The Praise Singer

'Mary Renault's portraits of the ancient world are fierce, complex and eloquent, infused at every turn with her life-long passion for the Classics. Her characters live vividly both in their own time, and in ours' MADELINE MILLER Mary Renault is a shining light to both historical novelists and their readers. She does not pretend the past is like the present, or that the people of ancient Greece were just like us. She shows us their strangeness; discerning, sure-footed, challenging our values, piquing our curiosity, she leads us through an alien landscape that moves and delights us' HILARY MANTEL In the story of the great lyric poet Simonides, Mary Renault brings alive a time in Greece when tyrants kept an unsteady rule and poetry, music, and royal patronage combined to produce a flowering of the arts. Born into a stern farming family on the island of Keos, Simonides escapes his harsh childhood through a lucky apprenticeship with a renowned Ionian singer. As they travel through 5th century B.C. Greece, Simonides learns not only how to play the kithara and compose poetry, but also how to navigate the shifting alliances surrounding his rich patrons. He is witness to the Persian invasion of Ionia, to the decadent reign of the Samian pirate king Polykrates, and to the fall of the Pisistratids in the Athenian court. Along the way, he encounters artists, statesmen, athletes, thinkers, and lovers, including the likes of Pythagoras and Aischylos. Using the singer's unique perspective, Renault combines her vibrant imagination and her formidable knowledge of history to establish a sweeping, resilient vision of a golden century. 'There's much to say about her interweaving of myth and history and, just as interestingly, there's much to wonder at in the way she fills in the large dark spaces where we know next to nothing about the times she describes . . . an important and wonderful writer . . . she set a course into serious-minded, psychologically intense historical fiction that today seems more important than ever' - Sam Jordison, Guardian

Born into a stern farming family on the island of Keos, Simonides escapes his harsh childhood through a lucky apprenticeship with a renowned Ionian singer. As they travel through 5th century B.C. Greece, Simonides learns not only how to play the kithara and compose poetry, but also how to navigate the shifting alliances surrounding his rich patrons. He is witness to the Persian invasion of Ionia, to the decadent reign of the Samian pirate king Polykrates, and to the fall of the Pisistratids in the Athenian court. Along the way, he encounters artists, statesmen, athletes, thinkers, and lovers, including the likes of Pythagoras and Aischylos.

Ed Stephan presents a synopsis of "The Praise Singer," written by English author Mary Renault and originally published by Pantheon. The resource describes the people, animals, places, coins, and art used in ancient Greece, as well as provides maps of areas discussed in the novel.

The New York Times–bestselling portrayal of the life of ancient Greece’s lyric poet. “[Renault's] historical novels . . . are among the finest ever written” (The Washington Post Book World). Simonides of Keos lived during the fifth and sixth centuries BC, a fertile period for the arts, when myths were being acted out and verse had just begun to be written down. In this evocative portrayal of Simonides, the poet is learning to master his craft and secure fickle patrons, and his travels place him at the scene of many central historical events. This fact, along with his friendship with gallivanting, brilliant Anakreon, makes him a perfect guide to the age. The Praise Singer is faithfully grounded in history, with all the immediacy of Mary Renault’s acclaimed novels of the ancient world, offering an unforgettable portrait of such events as the Persian invasion of Ionia, the reign of Pisistratos in Athens, and the fall of Hippias and Hipparchos. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Mary Renault including rare images of the author.

In the story of the great lyric poet Simonides, Mary Renault brings alive a time in Greece when tyrants kept an unsteady rule and poetry, music, and royal patronage combined to produce a flowering of the arts. Born into a stern farming family on the island of Keos, Simonides escapes his harsh childhood through a lucky apprenticeship with a renowned Ionian singer. As they travel through 5th century B.C. Greece, Simonides learns not only how to play the kithara and compose poetry, but also how to navigate the shifting alliances surrounding his rich patrons. He is witness to the Persian invasion of Ionia, to the decadent reign of the Samian pirate king Polykrates, and to the fall of the Pisistratids in the Athenian court. Along the way, he encounters artists, statesmen, athletes, thinkers, and lovers, including the likes of Pythagoras and Aischylos. Using the singer's unique perspective, Renault combines her vibrant imagination and her formidable knowledge of history to establish a sweeping, resilient vision of a golden century.

Vocal Training for Praise Singers is a training manual for Christian vocalists of all kinds. Worship leaders, choir directors and members, and Christian artists will all benefit from such practical tools as the 85 voice exercises, (with downloadable audio tracks), discussion of vocal anatomy and health issues and a primer on reading music. Richly complimented with scripture and personal experience, all sections include helpful graphics and are supported with examples from traditional and contemporary Christian music. What Readers are Saying: Here you will find a humble, vulnerable, experience-informed guide to all things having to do with leading or participating in contemporary worship, from musical notation, to vocal technique and health, to group dynamics, to spiritual counsel. Thank you, Julie, for gleaning from your years of experience as a singer, worship leader, and follower of Jesus to assemble this spiritually sensitive guide for your fellow servants of God. -Kenneth Bozeman, Professor Emeritus http: //www.kenbozeman.com Kinscheck has produced here an almost encyclopedic guide to everything pertaining to vocal excellence. Her love for God and the church bleeds off of these pages. I commend this work for anyone who sings in a worship team or choir, has ambition to sing for a living, or just wants to improve their singing technique to glorify God in the congregation. -Dave Eastman Minister and Author https: //www.lifechangingworship.com/video-lessons/ Julie Kinscheck, Assistant Professor at Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA, is a Christian artist, songwriter, worship leader, wife, Mom of teen twins and disciple of Jesus. Raised in Ithaca, NY, she holds a Bachelor of Music from Berklee College of Music and studied classical music at Oberlin Conservatory. Her Masters of Vocal Pedagogy at Westminster Choir College is expected in 2022. She has released four full length albums, gigs regularly, and runs a private voice studio in Billerica, MA. Please visit www.julieksings.com