Great Talks at Gloria Dei

Jeffrey E. Finegan Sr. provides a first-person account of George Washington’s remarkable life, told by his oldest friend and family physician Dr. James Craik.

Baroque cellist and music historian Eve Miller presents some of Johann Sebastian Bach’s most beloved compositions. She plays and talks about the 2nd and 3rd suites, along with music of Supriani, Gabrielli and Dall’Abaco. 

While the New Sweden colony lasted just seventeen years, from 1638 to 1655, its long-lasting influence is significant. Rev. Dr. Kim-Eric Williams describes New Sweden’s fascinating creation, accomplishments, and tragic end.

Philadelphia was slow to develop a public musical life. By the time of the American Revolution, however, the city had a lively music scene and was the center of arts and culture in America. Historian, archivist and author Jack McCarthy describes this transformative time in Philadelphia’s cultural history.

George S. Leone, president and chair of Homecoming 250, discusses Philadelphia’s close ties to the Navy and Marine Corps. He also describes some of America’s most famous heroes … who made their mark when Philadelphia was the largest port in British North America and the second-largest English-speaking city in the world.

Dr. Don Newbury is the author of “The Idle American,” the longest-running syndicated column in Texas. In this bonus episode, Dr. Newbury describes how Todd Compton explored the acknowledged grave of his ancestor Peter Gunnarsson Rambo (1611-1698) using ground penetrating radar.

In this episode, musician Maria Dell’Orefice tells us about the music enjoyed when Philadelphia’s Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church completed construction in 1700. Maria performs music of the time and provides background commentary about the individual pieces.

In this episode, historian and journalist Michael Schreiber shares his research into the lives and deaths of Philadelphia sea captains in the age of sail who were overcome by great hurricanes, succumbed to attacks by pirates, or who mysteriously disappeared in faraway waters.

In this bonus episode, Rev. Dr. Kim-Eric Williams, Jeanette Woehr, Michael Schreiber and Amy Grant answer questions about the New Sweden Colony, Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church and Early Philadelphia.

During this special program, researcher and journalist Michael Schreiber described the period when Philadelphia’s port was the largest in North America. He also discussed the situation of Black seamen, as well as women, who went to sea. A discussion followed the lecture.