Craven Cowardice?

Administrators at Henry "Scoop" Jackson High School outside Everett, WA asked the student woodwinds section to provide a list of selections they would play for graduation. One selection caught administrators' attention: "Ave Maria" by Biehl. The song was a standard of the singing group, the Chanticleers and had been covered by the woodwinds section in a recital the previous year.

Administrators waffled and asked the woodwinds to make an alternate selection. One of the alto saxophones sued claiming an infringement of her First Amendment rights. The administration smugly replied that they had an obligation not to foment a religion. "Get serious", responded the student. "This is the woodwinds. There will be no singing or religious fomenting". "Just hearing the music", said the administration, "will remind us all of the words." Oh, really? It is now unconstitutional to imagine the school fomenting a religion?

This is illiberal, impoverished, and thoughtless.

One wonders just what the administrators are afraid of. Right now I am imaging something myself, just hope it's constitutional.

This is the type of thing that gives conspiracy theorists ample fodder--the strange thing is, trying to protect someone's thoughts is surely something we should be afraid of the government doing.

Not only the schools but also the courts will for the foreseeable future be largely run by the insane. The best course of action I can see for catholics is to cherish the Ave Maria all the more at church. I remember (although I am not Roman Catholic) how much I used to enjoy hearing it at Holy Family Cathedral in Chicago's Bridgeport neighbrohood. Two of my friends (one Catholic, the other not, although she did meet the pope, as verified by a picture in the Tribune) and I would go to hear it at compline.

You assume that "Ave Maria" is Schubert's version. No. Biehl was commissioned to compose this version in 1964. You can see a vocal performance by the Baldwin-Wallace men's choir half way down the page here:

http://whostheboss.net/

The administration averred that just hearing the familiar strains of the music would remind the audience of the religious "Ave Maria" and somehow support instituting a state religion. I'm not a big supporter of the woodwinds but wouldn't mind hearing this. Of course I'm also not afraid of religious music either... Where should we draw the line? Is anything by Bach acceptable? Does this eliminate all of Schubert? Beethoven wrote "Ode to Joy". Should we discard his catalogue, too?

I like you and I'll let you finish. I just want to say that Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo3KEQrVm3s&feature=related

Timeless though Beyonce's version may be, I suspect this is the version to which you have reference:

http://www.youtube.com/user/sintoniasaintgermain

Even I think this is stupid.

Religious music and art is part of our history. It isn't as if any of our kids are going to be corrupted as none of them speak Latin anymore.

ohio county wrote:You assume that "Ave Maria" is Schubert's version. No. Biehl was commissioned to compose this version in 1964. You can see a vocal performance by the Baldwin-Wallace men's choir half way down the page here:

http://whostheboss.net/

The administration averred that just hearing the familiar strains of the music would remind the audience of the religious "Ave Maria" and somehow support instituting a state religion. I'm not a big supporter of the woodwinds but wouldn't mind hearing this. Of course I'm also not afraid of religious music either... Where should we draw the line? Is anything by Bach acceptable? Does this eliminate all of Schubert? Beethoven wrote "Ode to Joy". Should we discard his catalogue, too?

I did not know about the more recent composition. Although I try to avoid learnign new things, it happens far too frequently:)

nhjjy