Wednesday 1 April 2015

Blogging A-Z Day 1: Agnus Dei



Let's begin as we mean to go on -  given that for some of us it's Holy Week - with the divine Agnus Dei from Faure's Requiem. (Yes, Mr Spellchecker, I said "Agnus!")

I was trying to explain to my spiritual director recently why I love this piece so much, and failed utterly. I simply   can't   put  it into words.  From time to time I'm brought up short at the sheer amazingness of a world  where beauty can be expressed in so many and diverse ways.   What could be a seemingly random jumble of sounds and words can be crafted into a unique creation that points to something beyond all words, sounds and emotions. Or - to adapt  a certain classic advertisement: "Reaches the parts that other [words] cannot reach."

 The effect certain pieces of   poetry, prose and  music have on me are again so difficult to describe. The best I can say is that what I experience is if not quite like synthesia (as when somebody appears to sense  sounds as colours), yet  on a similar spectrum; a hybrid of the senses: not quite sight, sound, touch, smell. To sense such a fleeting instance of beauty is to see the world shot through with a jewel-like patina. (Excuse the purple prose but I'm trying to write this against a backdrop of raucous laughter from Mr GP watching a re-run of "Whoops, Apocalypse!")

I've been sitting with another 'A' these past weeks also: one of Sieger Koder's thought-provoking pieces of artwork from his series of reflections on The Folly of God - Alive! and brooding on Christ's challenging words: "Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?"

I suspect that the two 'pictures'  are not unconnected.

I'd love to know if there's a piece of music, art, poetry or something else that has spoken to you.






12 comments:

  1. Thanks for the beautiful recording Greenpatches, I had forgotten how lovely this piece is.
    I have sung Pia Jesu (several notches down from the original key) and always loved it, but paid very little attention to the rest of the mass.
    For me this type of sublime music sets of string of memories and usually produces a few tears.
    Have a wonderful Easter.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Ray. I find it hard to choose between the different parts of the mass; maybe because I've sung it in the past - all bound up with a certain period of my life. As you say, it brings back memories. And yes, tear. Happy Easter.

      Delete
  2. Beautiful piece. Thanks for sharing. You ask if some piece of music speaks to me. Well, for some reason, the theme from the movie, The Duchess, speaks to me. It's just so beautiful and sad. I listen to it on Youtube all the time. Do you know it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad you like it, Suzanne and thanks for calling by. No, I've not yet discovered the music for the Duchess (Is this the film about Georgiana?) but I must check it out.

      Delete
  3. That is such a beautiful piece. Thanks for sharing. I totally get what you're saying, it can't be put into words!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. But still we keep trying...all part of our quest, I guess. glad you found it moving.

      Delete
  4. I had not heard this before, so beautiful!

    betty

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Betty. It's worth exploring the rest of the work; it's sublime.

      Delete
  5. Yes I love the whole of Fauré's Requiem, and if I'm preparing a meditative service will often include some of it. Hildregard of Bingen has writtn some amazing music too. Nice to see you blogging again!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good to 'see' you here, too, Dormouse. I'm hoping that this challenge will help me get my blogging mojo back. So far so good.

    ReplyDelete

Welcome to my blog. I always love receiving comments; do feel free. If you're visiting from the A-Z challenge (or even if you're not!) could I thank you for your patience in using the dreaded captcha verification thingy. It's a pain, I know, but I've had problems with spam in the past and would rather keep Greenpatches as a junk-free zone.