Super Flumina Babylonis - Composition
  • Drake
    Posts: 221
    With good reason, there is much sadness on the forum right now. I feel it deeply myself. The suspension of public Masses in our country (whether you agree with that course of action or not) is both sobering and a radical departure from our normal experience. The situation is unlike anything I can remember. We--perhaps especially we church musicians--are "hanging up our instruments" as it were and going into a sort of exile, during a time when, normally, we would be very active, preparing for Holy Week and Easter. I hope and pray to God, in His mercy, that this exile will be short-lived. I pray also that we may each have an even greater appreciation for the Mass once this epidemic has subsided.

    For myself, I felt compelled to express my sorrow in music. I could find no more appropriate text than the Super Flumina Babylonis. At the following link is a free PDF and digital rendering of the piece:

    http://www.catholicliving.net/super-flumina-babylonis/

    I hope one day soon, it may be sung as a sort of afterthought--a reminder of a difficult time gone by.
  • Wonderfully done!
    And so expressive of how we all feel at this dreadful time.
    Thanked by 3Drake CHGiffen Salieri
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    I like the fact that the first polyphonic setting doesn't have a strong (authentic) cadence (V-I), just a tenor (weak) cadence, followed by a plagal progression. Very arresting. It has the affect of making the authentic cadence at the end of the second section of polyphony sound very harsh and unsettled.
  • Drake
    Posts: 221
    Somehow, it seemed fitting to use the plague-al progression.

    But, seriously ... thank you Salieri for your kind compliment.
  • ghmus7
    Posts: 1,482
    Very nice, thank you!
    Thanked by 1Drake
  • Drake
    Posts: 221
    In the back of my mind, I've thought that the second theme was maybe a bit close to the theme from Schindler's List. I've made a few slight modifications to further differentiate the second theme (going to E-flat rather than C, for example). Most of the score is unchanged. The PDF on my website has been updated (also on CPDL).
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • CatherineS
    Posts: 690
    That's really beautiful.
    Thanked by 1Drake