A solecism par excellence
There is a funeral scheduled at my church for Saturday. The deceased was 102 and leaves behind a gaggle of grandchildren and a google of great-grandchildren. One of her grandchildren came to the parish office this week, bringing with her a clipboard, several books, and requests for the music. (I should mention that we can seldom honor these requests, as we sing the proper chants at every Requiem Mass and have room for little else).
The parish secretary gave me the lady's requests. There were the usual "Be Not Afraid," the Semipelagian "Amazing Grace," and "The Ave Maria" (Herr Schubert having written, of course, the one and only setting thereof). And then:
Evil's Wings.
The obvious humor aside, one wonders quite seriously what this lady thinks every time she hears this ubiquitous song. Perhaps a trope of the Dies Irae? ("Evil's wings this day are flapping, / Worlds dissolve in ashes snapping: / Thus David and Sibyll rapping.")
The parish secretary gave me the lady's requests. There were the usual "Be Not Afraid," the Semipelagian "Amazing Grace," and "The Ave Maria" (Herr Schubert having written, of course, the one and only setting thereof). And then:
Evil's Wings.
The obvious humor aside, one wonders quite seriously what this lady thinks every time she hears this ubiquitous song. Perhaps a trope of the Dies Irae? ("Evil's wings this day are flapping, / Worlds dissolve in ashes snapping: / Thus David and Sibyll rapping.")
3 Comments:
the Semipelagian "Amazing Grace,"
O Introit! how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me!
I once had to sing On Evil's Wings;
now "Requiem" chant we!
Doggerel aside, I appreciate your pointing out the real problem with "Amazing grace!" -- the soteriology.
Were it not for the age (our deceased was a mere 92,) and "Here, I Am Lord" in place of "Amazing Grace," I would think we were talking about a funeral I played for last week.
The best/worst part was a literally hysterical grand-daughter (the priest finally told her to go home take a sedative, and THEN he'd talk to her,) insisting that these were the favorite songs of the woman, a Polish nonagenarian who had not been to Mass, or much of any place else, in 20 years.
The look of joy on the faces of the woman's REAL friends, when we began to chant the Ordinary and In Paradisum, and they to sing with us was priceless.
The pastor caved on some of the hymns, though we at least moved the Schubert to a pre-Mass meditiation piece.
I don't know that we will ever advance to the propers, it has been an enormous struggle just to sing an actual psalm rather than "so-and-so's favorite" psalm inspired song or Oh Danny Boy. (Not to mention the atrocious Haugen "psalms.")
But at least secretly thinking of "Evil's Wings" will keep me from tearing my hair out next time that's on the program.
My organist calls that song "Turkey's Wings", and puts artwork on the whiteboard showing the direction of the flight!
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