Phineas and Ferb know Latin!

Tomorrow is the Disney Channel premiere of the full-length movie "Phineas and Ferb Across the Second Dimension." If you already have Friday plans or don't subscribe to cable television, the DVD release is August 23rd.

As it turns out, Phineas and Ferb apparently are Latin students, because one of the songs on the soundtrack (already available on Amazon.com and presumably, iTunes) is entitled "Carpe Diem!"

Happy Pi Day 2011!

Happy Pi Day 2011! Enjoy it while listening to the Pi Symphony and perhaps having a piece of pie as well!



For more information about the origin of Pi Day, see this previous Latinteach post.

Gaudete, Gaudete! Latin Christmas and Holiday Songs!

Rejoice, all ye who seek Latin Christmas Carols! Laura Gibbs is continuing her Latin Holiday Songs Project this year at Gaudium Mundo! Visit each day for new songs and lyrics in Latin, Latin-English and Latin-Polish!

Need more holiday ideas for your Latin class? We've got 'em! Here are just a few from past years!

Christmas Teaching Ideas and Carols

St. Nicholas and the Legenda Aurea

O Abies! O Christmas Tree!

Yummy Chocolate Saturnalia Mice!!!

Coldplay Knows Latin! Really!

At about two minutes and forty seconds into their new video "Christmas Lights," you'll see Coldplay performing on a stage with the words "Credo Elvem Etiam Vivere" ("I believe Elvis is alive...") lit above. Chris Martin, lead singer of Coldplay is not only a talented vocalist and musician, but also a Classics scholar, having taken first class honours in Greek and Latin from University College London.

Latin Vs. English, the Liveliness Factor

By popular demand, Claude Pavur has posted his chart De Linguae Latinae Vivacitate, demonstrating the continuing relevance and vitality of the ancient language, on the St. Louis Latin Teaching Materials website.

Also noted, his version (singable!) of the Star Spangled Banner in Latin!

Resquiescat in Pace, David Parsons 1937-2009

David Parsons, who taught Latin, Greek and Classical Civilization in England for nearly 25 years, and in his retirement managed the ARLTBlog (the Association foR Latin Teaching, UK) as well as his own Classics Teaching Resources website (see, especially, the Teaching Aids, for ideas on active learning through music and drama), passed away on Tuesday, April 14, 2009. His son has written a very moving final entry on David's personal blog, View from the Street. (View from the Street includes many videos and recordings of classical and religious music (see the sidebar), theological musings (a continuous theme), Latin prayers and poetry, as well as some Classics teaching tips!)

Gregorian Chant is on the Charts! (Look out Coldplay!)

Currently Coldplay's Viva La Vida is the #1 Album in the United States and Britain, But there's another musical group that also performs hauntingly beautiful lyrics and ethereal melodies...

The Monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz will be releasing their debut album in the United States on June 28th! Chant is currently on the United Kingdom's Top 40 Pop Album Chart and is already the Number 1 Billboard Classical Album in America! Of course, they sing in Latin!

Yo! Is Latin Cool?

Word!

According to the Times of London, the organizers of the European Festival of Latin and Greek are hosting a hip hop concert by a German group called Ista which raps Roman verse!

To jam on some of their tunes, surf to the official Ista website Latein Goes Hip Hop -- auf deutsch, but you should easily be able to find the demo MP3s.

If you want to explore more "Classic" pop, check out the Latin Elvis, Doctor Ammondt!