For Memorial Day: "Dirge for Two Veterans" from Dona Nobis Pacem

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

by Ralph Vaughan Williams

Words by Walt Whitman (from "Leaves of Grass&quot

The last sunbeam
Lightly falls from the finish’d Sabbath,
On the pavement here—and there beyond, it is looking,
Down a new-made double grave.

Lo! the moon ascending!
Up from the east, the silvery round moon;
Beautiful over the house tops, ghastly phantom moon;
Immense and silent moon.

I see a sad procession,
And I hear the sound of coming full-key’d bugles;
All the channels of the city streets they’re flooding,
As with voices and with tears.

I hear the great drums pounding,
And the small drums steady whirring;
And every blow of the great convulsive drums,
Strikes me through and through.

For the son is brought with the father;
In the foremost ranks of the fierce assault they fell;
Two veterans, son and father, dropt together,
And the double grave awaits them.

Now nearer blow the bugles,
And the drums strike more convulsive;
And the day-light o’er the pavement quite has faded,
And the strong dead-march enwraps me.

In the eastern sky up-buoying,
The sorrowful vast phantom moves illumin’d;
(’Tis some mother’s large, transparent face,
In heaven brighter growing.)

O strong dead-march, you please me!
O moon immense, with your silvery face you soothe me!
O my soldiers twain! O my veterans, passing to burial!
What I have I also give you.

The moon gives you light,
And the bugles and the drums give you music;
And my heart, O my soldiers, my veterans,
My heart gives you love.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

1. Attention Twin Cities DUers:

You can hear this piece live (along with the rest of Vaughan Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem) and some other pieces at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral near Loring Park in downtown Minneapolis on Saturday, May 31, 2014 at 7:30PM.

Performing will be the St. Mark's Cathedral Choir, the St. Mark's Choral Society, soloists including Maria Jette, and an orchestra.

Admission is $10.00.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. I'll try to make it to this.

I love Dona Nobis Pacem - did it in college way back when.