The Cricket and Seagull Fireside Chat

Dr. Kirk Belnap was with Egyptian friends at a conference in the Middle East during the recent revolution centered in Tahrir Square in Cairo.  In this audio interview he shares the note he sent to friends about the joy of the moment and dismisses many of the fears of American political pundits.

You'll hear behind-the-scenes stories of BYU's Arabic language study in countries as diverse as Israel, Syria, Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco, and how he believes bridges of mutual respect can be and are being built between Mormons and Muslims.

It's history in the making, on The Cricket and Seagull...

When your task is as daunting as interpreting the life of Jesus Christ through music, it's nice to have support from fellow artists throughout the centuries.  Taking inspiration from the religious paintings of Carl Bloch and drawing from the melodies of timeless hymns, LDS composer Marshall McDonald uses his gifts with piano and orchestra to create a moving and meditative narration of the life of the Master in "This is the Christ."

In this interview you'll hear Marshall describe how he tells a story through music, whether or not he thinks the young people of today "get" the hymns, and why he didn't feel ready to tackle some moments in the life of Christ without benefit of the timeless melodies found in the hymns.