Thomas Peters
@tompeterscomp.bsky.social
I am a composer, sound artist, classical musician, and GRAMMY© nominated performer.
Also expect opinions on music, philosophy, and life in general. And Medieval music, art, and literature.
And dogs. Lots of dogs. Particularly the small floofy variety.
Also expect opinions on music, philosophy, and life in general. And Medieval music, art, and literature.
And dogs. Lots of dogs. Particularly the small floofy variety.
that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain – that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
--Abraham Lincoln, November 19, 1863
--Abraham Lincoln, November 19, 1863
November 19, 2025 at 4:23 PM
that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain – that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
--Abraham Lincoln, November 19, 1863
--Abraham Lincoln, November 19, 1863
It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion –
November 19, 2025 at 4:23 PM
It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion –
The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.
November 19, 2025 at 4:23 PM
The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate – we can not consecrate – we can not hallow – this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.
November 19, 2025 at 4:23 PM
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate – we can not consecrate – we can not hallow – this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.
We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
November 19, 2025 at 4:23 PM
We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war.
November 19, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war.
Le Mort Darthur (in Middle English)
November 16, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Le Mort Darthur (in Middle English)
Thank you, Andrew! You know, the older I get, the more astonished I am by the proportions and the absolutely perfect timing of each event.
November 12, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Thank you, Andrew! You know, the older I get, the more astonished I am by the proportions and the absolutely perfect timing of each event.
So today, nearly six decades later, I found myself driving home from Trader Joe's with tears streaming down my face blasting Beethoven's 5th Symphony on the radio. Even after a long career as a classical musician, and now a composer and sound artist, Beethoven still floors me.
November 11, 2025 at 11:22 PM
So today, nearly six decades later, I found myself driving home from Trader Joe's with tears streaming down my face blasting Beethoven's 5th Symphony on the radio. Even after a long career as a classical musician, and now a composer and sound artist, Beethoven still floors me.
I couldn't wait to hear my new record. Dad put it on the HiFi (those of you of a certain age will know what that means), and my God! The sounds blasting out of the speakers floored me!
It was Beethoven's 5th Symphony.
It was Beethoven's 5th Symphony.
November 11, 2025 at 11:22 PM
I couldn't wait to hear my new record. Dad put it on the HiFi (those of you of a certain age will know what that means), and my God! The sounds blasting out of the speakers floored me!
It was Beethoven's 5th Symphony.
It was Beethoven's 5th Symphony.
I mean, I was five years old after all, so that was a pretty special number.
"I want that one!"
Dad looked genuinely surprised. "Really? Are you sure?"
"Yes! That's the one I want!"
"I want that one!"
Dad looked genuinely surprised. "Really? Are you sure?"
"Yes! That's the one I want!"
November 11, 2025 at 11:22 PM
I mean, I was five years old after all, so that was a pretty special number.
"I want that one!"
Dad looked genuinely surprised. "Really? Are you sure?"
"Yes! That's the one I want!"
"I want that one!"
Dad looked genuinely surprised. "Really? Are you sure?"
"Yes! That's the one I want!"
"I needed a drink, I needed a lot of life insurance, I needed a vacation, I needed a home in the country. What I had was a coat, a hat and a gun. I put them on and went out of the room."
--Raymond Chandler
--Raymond Chandler
November 6, 2025 at 4:39 PM
"I needed a drink, I needed a lot of life insurance, I needed a vacation, I needed a home in the country. What I had was a coat, a hat and a gun. I put them on and went out of the room."
--Raymond Chandler
--Raymond Chandler
Or you wake up from your colonoscopy and your mask is nowhere to be found.
September 16, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Or you wake up from your colonoscopy and your mask is nowhere to be found.
There was also Will Hays to consider.
But that’s another story.
9/9
But that’s another story.
9/9
August 25, 2025 at 3:09 PM
There was also Will Hays to consider.
But that’s another story.
9/9
But that’s another story.
9/9
DeMille discussed this with Sid Grauman, owner of the Chinese and Egyptian Theaters in Hollywood. Grauman thought having DeMille’s name affiliated with both Jesus Christ and Roxie Hart would be bad for business. That’s why DeMille decided to “assign” Frank Urson as “Chicago’s” director.
8/9
8/9
August 25, 2025 at 3:09 PM
DeMille discussed this with Sid Grauman, owner of the Chinese and Egyptian Theaters in Hollywood. Grauman thought having DeMille’s name affiliated with both Jesus Christ and Roxie Hart would be bad for business. That’s why DeMille decided to “assign” Frank Urson as “Chicago’s” director.
8/9
8/9
So why, then, did DeMille have his name removed as the director of “Chicago?” Blame “King of Kings.”
7/9
7/9
August 25, 2025 at 3:09 PM
So why, then, did DeMille have his name removed as the director of “Chicago?” Blame “King of Kings.”
7/9
7/9
This is where the mystery comes in. Why did DeMille choose to keep a copy of another director’s film in his personal archive? As film historians began to dig into the mystery it became clear that “Chicago” wasn’t directed by Frank Urson. It was directed by Cecil B. DeMille himself!
6/9
6/9
August 25, 2025 at 3:09 PM
This is where the mystery comes in. Why did DeMille choose to keep a copy of another director’s film in his personal archive? As film historians began to dig into the mystery it became clear that “Chicago” wasn’t directed by Frank Urson. It was directed by Cecil B. DeMille himself!
6/9
6/9
Program pictures were the smaller, cheaper films, (typically comedies) that helped fund the big budget prestige pictures like “King of Kings,” DeMille’s retelling of the passion of Jesus Christ that was released the same year as “Chicago.”
5/9
5/9
August 25, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Program pictures were the smaller, cheaper films, (typically comedies) that helped fund the big budget prestige pictures like “King of Kings,” DeMille’s retelling of the passion of Jesus Christ that was released the same year as “Chicago.”
5/9
5/9
In the early 2000s, a pristine print of “Chicago” showed up in an unlikely place: Cecil B. DeMille’s personal archive. DeMille’s kept copies of all of his tent-pole prestige pictures, as well as a few of his favorite program pictures.
4/9
4/9
August 25, 2025 at 3:09 PM
In the early 2000s, a pristine print of “Chicago” showed up in an unlikely place: Cecil B. DeMille’s personal archive. DeMille’s kept copies of all of his tent-pole prestige pictures, as well as a few of his favorite program pictures.
4/9
4/9
It was last year's movie, so why bother keeping it around when people had already seen it? “Chicago” was lost to history.
Or so we thought.
In the early 2000s, a pristine print of “Chicago” showed up in an unlikely place: Cecil B. DeMille’s personal archive.
3/9
Or so we thought.
In the early 2000s, a pristine print of “Chicago” showed up in an unlikely place: Cecil B. DeMille’s personal archive.
3/9
August 25, 2025 at 3:09 PM
It was last year's movie, so why bother keeping it around when people had already seen it? “Chicago” was lost to history.
Or so we thought.
In the early 2000s, a pristine print of “Chicago” showed up in an unlikely place: Cecil B. DeMille’s personal archive.
3/9
Or so we thought.
In the early 2000s, a pristine print of “Chicago” showed up in an unlikely place: Cecil B. DeMille’s personal archive.
3/9
But it suffered the fate of about 75% of all films from the silent era. Once the prints reached their final theaters, the studios didn’t want them anymore and they were simply thrown out or burned. The negatives were destroyed and the silver nitrate was recycled.
2/9
2/9
August 25, 2025 at 3:09 PM
But it suffered the fate of about 75% of all films from the silent era. Once the prints reached their final theaters, the studios didn’t want them anymore and they were simply thrown out or burned. The negatives were destroyed and the silver nitrate was recycled.
2/9
2/9