Days of the Dead

It's the time of season to remember those who've gone before us.

Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine . . .

Fauré's Requiem may be the loveliest and most joyful of all requiems. I was lucky enough to hear an All Saints' Day performance at a church in New York City back in the early 1990s. There are few pieces of music more beautiful than the "Pie Jesu."

Requiem in D minor, op.48 - Pie Jesu and Agnus Dei (Gabriel Fauré)




In Spain, November 1, All Saints' Day, is the day of the year in which more flowers are sold than any other. When we lived in the village of Chinchón, I remember all of our neighbors going up the hill to the cemetery with flowers for their loved ones. It may have been the first time I really understood the power and importance of these holy days.

And, of course, in Mexico, they celebrate El Dia de los Muertos, a unique festival in which large altars are built that hold pictures and belongings of various ancestors. Here's a strange little animated piece about the holiday.



Finally, a more modern attempt at recalling those who've gone before us. Joy Division's "Dead Souls" is a haunting work; I'm not sure the slide show someone added to the song really captures the original intent, but it's interesting that someone used the music to recall their own favorite dead souls.

"They keep calling me . . ."