Jon Pareles Nyt News Service

Hands waved overhead. Voices shouted lyrics and whooped with delight. Children were hoisted onto parents' shoulders. In the tightly packed crowd a few dancers made room to jump. T-shirts were tossed to fans from the stage. Yet in the songs that Abida Parveen was singing, saints were praised. They were Islamic saints, the poets and philosophers reve...

A Beatle met the president when Sir Paul McCartney performed at the East Room of the White House on Wednesday night. Accepting the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, McCartney used the occasion to applaud President Obama. "Getting this prize would be good enough," McCartney said. "But getting it from this president ..." He smiled....

Hands waved overhead. Voices shouted lyrics and whooped with delight. Children were hoisted onto parents' shoulders. In the tightly packed crowd a few dancers made room to jump. T-shirts were tossed to fans from the stage. Yet in the songs that Abida Parveen was singing, saints were praised. They were Islamic saints, the poets and philosophers reve...

A Beatle met the president when Sir Paul McCartney performed at the East Room of the White House on Wednesday night. Accepting the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, McCartney used the occasion to applaud President Obama. "Getting this prize would be good enough," McCartney said. "But getting it from this president ..." He smiled....