a few people wanting to visit. I was totally unprepared for the crowds of people that I found there. There was a steady stream of cars going up the hill, overflow parking in an adjacent field, long lines to “check in” for the tour, and groups of 25 or so leaving every 4 or 5 minutes to go inside "the temple". I have no explanation for such a level of interest.
As you may now I am not a Christian, and I find the whole story of the LDS church very dubious, but each to his/her own and we certainly don’t need to go into that here. All the Mormons I have ever known have been fine people, but judging by the protesters and pamphleteers at the entrance to the temple, not everyone feels so friendly to the LDS church.
That aside, there were a few things that surprised me about the LDS Temple. First, I was expecting to see one large space for communal worship but the temple was divided into many small rooms for maybe 30 or so people at the most. So the temple is not a place for everyday worship, just a place for smaller ceremonies like weddings, christenings, etc. The main worship takes place elsewhere, but still in relatively small groups at an allotted time slot based on your area of residence.
The decor inside the temple was also a little strange - lots of sofas and upholstered chairs. The most sacred room of the temple, The Celestial Room, was just like a large living room – a huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling, 3 or 4 couches and some chairs – honestly, it would not have been out of place in Las Vegas. Needless to say, I couldn’t quite get the feeling of reverence or sanctity that the tour guides were saying they felt.
Of course the Mormons are very much into "The Family" and their belief that a wedding between two people is not for this lifetime, but for eternity - weddings in the church take place in a "Sealing Room" (again a type of small room in the temple).
I didn’t feel the welcoming hand being extended to us poor single folk. What is worse is that they believe you can be baptized as a surrogate for one of your antecedents, so say if I were to be a church member, I could be baptized for myself, and then I could be baptized for my father, my grandmother, etc and they could retroactively become church members and be spared eternal damnation or whatever (presumably that is why the Mormons are so big into keeping genealogical records). Unfortunately for me that means I am completely screwed; having no heirs, I will have no one to bring me into the fold and save me from my fate. Oh dear…
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Private Willard's Grave
Just south of Sacramento is the little town of Franklin (I paid a visit there this weekend). It is a small town, real small, but it has at least one distinction; it is the last resting place of the penultimate surviving member of the Lewis and Clark expedition – one Private Alexander Hamilton Willard. Now perhaps that is not the greatest of distinctions, but understand that Franklyn is a very small place.
Apparently Private Willard was not the best of soldiers – during the early part of the expedition he was caught sleeping on guard duty one night. That offence was in those days an act punishable by death but, fortunately for the Private, he was spared death and given a hundred lashes instead. He made the entire journey to the west coast and back with Lewis and Clark and then, after the expedition, he married, fathered 12 children and, in his 75th year, joined a wagon train and went west again to California. He died in Franklyn at the ripe old age of 86. Quite a life I would imagine.
While the graveyard in Franklin has some quite impressive tombstones, Private Willard’s grave very modest indeed.
Apparently Private Willard was not the best of soldiers – during the early part of the expedition he was caught sleeping on guard duty one night. That offence was in those days an act punishable by death but, fortunately for the Private, he was spared death and given a hundred lashes instead. He made the entire journey to the west coast and back with Lewis and Clark and then, after the expedition, he married, fathered 12 children and, in his 75th year, joined a wagon train and went west again to California. He died in Franklyn at the ripe old age of 86. Quite a life I would imagine.
While the graveyard in Franklin has some quite impressive tombstones, Private Willard’s grave very modest indeed.
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