[.smalltext]The Plough Music Series is a regular selection of music intended to lift the heart to God. It is not a playlist of background music: each installment focuses on a single piece worth pausing to enjoy. [.smalltext]

[.article__paragraph--cap] [.small-caps]  Since at least the seventh century [.small-caps] , Christians have observed a vigil on All Hallows Eve to pray for the souls of the recently departed. Because Halloween is mostly a secular festival now, we’ll go to an anonymous fifteenth century poem, the Lyke Wake Dirge, for a reminder (jumping to the nineteenth century and paraphrasing Jacob Marley) that the chains we forge in life will remain our fetters – and that, more hopefully, our deeds of love can set us free, as promised in Matthew 25:31-46:[.article__paragraph--cap]

[.blockquote]  Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?” [.blockquote]

[.blockquote]  And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” [.blockquote]

[.blockquote]  Then he will say to those at his left hand, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” [.blockquote]

Benjamin Britten wrote a setting for the Dirge (you can read some background on the poem  here , but really, with the music, you won’t need to) in 1943. Beginning eerily with an unaccompanied tenor voice, the music soon becomes sinister with the addition of a scrabbling fugue in the low strings. The crescendo of sound and pitch reaches its height at 1:57, because now we have a horn playing at full volume as well. It all dies back down to the single voice: “And Christe receive thy saule.”

[.imgcaption]  Photograph by Neven Krcmarek / Unsplash. [.imgcaption]

The recording below is sung by Peter Pears.

 Lyke Wake Dirge

This ae nighte, this ae nighte,
[.poemindent]  Every nighte and alle, [.poemindent]
Fire and fleet and candle-lighte,
[.poemindent]  And Christe receive thy saule. [.poemindent]

When thou from hence away art past,
[.poemindent]  Every nighte and alle, [.poemindent]
To Whinny-muir thou com'st at last;
[.poemindent]  And Christe receive thy saule. [.poemindent]

If ever thou gavest hosen and shoon,
[.poemindent]  Every nighte and alle, [.poemindent]
Sit thee down and put them on;
[.poemindent]  And Christe receive thy saule. [.poemindent]

If hosen and shoon thou ne'er gav'st nane
[.poemindent]  Every nighte and alle, [.poemindent]
The whinnes sall prick thee to the bare bane;
[.poemindent]  And Christe receive thy saule. [.poemindent]

From Whinny-muir whence thou may'st pass,
[.poemindent]  Every nighte and alle, [.poemindent]
To Brig o' Dread thou com'st at last;
[.poemindent]  And Christe receive thy saule. [.poemindent]

From Brig o' Dread whence thou may'st pass,
[.poemindent]  Every nighte and alle, [.poemindent]
To Purgatory fire thou com'st at last;
[.poemindent]  And Christe receive thy saule. [.poemindent]

If ever thou gav'st meat or drink,
[.poemindent]  Every nighte and alle, [.poemindent]
The fire sall never make thee shrink;
[.poemindent]  And Christe receive thy saule. [.poemindent]

If meat or drink thou ne'er gav'st nane,
[.poemindent]  Every nighte and alle, [.poemindent]
The fire will burn thee to the bare bane;
[.poemindent]  And Christe receive thy saule. [.poemindent]

This ae nighte, this ae nighte,
[.poemindent]  Every nighte and alle, [.poemindent]
Fire and fleet and candle-lighte,
[.poemindent]  And Christe receive thy saule. [.poemindent]