Hans Leo Hassler: Missa super dixit Maria (Kyrie)

Eve of the Annunciation:

Kyrie of a favourite Mass, based in its turn upon a favourite motet by the same composer, Hans Leo Hassler. Lovely to sing, but deceptively simple and consequently easy to foul up, as demonstrated by some of the YouTube offerings.

Monday March 21: the 2011 generation of swallows arrived in Saint Romain, about a fortnight earlier that last year. It was the 105th anniversary of my father's birth. God rest and bless him for being such a wondeful parent. Sadly, he did not live to see the publication of my first three books, sadly for me that is, because I believe that since he died, he has always known about them.

Today I finished the proposal for my fourth book. Having done my very best, I will be glad to get it in the post to London, and forget about it until the (probable) rejection slip arrives. When and if it does, I will 'start over'.

'Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp,
Or what's a heaven for?' (Browning - Andrea del Sarto)

Meanwhile, my dear friend Mulier Fortis has fulminated against BST. Her felines are going to be tremendously confused. What a time to introduce a cat flap into innocent and reasonable feline lives. On top of everything else there will be a Census going on. Anyway, we will do the same artificial time-juggling stunt here in France this coming weekend, so as to keep an hour ahead of the Brits you understand. At least it's one thing on which the European Community is agreed.

More tomorrow as promised, D.V

Have a happy and holy Feast day.

In Christo pro Papa,

J