French, Clinton D. “The song of Armageddon.” Kansas City, Mo.: French Publishing Company, 1912.
Our colleagues at the Library of Congress blog have noted the trending topic of the end of the world, based on a reading of the Maya calendar that lays out the day of creation as Aug. 11, 3114 B.C., and the end of the world approaching on Dec. 21, 2012. Which is tomorrow. The Music Division does not endorse such a reading of the end times. However, the fact that this apocryphally crucial date falls on a Friday means that the world can party like it’s 1999. And what better way to start the weekend or the apocalypse than with this week’s featured sheet music? “The song of Armageddon” is misleadingly named, and speaks of battle not with Gog and Magog but of a historical campaign season. If one does subscribe to the idea of coming oblivion, you could do worse than hold on to this president’s signature teddy bear. For those looking forward to Christmas, recall previous In the Muse celebrations of the holiday season, with the help of composers like Serge Koussevitzky and Gerry Mulligan.