23 February 26

George Frideric Handel was born on 23 February 1685 (OS). You may also celebrate this event on 5 March (NS). My tie celebrates all kinds of instrumental music, especially hymns like "Amazing Grace" and "How Great Thou Art." But the style also fits nicely with Baroque themes from Handel's day.

11 August 24

Today at Richmond First United Methodist Church Beth is playing organ, and I am singing "Amazing Grace" for the offertory solo. My musical instruments tie shows the words "amazing grace"!

1 September 23

The wonderful music known as the Canon in D was composed by Johann Pachelbel, born on 1 September 1653. The link leads to an amazing performance based on the original instruments of three violins, cello, Baroque organ and theorbo. My tie features various stringed instruments, horns and keyboards!

8 September 22

Today's tie showing the words "amazing grace" was requested by my cousin-once-removed Patty Althoff Conte, to honor her grandmother and my aunt Grace (Benedict) York. Our "Amazing Grace" was born 109 years ago! She lived to be 105. My sister Gloria and I helped celebrate her 100th birthday in 2013. She truly was amazing: after Uncle Lauren (a longtime Methodist pastor) died, she lived independently for her last 31 years -- continuing to sing in the community chorus, volunteering all around her community, and thoroughly enjoying Internet communications.

24 July 22

 Today marks the birthday of John Newton (1725-1807, O.S.). He is most famous as the author of "Amazing Grace." Those words grace my tie that's full of keyboards, stringed instruments, horns, and butterflies!

25 July 21

 Today I'm recognizing yesterday's history as the birthday of John Newton (1725-1807), best known as the author of the text for "Amazing Grace." The story of his life was retold in the 2006 film Amazing Grace and in the same-named 2014 Broadway musical. My music-themed tie contains the title of the famous hymn, and we have a framed version of the shape-note edition on our great room wall.

16 September 20

Today my mother-in-law Wilma Wollenweber turns 91 years old! In her school years (a long time ago!) she played the French horn. She has loved music all her life, and in recent years she has learned to play many tunes on the mountain dulcimer. She asked me to wear this tie because it has so many great instruments.

17 February 20

I'm wearing a nice "musical instruments" tie, celebrating what I designated last year as "Lesser Known Musicians Day." Here are 45 musicians born on this day; how many of them do you recognize?

1444 Rudolf Agricola, [Roelof Huysman], Dutch humanist/organist
1653 Arcangelo Corelli, Italian violinist/composer (Concerto Grossi), born in Fusignano, Italy (d. 1713)
1667 Georg Bronner, German composer and organist, born in Hamburg (d. 1720) baptismal date
1675 Johann Melchior Conradi, composer
1696 Ernst Gottlieb Baron, composer, born in Breslau Silesia
1697 Louis-Maurice de La Pierre, composer
1747 Narciso Casanovas, composer
1754 Jan Jachym Kopriva, Czech composer and organist, born in Cítoliby, Czech Republic (d. 1792)
1796 Giovanni Pacini, composer
1816 Friedrich Wilhelm Markull, composer
1820 Henri Vieuxtemps, Verviers Belgium, composer/teacher (Brussels Cons)
1831 Francisco Salvador Daniel, composer
1850 Anton Urspruch, composer
1850 Ludwig Bonvin, composer
1858 Ernest Ford, English composer, born in Warminster, Wiltshire (d. 1919)
1862 Edward German (Jones), Whitchurch Shropshire, British composer
1882 Kurt Schindler, composer
1887 Leevi Antti Madetoja, composer
1906 Ramon Tapales, composer
1907 Alec Wilder, composer (1973 ASCAP award), born in Rochester, New York
1913 Oskar Danon, Yugoslav composer, born in Sarajevo (d. 2009)
1913 Rene Leibowitz, composer
1915 Homer Keller, American composer (d. 1996)
1920 Paul Fetler, American composer, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1925 Ron Goodwin, English composer and conductor (d. 2003)
1926 Friedrich Cerha, composer
1926 Lee Hoiby, composer (1957 Arts & Letters), born in Madison, Wisconsin
1930 Usko Merilainen, composer
1932 Buck Trent, Spartanburg SC, banjoist/singer (Hee Haw)
1933 Bobby Lewis, singer (Tossin' & Turnin'), born in Indianapolis, Indiana
1935 Johnny Bush, country singer
1939 John Leyton, British singer
1941 Gene Pitney, vocalist/songwriter (Town Without Pity), born in Hartford, Connecticut
1944 Karl Jenkins, Welsh composer
1948 José José, Mexican singer and actor
1957 Loreena McKennitt, Canadian musician
1966 Quorthon, Swedish musician (Bathory) (d. 2004)
1966 Michael Lepond, American musician
1967 Chanté Moore, American R&B singer, actress and author (Precious), born in San Francisco, California
1970 Tim Mahoney, American musician (311)
1971 Martyn Bennett, Canadian composer (d. 2005)
1972 Billie Joe Armstrong, singer/musician (Green Day), born in Oakland, California
1972 Taylor Hawkins, American musician (Foo Fighters)
1974 Kaoru, Japanese musician
1991 Ed Sheeran, English singer-songwriter (Shape of You, Thinking Out Loud), born in Halifax, England

24 July 18

This music-themed tie says "amazing grace" -- very suitable to honor the birthday of John Newton (1725-1807), writer of the lyrics for what is probably the best-loved hymn of all time.

8-9 February 18

Tomorrow (Friday) is my sister Gloria Rae (Kleppinger) Huizenga's birthday. She has accumulated over 60 years of musical excellence, primarily as a church organist and piano teacher. I was one of her very first piano pupils, when I was 5 years old! At her senior organ recital at Houghton College I was thrilled by her performances of Jehan Alain's "Litanies," a J. S. Bach toccata and fugue, and Sigfrid Karg-Elert's "Now Thank We All Our God." We live several states apart now but I still love my sister! We chose this tie for me to wear today because it features all kinds of music, but I am focusing most on the G-clefs for Gloria!

25 January 17

Happy 159th Anniversary to the "Wedding March"! Felix Mendelssohn composed his incidental music for Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in 1842. The most famous part is the Wedding March, for the magically-infused marriage of Duke Theseus of Athens and the Amazon queen, Hippolyta. Ever since Crown Royal Princess Victoria of Britain selected that music for her own wedding -- on this date in 1858 -- it has been a very popular wedding recessional. You can listen to it at this link.

24 March 16

295 years ago on this date -- Johann Sebastian Bach dedicated his six Brandenburg Concertos to his patron, Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt. My personal favorite is #3 and you can listen to it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLj_gMBqHX8.

13 April 15

HALLELUJAH! Today marks the 273rd anniversary of the premiere (in Dublin) of Handel's oratorio "Messiah." It is also the 7th anniversary of my own tie blog!

23 March 14

On March 23, 1743, George Frideric Handel conducted the premiere of "Messiah" in London. (It had debuted in Dublin in April 1742.) Hallelujah! and Amen!

24 July 13

Birthday of John Newton (1725-1807), author of "Amazing Grace." You can see those words on this tie, just below the large G-clef. Also born on this date was Adolphe Charles Adam (1803-1856), composer of "O Holy Night."

31 January 13

Today we're going to lunch with Faith Lang, still celebrating her birthday this week. This was her second choice for my tie on Tuesday, and I'm glad to wear it for her (a violinist) and for the birthdays of Phillip Glass (today, in 1937), Fritz Kreisler (this Saturday, in 1875), Jascha Heifetz (also this Saturday, in 1901) and Felix Mendelssohn (this Sunday, in 1809).

9 September 12

Today's tie was selected by my Aunt Grace York, to honor her NINETY-NINTH birthday yesterday. She lives in Connecticut. I hope we can get to see her soon!

24 July 12

John Newton (July 24, 1725 – December 21, 1807) is most famous as the author of "Amazing Grace." Those words appear on this tie celebrating sacred music. Also born today in 1803 was Adolphe Charles Adam, composer of "O Holy Night." Several Web pages report that this song is thought to have been the first music broadcast over radio (Dec. 24, 1906).

4 June 12

I am one month late celebrating the birthday of Bartolomeo Cristofori di Francesco, who is generally regarded as the inventor of the piano. He was born on May 4, 1655. (I looked up the wrong "fourth" while choosing my tie!) You can find out more history of Cristofori's instruments here.

13 April 11

HALLELUJAH! Three complete years of tie-blogging! This is also the 269th anniversary of the first performance of "Messiah" by G. F. Handel.