speed of dark

I'm celebrating Easter weekend by presenting two opposing views in a single post: silly and serious.

For the silly side, we have Easter as an excuse to gobble candy, as exemplified by the photo of Easter peeps above in all their colorful, cloned glory. Any self-respecting Easter basket must contain peeps. But wait before you pop one of those marshmallow confections into your mouth, and ask yourself..."What is this stuff, anyway?" That's a good question, and a fair question, and I'm glad you asked that question.

You probably suppose peeps are nothing but sugar, but you might be wrong. Because there are scientists who have been working to determine the true nature of peeps. Are you aware that peeps cannot be dissolved in either hot or cold water, acetone, sulfuric acid, or sodium hydroxide? That's right--substances that can do harm to people have no effect on peeps. And nothing, not even the noxious solvent phenol, dissolves their beady little off-kilter eyes. Read here if you don't believe me.

Now the serious side. Although I listen to it in all seasons, this song seems perfect for the celebration of mankind's most inspiring and enduring idea: resurrection of hope, triumph over death, and everlasting life. Most cultures, no matter what their religious preference, celebrate this idea, usually as a springtime custom.

The Christian celebration inspired what is in my opinion one of the most wonderful pieces of music ever written for the human voice; and Terre, Suzzy, and Maggie Roche have three of the most perfect voices (and certainly phenomenal timing and pitch) for singing it. I first heard it live when they performed it on a Saturday Night Live Christmas show, and I was stunned, not only by their skill but by their joy in singing. The sheer beauty of it rarely fails to bring tears to my eyes.

Enjoy--from Handel's Messiah:

The Roches: The Hallelujah Chorus

Click here for lyrics to The Hallelujah Chorus and history of Handel's Messiah.

The Roches: website