Swooning Naked Monks

I'm listening to the 'Ballads of the Swooning Naked Monks', otherwise known as 'Carmina Burana' by Carl Orff. The most famous bit 'O Fortuna' is the music they play in movies when the hero escapes imminent death and things all around blow up.

In a past life, I had the oppurtunity to perform this in a chamber choir. It was one of the most moving musical experiences I've ever had. Wildly crazy about Orff already, I was doubly thrilled to be singing the poetry of a bunch of vagabond monks and vagrants who were the authors of the 25 poems that Carmina Burana is based on. The poems revolved around 3 things: Spring, drinking and love. Perfect material for a green, tender maiden like moi to be studying. I did my best to acquaint myself with all three.

(You can't really expect me to be too serious about music that has lines like 'my virginity makes me frisky'. )

As moving as it is to listen to the 'O Fortuna' verse while Mr. Hollywood Hero is swinging on a telephone wire and saving Miss Hollywood Starlet from the scorching her lovely locks, it is hundred times more moving to be inside the music, surrounded by your choral comrades, voices lifted, pissed off at Fate.

But my favorite moment is the the 20th song 'Veni, veni, venias ' with it's robust vocals and percussion angst that spills into the vulnerable solo vocals of 'In truitina '. So tragically lovely. Sigh.

So here's to a bunch of swooning ,naked (well, they were defrocked) monks. If I had some mead, I 'd raise a glass of that to you but since isn't noon yet I'll raise my cuppa coffee to you.

BTW, I'm drinking Kicking Horse's Fair Trade Kick-Ass coffee. Nice, strong morning blend. Goes very well with a slice of pumpkin-persimmon bread.

Have a swooningly lovely day!