The Anthem Philatelist

David Lanz, The Christmas Album - It is little wonder that Lanz's two previous seasonal recording are among the top sellers in the Narada library. His live piano interpretation of familiar songs such as "Silent Night" and "What Child Is This?" as well as not-so-familiar instruments such as "Dreamer's Waltz" are more emotional than all the words used to describe them. Lush won't do it - brilliant would be better. Even Scrooge would have caved in to sentiment after hearing this. New Age - Although new age music in its acoustical incarnation, is sometimes derided as "jazz without benefit of improvisation," that jibe can work to the listener's advantage on Christmas albums. For example when David Lanz expands on seasonal favorites on his holiday best-of, The Christmas Album (Narada), his modestly virtuosic ornamentation reinforces rater than obscures the themes, making his renditions of "Silent Night" and "What Child Is...

I'm a big David Lanz fan, and have 29 of his 31 CD albums. The newest one, Liverpool: Re-imagining the Beatles is already finished and will be available early next year. This is highly anticipated album for me, cuz I'm also an avid Beatles CD collector (I was fortunate enough to have gotten  the complete Beatles collection). Liverpool ...the birthplace of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, and where we begin our musical journey. The sounds of the Mersey harbor can be heard as it introduces the first strains of the opening song. This title track was composed as a tribute, an emotional overture of sorts, imbued with subtle musical phrasing from The Fab Four . From here, we traverse through a decade of Lennon and McCartney songs, arranged and re-imagined through the lens of my own musical voice, which admittedly, has been joyfully shaped and informed by this great and enduring legacy of musical history…a time so explosive and fruitful we may never see anything like it again. I spen...

Everyone is cordially invited to view the group exhibit- Visual Fusion - by artists, Seb Chua , Fr. Jason Dy , Sio Montera, Celso Pepito, Lito Pepito, Ritchie Quijano and Jobril Villaver . The opening will be on December 5, at 6pm SM art Center , Cebu City. Exhibit runs until December 14, 2009. Seven artists with different modes of expressions pursuing art on different styles and understanding life in their field of experiences.   The opportunity to be united in one show is to create a sense of unity even in diverse mode of artistry. It also hopes to showcase the gradual transformation of Cebu's art from its conservative vein into understanding the need evolve, experiment and create a contemporary artistic revolution.    Above all it aims at giving the art loving public the chance to participate in molding a society with utmost artistic understanding. As the exhibiting artists are pursuing its own individual journey, the possibility of being together in Visual Fus...

Whatever by Josefina "Jo" Gaboya Magsaysay Reprinted with permission from Sunstar Cebu August 31, 2006 issue   He was playing Mozart on the piano, his fingers caressing the keys like a lover. Piano was his first love, his first teacher was Anita Cabahug Trasmonte who rapped his wrists and knuckles to keep them in line. Be a doctor, his father, Engr. Vic (Evangelista-Auza- Garcia ) Avanzado, ( Talibon , Bohol ) told him, don’t be a musician. And because he was a good son, he obeyed his father.   Now Vicente B. Avanzado Jr . is a full-fledged doctor of medicine, in fact a fellow and a diplomate in Gastroenterology . Goodlooking with a smiling personality and yes, he still plays the piano. Beautifully. Music "relaxes and inspires" him and he believes "music and medicine are alike, both need continuous study and both can heal."    To celebrate Ting’s successful entry into the rarefied medical clique of fellows (he completed his fellowship at U.E. Ramo...

“He finds gaps,” said Emanuel Steward after Manny Pacquiao stopped Miguel Cotto in the twelfth round. Those three words mirror the words of a far older, far more legendary war tactician: Sun Tzu. “Strike at their gaps,” The Art of War asserted two thousand years ago, “attack when they are lax, don’t let the enemy figure out how to prepare.” The second knockdown of Cotto illustrated this theory. Cotto, a conventional boxer-puncher, was hit in the fourth round by an uppercut from the left side that went inside and underneath his guard. Pacquiao found a gap, capitalized on the momentary carelessness of an onrushing opponent, and spent the rest of the fight exploding every potential solution Cotto thought he had. “When you are going to attack nearby make it look as if you are going to go a long way,” Sun Tzu said, “when you are going to attack far away, make it look as if you are going just a short distance.” Pacquiao seems to be moving out when he’s coming in and coming in when he’s movin...

These are the LV Beethoven stamps from Arabia numbering 58. I have all the stamps except Fujeira 1972 Michel block 132, Fujeira 1971 MK 681 -Planche and Ras Al Khaima 1971 Michel BF 114 . LVB stamps America

The oldest Beethoven stamp in my collection is a local stamp from Altona , Germany issued in 1889. Its initial value on issue was 20 pfennic (penny). Present value is around US$ 30. Altona is the westernmost urban borough of the German city state of Hamburg , on the right bank of the Elbe river . From 1640 to 1864 Altona was under the administration of the Danish monarchy. Altona was an independent city until 1937. In 2006 the population was 243,972. It was founded in 1535 as a village of fishermen. In 1664 it received city rights from Danish King Frederik III . Until 1864 Altona was one of the Danish monarchy's most important harbour towns. The railroad from Altona to Kiel, the Christian VIII Baltic Sea Rail Line, was opened in 1844. Because of the severe restrictions on the number of Jews allowed to live in Hamburg , a major Jewish community developed in Altona. Members did business both in Hamburg and in Altona itself. All that remains is the Jewish cemetery, but in the seven...

Taal Volcano is a complex volcano on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It is situated between the towns of Talisay and San Nicolas in Batangas. It consists of an island in Lake Taal, which is situated within a caldera formed by an earlier, very powerful eruption. It is located about 50 km (31 Miles) from the capital, Manila. It is one of the active volcanos in the Philippines, all part of the Pacific ring of fire.   To get to the Taal Volcano Lake, one has a 20 minute banca ride from Talisay, Batangas to the shores of Taal Volcano. One may the opt to walk or run the trail or ride a horse for around 20 minutes to reach the crater. The view around the crater is breath taking. The serenity is soul-quenching. Truly one of God's greatest creations! Eccentrically located near the middle of the lake, is a lonely islet, small enough to host 5-10 people. Whats exotic living organisms lurk in this terrain? This is truly a unique geographical wonder- an islet in a lake in a vol...

Bliss (BooNana) , 15" x 20", Pencil Sketch, 2009 Jose "Kimsoy" Yap Jr . was born on March 7, 1944 in Bindoy , Negros Oriental , Philippines. Graduated from the Cebu Institute of Technology with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Architecture , he then continued and studied painting at the National Academy of Design School of Fine Arts in New York. He also taught at the University of San Carlos and Cebu Academy of Arts.    His art journey started with hardships together with renowned sculptor, painter, novelist and architect Arsenio "Arsing" Abella . In 2017, both had a reunion exhibit, Art Biography at Manila Art Frames - the first gallery they exhibited in 1969. Later, with ease together with eminent Samboan artist  Benji Goyha , whom he bonded owing to a shared vision for art promotion , tourism and mentoring of young Cebuano artists. Both organized art workshops and excursions in Cebu province especially in Goyha's hometown Samboan .   ...