A Musical Reflection
by Dr. Liya Petrides, Music Director
One of the last places one expects to find examples of sacred music – i.e. music that touches on the divine or evokes a prayer – is at the movies. And yet, in many instances, sacred music is heard, be it the church bells, or the choir, or the organ in various religious scenes. One unique example comes to mind where a piece from a movie’s soundtrack not so much captures a religion, but, even more strikingly, expresses one’s faith and serves as an instrument to share it.

I am speaking here of the Gabriel’s Oboe from The Mission, a 1986 British film about the experiences of a Jesuit missionary in 18th-century South America with the famous soundtrack by Ennio Morricone. In one scene, the missionary, Fr. Gabriel, is shown in a beautiful serene jungle setting, in the middle of a lake, playing his oboe. Suddenly, he is discovered by a tribe of the Guarani natives. They are fully armed and are suspicious of the intruder. However, the music they hear softens their hearts, and, although they break the priest’s oboe, they decide to spare his life. The viewer observes a small miracle, as a beautiful melody makes the native warriors lower their bow and arrows at the sound of the beautiful melody.

A recent article by Dan Golding on ABC.net ponders a question of why the music of The Mission is more enduring than the film itself. The author asserts: “The answer to The Mission’s popularity in part lies in 'Gabriel’s Oboe,' a soaring main theme for the film written in a post-Renaissance style, full of ornamentation and intricacy.” In the beginning, the melody expresses sublime peace, but as it goes along, it adds a pleading quality and we hear a question that is answered with another question, until everything is resolved and the contentment settles in. The scene with Fr. Gabriel and the natives is narrated by the voice of another character from the movie, Cardinal Altamarino who is marveling on the effect the music had on the natives: “With an orchestra, the Jesuits could have subdued the whole continent. So it was that the Indians of the Guarani were brought finally to account for the everlasting mercy of God, and to the short-lived mercy of man.”

In my opinion, the key word for the mood of this music is “mercy.” The word “mercy” is like a double-edged sword. It pre-supposes a soul in distress, crying out desperately for help – and, at the same time, the help, the salvation it receives in return. Perhaps, this is why we, like the Guarani people, are moved by this melody, that is sweet and sad, content and longing, undisturbed and trying to break free – all at the same time. When the words fail – let the music begin! LISTEN to it HERE