Old-time musicians

"Cut off the glass of this coffee table and seal it, and keep the rest of the scene well protected."

Owen took a last look at the strange damaged notes and gave the order.

Everyone quickly returned to the church, where nearly 500 believers had gathered.

In the mist of incense, everyone, led by Bishop Tukwell, walked through the arches supported by square stone pillars without looking sideways. Only Owen and several investigators seemed to be dragging their feet, walking step by step, and looking around.

Hester, the head of the parish, was a very respected priest on weekdays. He not only worked hard to maintain the mysterious side of public security, but also rescued people in life outside the church. He helped many righteous people and poor civilians under difficult conditions during the war.

The news of his sudden death at the beginning of the new year made the atmosphere of morning prayer a little solemn compared to the tranquility of the past, and there was some small confusion in the preparation stage of the ceremony.

All the congregants looked at Fanning and his group who came in later, especially at Hester's boss, Bishop Tucville.

The problem mainly lies in the selection of the "Mercy Prayer" hymn in the first section of the regular mass.

The choir had originally rehearsed the song, which was more joyful and touching, and was very suitable for the beginning of the new year, but the accident suddenly occurred at the moment, and it was a bit inappropriate to start like this.

The clerical staff and grassroots clergy in the church still have basic qualities, and this problem was also found in the screening, so now that the higher-ranking people came in, someone immediately walked around quickly and whispered to ask for instructions.

In the silent emergency moment, Bishop Tucville's mind was working fast.

It was a bit troublesome. Even if a normal funeral prayer was added in the front and then switched to the mass of this "Mercy Prayer", the emotional connection was more or less abrupt.

First be sad and solemn, and then still bathe in joy?

The requirement of perfection is too short to be realized, and the level of repertoire of the choir in a small town must also be taken into consideration.

Tukwell walked for half a minute, and when he was about to reach the altar, he had not thought about it yet, so he had to slow down temporarily.

Only Fanning did not slow down his pace, and he went straight to the altar alone.

The eyes of the congregation fell on him, and his eyes fell on the high organ at the back, where a musician sat, his lower body was covered by the performance platform, and from this angle only a black back and head could be seen.

Owen, who was a hundred meters away, also stared at Fanning's movements.

I saw this middle-aged gentleman, who was dressed neatly and old-fashioned, took a few more steps and stood directly next to the leader of the choir.

"Blessed are those who mourn."

Fanning's hands were basically hanging naturally, slightly opened, his palms slightly turned forward, and he looked up at the sunlight.

Following a standard gesture of paying tribute to the "Eternal Flame", a faint F bass vibration seemed to sound in the air, and a series of deep and heavy F major prayers slowly sang out from his mouth!

The blueprint that Fanning chose to adapt this time is the greatest large-scale vocal work of Brahms, the "Torchbearer" of the previous romantic period: "German Requiem"!

This work has a total of seven movements, and the first movement is presented at this moment. Fanning made a small choral adaptation based on the theme, and revised the original lyrics text in a way that is more in line with the expression of the Holy Sun Church.

Compared with the heroic effect of the original band and choir, the unaccompanied chanting is another solemn style, which is not only more in line with the current atmosphere, but also largely avoids the pollution brought by the "old" reproduction of music.

If there is a need to reproduce the original large-scale work in the future, Fanning will only dare to choose the music of the Baroque period instead of the current romanticism.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

First, the ultimate "candle", then the profound "key", the original leader of the choir suddenly felt excited, and the originally calm spiritual water surface was like being lightly touched by the tip of a "key", and ripples appeared!

A melody emerged in his mind involuntarily, and he began to imitate Fanning in the fifth degree of B flat major, two bars apart:

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

The other choir members were also inspired and continued to push the chorus down -

"Those who sow in tears will reap with joy."

"He who goes out with seeds and tears will surely return with joy and sheaves!"

For a moment, purer and stronger sunlight poured in through the round or curved windows, interweaving a three-dimensional effect of interlaced and intertwined light and dark, and the magnificent heavy color paintings around were full of glory and holiness!

Many congregants, who were pale and thin, but dressed in tattered but clean clothes, began to tremble, shed tears, and looked up at the dome with their hands down.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted"

"They shall be comforted, they shall be comforted"

At the end, the atmosphere of the hymn returned to silence, and at this moment, the few congregants in the church who were possessed, had encountered evil spirits, or were slightly bewitched by the secret religious groups, suddenly had a clear mind.

"This Lavoisier?"

Owen did not understand the twists and turns of the scriptures and masses in the church, and his artistic cultivation was slightly shallow compared to He Meng and Gang in the investigation team, but as a profound person, his spiritual perception was not a problem. At this moment, he clearly felt the extremely strong mystical purification power in the secret atmosphere of the church!

"This Lavoisier actually composed a hymn on the spot that functions as the "Enter the Stage Sutra"?"

Bishop Tukweil and several clergymen around him looked calm and moved.

Next, the originally rehearsed "Sutra of Compassion" and the sound of the pipe organ from above sounded normally. It is a classic work by the early medieval "Crescent Moon" musician Ma Xiao.

The music itself is a masterpiece, but without Lavoisier's participation in playing and singing, and the choir's level in the small town was limited, the effect was somewhat uneventful.

But those believers who listened did feel the process from grief to mercy, and from tranquility to joy.

Perfect connection! The perfect consolation!

"This man is divine!"

"There is so much sorrow in this world, and he came from the Lord to be a teacher!"

The clergy and believers stood with their hands down one after another, looked up at the dome to pay tribute again, and turned their glances back to Fan Ning for the first time.

While "The Sutra of Compassion" was in progress, Fan Ning seemed to glance at the organ bandstand again, but did not react much.

He spoke again and fell into the ears of several stunned deacons:

"Your cake is so toasted that it has curled edges."

"If it is not a consecration material, your merits cannot be recorded."

An aide with a naturally curly head and beard, who was listening immersed in the whole process, suddenly trembled with fright.

Fan Ning spoke softly, with a heartbroken expression, and continued to remind these clergymen. Apart from them, only other knowledgeable people could hear it, and it did not affect the purity of the mass ceremony——

"The stretching of your altar cloth is immodest."

"Charcoal, is the charcoal burned well?"

"Has the frankincense in the incense boat been checked?"

"The bread and wine must be brought to the place of consecration in advance. Those who have broken the precepts must first confess before receiving Holy Communion. Do not stand in a place with strong sunlight."

"What missions have you received in this diocese and what etiquette have been performed? You still need to understand it well."