I'm getting married this December so I've been attending to my soul a bit more lately and am pleased to say that the C of E has lightened up/modernised a fair bit since my school days (i mean the vicar basically flogged us a DVD called Evan Almighty (it is a good film, mind you) and we even had a hymn to the tune of Dambusters to finish the service on in high spirits. But that was the only good him the rest where solemn latin dirge's that are about as connected with Jesus as capitalism is. And given that Jesus (if nothing else) was at heart a progressive rebel and worldchanger, it's always disappointeed me that his followers are so conservative. Which brings me to this little number, Rossini was an Italian master of Opera but like me (and anyone sane) he thought church needed jazzing up a little bit and so he created this take on mass. And boy is it so much better than anything less modern than a 20th century gospel choir of course whether or not its for you may depend on how against religion you are but Rossini said it best when discussing the work:
Have I just written music for the blessed or just some blessed music?
I'd say both, you?
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I woke up one sunny morning a few months back and there was a beautiful golden crescented dome that had appeared on the skyline behind my flat - it cheered me up no end (http://www.alrahma-mosque.com/) and today at home for lunch they were practicing the Muezzin which again made my day. Now I'm no muslim but trust me when I say if there's any good in this world it's embodied in the Sufi way. So here's a taster of the beauty of Sufism and Islam
