The Pursuit of Beauty with Matthew Wilkinson

Troubadours, Cathars, and why Jugglers go to Hell

Love songs that are secretly prayers. A dawn song that started in a monastery. A troubadour who became a bishop and persecuted heretics. Medieval singer Evgeny Skurat and

so... why aren't you Orthodox? | Paul VanderKlay

Three years ago they were listening to Sam Harris. Now they're kissing relics. Reformed pastor Paul Vander Klay joins me to talk about the Orthodox moment, why liturgy is

Appalachian Music: Sacred Harp Explained with Tom Ivey

Sacred Harp: A Living Tradition, with Thomas A. IveyWhat is Sacred Harp, and why are thousands of people still singing it every weekend? In this episode of Pursuit of Bea

A Pillar of Anglican Worship - Barry Rose at 92

Barry Rose OBE is one of the towering figures of Anglican church music. At ninety-two he looks back over sixty years at the heart of the English choral tradition, with wa

Epic Conversation: Every Style of Georgian Chant Explained with Dr John Graham

Why does the same ancient chant melody sound completely different depending on which corner of Georgia you're standing in? Musicologist John A. Graham returns for Part 2

How Old is Coptic Chant, Really? Dr. Michael Henein

Is Coptic chant really 3,000 years old? Dr. Michael Henein set out to prove it — and his own experiment said no.Coptic Orthodox chant is often described as the last livin

The Future of American Catholic Architecture | Duncan Stroik

Notre Dame architecture professor Duncan Stroik on why modern churches fail — and how to build sacred ones again.Stroik is the designer of Christ Chapel at Hillsdale Coll

Herman Middleton on the Protecting Veil, Orthodoxy, Technology, and the Future

Herman Middleton joins me to discuss Orthodox Christianity, C.S. Lewis, the modern crisis of what it means to be human, Artificial Intelligcen, and the strange ways techn

Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Chant with Aram Kerovpyan

Armenian chant, Armenian church music, and the ancient sacred music of the Armenian Apostolic Church are at the center of this conversation with master singer and musicol

where Japanese art and Medieval manuscripts collide | Daniel Mitsui

In this conversation, I speak with artist Daniel Mitsui about sacred art, medieval manuscripts, Gothic symbolism, calligraphy, typography, Japanese woodblock prints, reli

This Meal Changed His Life

What happens when a meal becomes something sacred?In this conversation, Matthew Wilkinson sits down with John Heers of First Things Foundation to explore the ancient Geor

They Sing for 15 Hours Straight (And That's a Short Service) | Deacon Mihret Melaku

Deacon Mihret Melaku is an Ethiopian Orthodox deacon, host of the Burning Bush Podcast, and author of Defending the Ancient Faith. In this conversation we explore the ful

Bishop Maximus & Evgeny Skurat | Resurrecting the Ancient Byzantine Liturgy

Matthew Wilkinson sits down with Bishop Maximus of Pelagonia and musicologist Evgeny Skurat to discuss one of the most extraordinary sacred music projects in recent memor

From Heavy Metal to Armenian Orthodox Chant | Tigran Hamasyan

Armenian jazz piano legend  @TigranHamasyan  joins Matthew Wilkinson on Pursuit of Beauty for a rare, in-depth conversation at the intersection of jazz, Armenian sacred m

From Hagia Sophia to the Coronation: Alexander Lingas on Byzantine Music and the Living Tradition

Dr. Alexander Lingas — musicologist, conductor, and Founding Director of Capella Romana — joins Matthew Wilkinson for one of the most wide-ranging conversations in the hi

Rock & Roll Is a Trauma Response — Neil DeGraide of Dirt Poor Robins

Neil's links:  @dirtpoorrobins  https://www.dirtpoorrobins.com/In this episode of The Pursuit of Beauty Podcast, Matthew Wilkinson speaks with musician and rock star Neil

What Is Sarum Chant? The Medieval English Tradition That Shaped Western Worship

Dr. William Renwick joins the podcast to discuss Sarum chant, the medieval English plainchant tradition centered on Salisbury Cathedral that once dominated worship across

The Beauty of Coptic Iconography (And Why It Matters) | George Makary

Why do some coptic icons look cartoonish? Makary argues that the loss of apprenticeship, the absence of formal art education, and the pressure of rapid church constructio

The King's Iconographer

In this conversation, I sit down with Aidan Hart, an internationally renowned iconographer, liturgical artist, and multiple-time artist commissioned by King Charles III,

Why the Avant-Garde Isn’t the Enemy of Tradition

Modern music, classical music, avant-garde, tonality, postmodernism, and music philosophy are at the center of this conversation between composer and analyst Samuel Andre