Music for a Pandemic

Musicologist Christopher Macklin says “O sancte Sebastiane”, by Guillaume Dufay, was a chart-topper for those trying to cope in the wake of the Black Plague. The connection here is not the story of St. Sebastian’s martyrdom, it’s the music. Even if baroque is not your bag, listen to any version of it (found four on Spotify), and the swells of melancholy, the helium of wailing is enough to persuade any depressive to carry on ‘till at least the next-day. And that’s something, considering that that pestilence took one in every three adults.

Sad music makes sadness bearable. I know blanket statements like this never reach the end of the bed, but consider: for most of us, after a breakup (remember?), its painful to watch happy couples together, sooner hang out with a morose single friend. The principle at work is the same.

That’s why my own pick for this pandemic is “Mad World” by Tears for Fears. A pretty big hit in the 80’s. There’s a heap of covers, but I especially like the instrumental version by Omina Fare. The harp hits my heart in a devastatingly merciful way; maybe the way “O sancte Sebastiane” comforted many in the 14th century.

It’s a giant leap from Guillaume Dufay to Blind Willie Johnson’s, “Jesus is Coming Soon” or Essie Jenkins’ “Influenza Blues,” both written during the ‘Spanish’ flu. Both serving our age-old need for catharsis.

Or from there to The Ethiopians singing, “Hong Kong Flu” during the avian influenza of ‘68.

It’s certainly worth mentioning HIV/AIDS here. Easily a multi-genre genre of its own, enlisting songs from Neil Young (“Philadelphia”) to the Pet Shop Boys (“Being Boring”).

MERS, SARS and the rest have spawned their own. This one? The other night I was invited to read some poetry over on Dave Von Beiker’s show. He’d written a song for the occasion: “Little Mercies,” which was, a little mercy.

It’s happening across our globe. Art of all kinds, focused on this time, gathering a particular force; period pieces taking on new meaning. All little mercies. Connecting us. Like a song.