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lux aeterna
Sep. 11th, 2002 11:27 amhappy etheopian new year.
well, last time I write I said I was uncannily happy. Such things never last, of course, moods come and go in that thing called rhythm. Truth is I was feeling pretty good up to last night, when I realized I had to wake up early, not to go to work or something normally depressing, but to a funeral for 2,800 people. Well, everyone else called it a "rolling requiem." We showed up at Safeco at 7:00, got good seats (nice plus) and waited while the tension built. They had a row of speakers at the base of the stands, and a big white plastic platform on the field just behind the pitcher's mound. The readerboard in left field scrolled the names of everyone killed in the attacks. The chairwoman organizer person got up and talked right over the minute's silence and the first notes sounded around 8:48. So aside from the performance being an hourlong exercise in sucking back tears, it was enjoyable. The sound was pretty unique—there ain't nothing like a highly amplified chorale—but what was cool was how it filled the entire stadium, and how totally silent the crowd was. The lyrics (in latin and english) scrolled on the big readerboard as they were sung. And as the concert started, the sun came out and streaming through the foggy stadium were a dozen shafts of sunlight on the field.
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine,
et lux perpetua luceat eis, te decet hymnus,
"Grant to them eternal rest, O Lord / And let perpetual light shine upon them." It was heartbreaking. I wasn't good for much after that. Nothin like starting the day with a good cry! :|
File under mixed blessings: the concert was aired and recorded. I can relive it at any time. Is this something I'd sit around and watch? What about those people that recorded the attack footage live? When will it be played? For their kids? I can't see someone wanting to watch it again for any reason other than posterity. I suppose that's enough.
The front of our seattle times is blank; the newspaper equivalent of silence. On the other side is the list of names - an entire page of 8-point type. Good morning, this is your world.
Oh, mundanity: my brand new car seems to have a dying alternator. Not that I'm surprised or anything, just a bit disappointed because I am unable to pay for such a thing. And yesterday I put the wrong (really wrong) date on all my work so I'm going to have to redo most of it. Which involves going to work today. Which I didn't want to do, I mean I got the time off for a reason. Yarr. Sometime today I have to wake up Clifton and get his DSL sharing set up. Tolerable.
well, last time I write I said I was uncannily happy. Such things never last, of course, moods come and go in that thing called rhythm. Truth is I was feeling pretty good up to last night, when I realized I had to wake up early, not to go to work or something normally depressing, but to a funeral for 2,800 people. Well, everyone else called it a "rolling requiem." We showed up at Safeco at 7:00, got good seats (nice plus) and waited while the tension built. They had a row of speakers at the base of the stands, and a big white plastic platform on the field just behind the pitcher's mound. The readerboard in left field scrolled the names of everyone killed in the attacks. The chairwoman organizer person got up and talked right over the minute's silence and the first notes sounded around 8:48. So aside from the performance being an hourlong exercise in sucking back tears, it was enjoyable. The sound was pretty unique—there ain't nothing like a highly amplified chorale—but what was cool was how it filled the entire stadium, and how totally silent the crowd was. The lyrics (in latin and english) scrolled on the big readerboard as they were sung. And as the concert started, the sun came out and streaming through the foggy stadium were a dozen shafts of sunlight on the field.
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine,
et lux perpetua luceat eis, te decet hymnus,
"Grant to them eternal rest, O Lord / And let perpetual light shine upon them." It was heartbreaking. I wasn't good for much after that. Nothin like starting the day with a good cry! :|
File under mixed blessings: the concert was aired and recorded. I can relive it at any time. Is this something I'd sit around and watch? What about those people that recorded the attack footage live? When will it be played? For their kids? I can't see someone wanting to watch it again for any reason other than posterity. I suppose that's enough.
The front of our seattle times is blank; the newspaper equivalent of silence. On the other side is the list of names - an entire page of 8-point type. Good morning, this is your world.
Oh, mundanity: my brand new car seems to have a dying alternator. Not that I'm surprised or anything, just a bit disappointed because I am unable to pay for such a thing. And yesterday I put the wrong (really wrong) date on all my work so I'm going to have to redo most of it. Which involves going to work today. Which I didn't want to do, I mean I got the time off for a reason. Yarr. Sometime today I have to wake up Clifton and get his DSL sharing set up. Tolerable.
