Musique

Dr dear Dr: Am always amazed at the music at such times as these, especially during Lent but also curiously at Easter though one notices a slight fall-off at Easter, any reason?

Lent is a treasure trove of solemn tunes from the Exultet on the Vigil to the olden plaintiff refrain “Attende Domine” during Lent proper, but yes maybe it could be true that after all the excitement of the music Triduum there is a slight fall-off, possibly. Funnily enough today the Alleluia versicle is lifted right from the heart of the Easter hymn “Victimae Paschali Laudes”, where the two forces of life and death are depicted as forces stalking each other to the death, well depicted in the movie The Passion by Gibson, in sum just duelling, as per the words of the song, “Mors et vita duello, conflixere mirando” - “Life and death together fought, each to a strange extreme were brought”, so there is much to dine on in these Easter tunes if we but dare to look. Lucky times, nice times, especially for the musicians and the choir masters and the researchers for new music which is what I do.