Harmoniousness

I am not a frequenter of YouTube but Hilary put me on to these. This guy deserves an award. Too funny.

Hilary said:
"Now, it says on my profile that I'm a Bach person, and it's true. But I find Bach is occasionally annoying. He writes very catchy little tunes that make you want to sing or hum along. But as beautifully as they might play in one's head, they are nearly impossible to sing or hum out loud because they are always in four or five parts.

Fugues and things. Impossible to hum. You follow along one line and it gets interrupted by the next bit of the fugue and you find yourself only humming it in bits and having to play the rest in your head. Annoying.

Fortunately, technology now comes to the rescue."

My Choir Cup Runneth Over

I am learning a lot of music right now. It is all very pretty but, at this point, I count myself lucky when I remember which tune goes with which words. Without further ado, I bring you the melodious themes thoroughly devouring my leisure these days:

(For Fun)
Missa Brevis in B Flat Major, Mozart

(For Lent)
Christus Factus Est, Anerio
Coenantibus Autem Illis, Lienas
Media Vita, chant
O Vos Omnes, Victoria
Super Flumina Babylonis, Palestrina
Tenebrae Facte Sunt, Ingegneri
Vere Languores, Victoria

(For Easter)
Haec Dies, Byrd
Regina Coeli, Lotti
Victimae Paschali Laudes, Morales

(For Pentecost)
Factus Est Repente, Aichinger
Missa Secunda, Hassler
Veni Creator Spiritus, Palestrina

A Guilty World

I know a plaintive round with lyrics brief and simple, yet profoundly stirring: "When Jesus wept, the falling tear in mercy fell beyond all bounds; when Jesus groaned, a trembling fear seized all the guilty world around." During Lent, we remember our guilt, our need for a Savior. However, if you really strive for holiness, it is easy to "rest on your laurels," forgetting the monstrous evil of sin. Contrition is an act of the will and not primarily a matter of sentiment, but feelings of contrition certainly help inspire a more prompt and perfect will. To that end...I bring you more poetry. While Chesterton emphasizes the joy of the Cross, John Donne evokes the tragedy.

CRUCIFYING.
By miracles exceeding power of man,
He faith in some, envy in some begat,
For, what weak spirits admire, ambitious hate :
In both affections many to Him ran.
But O ! the worst are most, they will and can,
Alas ! and do, unto th' Immaculate,
Whose creature Fate is, now prescribe a fate,
Measuring self-life's infinity to span,
Nay to an inch. Lo ! where condemned He
Bears His own cross, with pain, yet by and by
When it bears him, He must bear more and die.
Now Thou art lifted up, draw me to Thee,
And at Thy death giving such liberal dole,
Moist with one drop of Thy blood my dry soul.

HOLY SONNETS.
XI.
Spit in my face, you Jews, and pierce my side,
Buffet, and scoff, scourge, and crucify me,
For I have sinn'd, and sinne', and only He,
Who could do no iniquity, hath died.
But by my death can not be satisfied
My sins, which pass the Jews' impiety.
They kill'd once an inglorious man, but I
Crucify him daily, being now glorified.
O let me then His strange love still admire ;
Kings pardon, but He bore our punishment ;
And Jacob came clothed in vile harsh attire,
But to supplant, and with gainful intent ;
God clothed Himself in vile man's flesh, that so
He might be weak enough to suffer woe.