…they came from “Ut Queant Laxis,” a well-known hymn of the Middle Ages that was chanted for vespers. Each succeeding line of the song started one note higher than the previous one, so Guido used the first letters of each word of each line: UT queant laxis, REsonare fibris: MIre gestorum , FAmuli tuorum: SOLve, etc. “Ut” was eventually deemed too difficult pronounce and was changed to “Do.”

 

I’m re-reading J.G. Bennett – The Way to be Free. It’s been many years since I first came across it but this bit must’ve stuck somewhere in my head to resurface now.

 

The Octave of Salvation

DO – To know what I want

RE – To find out about the way

MI – To recognise the inherent difficulties

INTERVAL – To decide to work

FA – To work against the Moon (Illusion)

SOL – To live rightly on Earth

LA – To realise my essential being

SI – To be united with Jesus

DO – To penetrate beyond the veil of individual Essence

 

The failure of ordinary life is never to cross the Interval after MI.

The failure of orthodox religion is that it stops at FA.

The failure of mysticism is due to ignorance of the stages SOL and LA….

 

Isn’t that AMAZING?

I love music :o)