Page:Selected letters of Mendelssohn 1894.djvu/64

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SELECTED LETTERS OF

way through without the least exception.) The commencement was:—

Tenori.
\relative c' { << \new Voice = "a" { \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \time 4/2 \clef tenor c1 d2 bes a(c4 bes a g c2) d1 c \bar ".." } \new Lyrics \lyricmode { \set associatedVoice = #"a" Te1 -- ne2 -- brae fac\breve -- tae1 sunt. } >> }
Bassi.
\relative c { << \new Voice = "a" { \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \time 4/2 \clef bass c2^\f d e g g(bes) a1 g2(f) e e d1 d \bar ".." } \new Lyrics \lyricmode { \set associatedVoice = #"a" dum2 cru -- ci -- fi -- xis1 -- sent Je -- sum2 Ju -- dae1 -- i. } >> }

then later

\relative c { << \new Voice = "a" { \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \time 4/4 \clef bass \partial 2 g'8^\f bes bes4\fermata b8 a g4 g2\fermata g4 g8 a f2\fermata f8[e] f g f(e f4) f2 e \bar ".." \time 6/4 \clef treble g'4^\f g8[a] \grace c8 bes[a g f] g2 \time 2/4 f4 g \time 4/4 g4 f8 e f d g4 a c8 bes \grace { a32 g } a4 g\fermata f2 \grace { g16 a g } f2\fermata \time 5/4 f4 f8 e f a g4 g\fermata \time 3/4 g4 g f \time 4/4 g4. a8 a2 bes4 a8 g f2 e2.. d8 e1 \bar ".." } \new Lyrics \lyricmode { \set associatedVoice = #"a" De4 -- us, me2 -- us ut4 quid me2 de4 -- re -- li2 -- qui -- sti? ex4 -- cla2. -- mans2 Je4 -- sus vo2. -- ce4 mag -- na a -- it: Pa2 -- ter in4 ma -- nus tu -- as com -- men -- do spi4. -- ri8 -- tum2 me1... um,8 etc.1 } >> }

I cannot help it. It drives me beside myself to hear the holiest and loveliest of words sung in such a casual, humdrum style. They say it is plain song; it is Gregorian, that makes no difference. If, indeed, in those times men had no deeper feelings or no finer resources, still we are in no such case, and truly there