Kanzo Uchimura’s life story is an inspiring example of how the history and literature of the ancient world can guide us. As a young man in Japan, Uchimura embraced Christianity, which was illegal in the country at the time. After engaging with the New Testament, he was baptised and began to live his life in accordance with Christian principles. This brought him into conflict with his own family, and with foreign missionaries in Japan who had failed to properly appreciate the 1st-century precedent of St Paul. Read full article here
Oddities
Why Do Modern Pop Songs Have So Many Credited Writers?
The music industry has changed dramatically over the last few decades – with the number of songwriters credited on number one hits more than doubling. This is due to a combination of factors, including money, the computer and a changing definition of what songwriting is. For example, if The Beatles’ classic “I Feel Fine” was released today, it would likely have four writers credited instead of two, due to the influence of producers, samples and interpolations. With the rise of lawsuits, artists now preemptively add songwriter credits to their songs, even if the similarities between their song and the source material are coincidental. It all goes to show that the music industry is becoming more complex and competitive. Read full article here
Merv
March 29, 2023
