Her hard case doubles as a seat as Erin Mae waits on a delayed train between Luxembourg and Frankfurt, Germany. Photo by Justin Lewis.

Europe: Tale of two dulcimers

By Erin Mae | I have always been a bit of a wanderer, and this time the travel bug bit HARD. This summer my husband and I traveled for 4 months, in 7 countries, and across 18 thousand miles. …with 2 mountain dulcimers...
Madrid MSS 289. Folios 146v and 147v featuring "Orientis Partibus." View the digitized manuscript at bit.ly/dpn-madrid. Images from the collections of the National Library of Spain.

France: Honoring the donkey

By Fiona Potts | From “Orientis Partibus” to “The Friendly Beasts,” Christmas songs with donkeys are part of a time-honored tradition...
The church of St Peter and St Paul in Olney, England, where John Newton, author of "Amazing Grace" was curate. Photo by Dan Evans.

England: 250 years of ‘Amazing Grace’

By Dan Evans | The words to “Amazing Grace” were written by John Newton in the small market town of Olney in north Buckinghamshire, England, where I have lived with my wife Mary for the past 28 years...