Super Flumina Babylonis - Composition
  • Drake
    Posts: 219
    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.
    Thanked by 7Incardination CHGiffen M. Jackson Osborn Salieri Little_Durufle CatherineS sdtalley3
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,366
    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.
    Thanked by 3M. Jackson Osborn Drake CHGiffen
  • Drake
    Posts: 219
    Somehow, it seemed fitting to use the plague-al progression.

    But, seriously ... thank you Salieri for your kind compliment.
    Thanked by 2liampmcdonough CHGiffen
  • ghmus7
    Posts: 1,464
    Very nice, thank you!
    Thanked by 1Drake
  • Drake
    Posts: 219
    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
Add a Comment