Carmina Laetitiae

Dec 23, 2020 | Covid-19 Diary, Dead Water

Playing With His Organ

An early and short blog post this evening. That bug I’ve been complaining about for a couple of weeks is persistent (unless it’s gone and a new one has taken up residence). This afternoon I surrendered to a nap, tea and chocolate. Lest anyone be worried, my temp. was 35.8 last time I checked this afternoon, I do not have a cough and my senses of smell and taste are intact.

My plan for today had been to potter about a bit this morning then get back to my desk. I ended up writing 1000 words yesterday and was keen to catch that momentum. It didn’t happen, and I don’t expect to write any fiction this evening either.

At the time of writing this (20.00 UK) there is word that a deal has been struck in Brussels at the last minute. The story of this new UK variant lineage of Covid remains unclear too. In the meantime, in terms of the big picture of what 2021 and beyond might bring, I thought this FT video was succinct and interesting: https://www.ft.com/video/76e0b43e-4f2c-4a66-99fd-b9154c57169b

I’m sure there was more I had in mind to write here, but it can wait until tomorrow.

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Music: Gaudete is an instantly recognisable since Steeleye Span took it into the charts in 1973. The carol itself is thought to date to the mid sixteenth century, or perhaps that’s just when it was first written down. I rather like this version by The Sixteen. It is slightly different rhythmically to Steeleye’s version, and is a bit fussy in its pronunciation of virginae, but there we are.

Sharp-eyed readers, and you know who you are, will want to pay attention to the CD cover as reproduced by YouTube. The illustration is Flemish and was finished, by Jehan de Grise, no later than 1344. [Bodleian ms 264 fol 180v] It’s part of a fabulously illustrated copy of the Romance of Alexander. The second minstrel from the left is playing what looks very like a portative organ (photo above).