And it is perhaps a bit colder than yesterday-- I didn't much notice when I was out but my ears were tingly when I came back into the relative warmth of the house. Today is the feast of Saint Bibiania, Vibiana, Bibiana (I principally consult two ordines: one of them gives the -nia and the other -na, so who knows). Am a bit embarrassed to admit that I only know her because the cathedral in Los Angeles is dedicated to her honor and is such an ugly building. Holy Mass will be celebrated at 1000 at Saint-Eugène (CE, Introibo, Wiki). The Ave verum corpus was quite moving.
It is also the feast of Blessed Jan van Ruysbroeck, a Flemish Augustinian spiritual writer from, oh, the 13th century, as I recall. I've read some of his work, including the Spiritual Espousals; my recollection is that he was suspect of, if not of heresy, then of opinions tantamount to it-- but I believe modern scholars attribute most of the confusion, such as it was, to the fact that he didn't write in Latin but in the vulgar tongue, the Dutch language at some stage of its development. When one insists on scribbling away about the higher spiritual realities ('mysticism', as it is called), well, it is only to be expected that language begins to experience profound challenges.
At some point this morning the Bavarian state broadcaster (I believe) is streaming the Franz Schubert program featuring Benjamin Appl-- 1100 or 1130; I suspect that this may be an indication that I can indeed recall some fact or appointment if I seriously intend to do so, ahem. 4 stunden, 7 minuten, 57 sekunden... which is 1115 or so.
This morning's 'digital Advent calendar' delight from Neumz is rather different from its predecessors in that the presenter, Dr Vicente Urones Sánchez, who does the Spanish translations and sings in the Schola Cantorum de Zamora in addition to his academic work, is discussing two words that appear throughout the season: ecce, behold, and venire, to come. The images of MSS. as the video begins all contain them, ecce and a conjugated form of venire. The latter part of the video is the singing of the psalmody for None.
Time for Terce and breakfast.
The 'Concert Hall' at Klassikaraadio is featuring Beethoven's Missa Solemnis this morning. I've 'arrived' from the kitchen as the Kyrie is toward the end of its repetition; it is a recording of a London Symphony Orchestra performance at Barbican Hall in 2018, with Michael Tilson Thomas conducting and the soprano Camilla Tilling, Sasha Cooke (mezzosoprano), Toby Spence (tenor), and the bass Luca Pisaroni.
Because Holy Mass is being celebrated at Saint-E. as a high Mass or missa cantata it is taking long than a simple low Mass, a missa lecta. 18 minuten 10 sekunden until the Schubert and we've arrived at the Ecce Agnus Dei. My baking potatoes are done in eight minutes.
The potatoes are done. The water for tea is about to boil. The Schola is singing the Rorate caeli, in the version from Sunday, I believe.
The Schubert 'musical biography' has begun. Apart from all the incomprehensible German, it's lovely. The narrator is Udo Wachtveitl, an actor who's famous in those Teuton lands for his portrayal of a police detective on television. He is reading letters and recollections from Schubert's lifetime, written by the composer and his friends. Tsk; I am predisposed to praise Appl's singing but I must confess to hearing one or two imperfections; still.
If the image is clicked it becomes large enough to actually read the items in the program.
Post Nonam. Only now remembered to open my own Advent calendar, tsk. The pastry shop is open, its shelves laden with cakes and stollen. The children outside can't wait to get home before enjoying their purchases.
Post Vesperas. DI Mooney, Ardal O'Hanlon's character in the television series Death in Paradise: 'If you want to know what God thinks of money, look at who He gives it to.' And he doesn't mean that in the so-called 'prosperity Gospel' sense, either. I can deal with an episode at time; it's otherwise like drinking a five ounce cup of tea with six cubes of sugar in it.
LDVM
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