Saturday, January 4, 2020

Noticing lxxx - "Colm Quigley Lament"

I am a little over halfway through the Louise Penny book The Brutal Telling, in a scene in a cabin deep in the woods where a murder was committed. In the cabin is a priceless violin (among many other priceless objects), and a young police officer, Morin, knows how to play, not violin, but fiddle. Chief Inspector Gamache asks him to play them a tune.
What came out surprised them all. A Celtic lament left the bow, left the violin, left the agent. It filled the cabin, filled the rafters. Almost into the corners. The simple tune swirled around them like colors and delicious meals and conversation. And it lodged in their chests. Not their ears, not their heads. But their hearts. Slow, dignified, but buoyant. It was played with confidence. With poise.
 Agent Morin had changed. His loose-limbed awkward body contorted perfectly for the violin, as though created and designed for this purpose. To play. To produce this music. His eyes were closed and he looked the way Gamache felt. Filled with joy. Rapture even. Such was the power of this music. This instrument.


In the comments, I saw that many other people listened to this tune because they were reading The Brutal Telling. The scene really makes you want to hear it. Well done, Louise Penny!

7 comments:

Kim said...

Lovely passage of writing and music, too.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I’m reading “The Brutal Telling and had to listen to the music, had to experience the atmosphere. Thanks for posting this.

Anonymous said...

There is reference to that passage and the music in "Bury Your Dead". I had to finally listen to the piece. It is beautiful and haunting. Thank you for posting it.

Anonymous said...

Same here! I was delighted to hear the music and know I’m not the only one who put down the book and picked his phone for a YouTube search. Love these books!!

Anonymous said...

I too am right on that page and had to hear it! Thank you for sharing

Anonymous said...

I’m reading the next book, Bury Your Dead, and again Colm Quigley pops up so, had to listen to it this time!

Anonymous said...

My husband who is a musician tells me that the YouTube clip is from a recording by the Canadian band Leahy. The track is called Colm Quigley but what you are hearing is the first tune on that track which is a well known Irish tune called ‘ The King of the Fairies’, which is usually played fairly steadily but not quite as ‘lament-like’ as on this recording.
‘Sounds good though!’ says my husband. I, too, was drawn to listen to it after the wonderful description in Louise Penny’s book.