The Ecstasy of Sister Amata
Ten years after leaving their Catholic boarding school, three former classmates meet up at the headmistress's retirement, and find the past still has resonances in the present.
This started as my attempt at the Open Novella Contest 2021 (20,000-40,000 words. This is at the upper end of this range.) It didn't get anywhere much, but it was an interesting experiment (and fun to plan and write).
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Music, particularly for organ, plays quite a rôle in this story. Instead of providing accompanying media, I'll list the pieces that feature here, for anyone who wants to chase them up. Apart from Beatrice's (which doesn't exist, obvs) they're all available on YouTube.
-JS Bach: Passacaglia & Fugue in C minor (BWV 582)
-JG Rheinberger: Sonata no.11 in D minor (Op.148), Cantilène - Adagio
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Beatrice's recital:
-JS Bach: Prelude & Fugue in G (BWV 541)
-Dietrich Buxtehude: Two chorale preludes - 'Ach Herr, mich arme Sünder' (BuxWV 178) / 'Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott' (BuxWV 199)
-Joseph Rheinberger: Five Trios (Op.189 1-5)
-Niels Gade: Tre Tonestykke (Op.22)
-Maurice Duruflé: Suite pour orgue (Op.5): prélude
-Beatrice Sullivan: Fantasia on 'Ave Maris Stella'
-JS Bach: Chorale prelude on 'Mensch, bewein dein Sünde gross' (BWV 622)
-Louis Vierne: Hymne au Soleil (Op.53)
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For an idea of the sort of Passion setting Bea mentions in ch.8, try 'St Matthew Passion' by Orlando di Lasso.
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(Written February-March-April 2021 )
