musicians of old

Chapter 792 Debate
As Fanning thought so, his eyes slowly swept across the honeycomb-shaped grooves carved on one side of the wall.

They resemble the interior of a giant organ, filled with piles of parchment scrolls that have passed final review from the previous batch.

This is a temporary storage place for scriptures and music scores, and all my work for the past three days is here.

Some of them are also tied with different classification markers, such as red silk for heresy, gold thread for nobility dedication, white feathers meaning that the submitter has a letter of recommendation from an important person, and linen gray ribbons for ancient books that need further repair.

The proportion of red silk is surprisingly high, and it is separated from other scrolls.

So-called heresy.
Well, in the past two years, there have indeed been some unsettled movements or rumors in the entire Metraun area and within the monastery: the lord and the bishop are fighting openly and secretly, there are heretics among the people who are misleading the believers, and at the beginning of the year, a prominent family was raided and put on trial for various crimes.
But Fanning has always been calm and composed.

"Art should serve divine conscience." - This is Fanning's inner moral code.

His interpersonal relationships were very clean, and he had been working for the Lord since he became an adult. Even if there were any conflicts within his family, it would not be easy to implicate him.

As for the review of the music scores, although the people above have their own considerations in how to make the final decision and how to deal with it, Fanning always gives his first opinion truthfully.

His basis only comes from two points: one is the meaning of scriptures and historical records, and the other is the beauty and harmony of music.

Whether it is a new task or commission, just accept it with peace of mind according to your position.

At lunch, Fanning remained silent as he slowly finished the nuns' hummus and honey-roasted pumpkin, which he topped with cheese, and a mug of the abbey's own ale.

It is now the Lent period before Easter. The law stipulates that monks abstain from all meat and dairy products, but pragmatism allows flexibility in implementation, such as "you can drink light wine but not party wine, you can eat fish and poultry but not red meat, and eggs and milk are legal within daily restrictions."

Especially with Fanning's position, he does not need to go to the dining area for centralized meals, and bread and vegetables can basically be supplied on demand. The daily quota of eggs and cheese is 2 eggs, and the daily quota of light beer is doubled to 4 liters during the fasting period.

Fanning always generously gave the remaining amount to other outstanding monks and apprentices, which made his colleagues in the review room respect this young mentor even more.

After lunch, Fanning walked out of the room and through the corridor.

Apprentices were still working in groups in several cubicles, with the monks supervising their progress and accuracy, and their partially hunched backs were left in front of the arched windows of the west wing.

Coming to the bronze mirror in front of the steps, Fan Ning checked his appearance.

He was still wearing the unbleached camel-colored wool monk's robe, which had double deerskin patches sewn on the elbows due to long-term wear and tear from working at the desk. He wore an expensive linen shirt underneath, and a purple rope around his waist, symbolizing his status as the chief music copyist.

After making sure that his appearance remained appropriate, Fanning walked out of the tower built adjacent to the church. The air outside was fresher, with the scent of chestnut trees in spring.

The monastery covers a very large area. In addition to the religious core areas such as the church, it also has accommodation areas, warehouses, workshops, hospitals, medicine gardens, and farms. There are also guest houses, markets, holy spring pavilions, and pilgrims' baths on the periphery.

As Fanning walked, his eyes remained steady, his hands folded under his robe. Along the way, he met several groups of noble visitors who came to buy indulgences, and he only addressed them respectfully as "Your Excellency" and nodded.

We walked all the way like this and arrived at the court of the tribunal.

The architecture here is restrained in shape, with grey tones and a faint austere atmosphere. It is very high but has only one floor. The interrogation room, dungeon and water dungeon below, as well as the execution ground and cemetery further back occupy most of the space.

Fanning walked straight to the courtroom on the first floor. Its floor was in the shape of an ascending trapezoid, with a great depth. It was equipped with a judgment table, altar, code wall, inquiry seat and more witness seats. However, it was naturally empty now and the light was very dim.

Pushing open an inconspicuous small door on the left, Fanning met Abbot Bogrei and six other senior clergymen of the Friars' Tribunal in the secret meeting room.

"May grace, mercy and peace be upon Fanning, who follows the will of the Lord, obeys the laws and promises in life, and is a servant of the Holy Spirit."

Fan Ning faced everyone's gaze and saluted calmly.

“Brother Fanning, may your hands be raised higher than the devil, and may all enemies be eliminated.”

Bogre, dressed in a black woolen robe, has gray hair on his temples and a stern face. There is a scar across the bridge of his hooked nose, and the gap from the tooth injury is faintly visible on his lower lip. When he sits upright, his spine is always as straight as a knife.

At this moment, he folded his hands on the human skin cover of "The Law of Conviction of Heresy" and motioned Fanning to sit opposite him.

"The number of offerings reviewed by the Sacred Music Review Institute in the past three days is over 200?"

"A total of 224 cases."

"You will get real results if you willingly work with your hands to expose the devil's temptations."

“Therefore, since I have received this ministry through mercy, I do not lose heart.

“Have the standards been relaxed?”

"All His laws are before me, and I have never departed from His statutes." Fanning faced seven pairs of eyes and answered them calmly. Pogre nodded, pulled out the list under the "Law on Conviction of Heresy", turned his head, and pushed it forward -

The list slid along the long stone table to Fanning's front.

"Circle the items you have previously designated as filthy and heretical."

Fanning picked up the crow feather pen, dipped it in red ink, and began to sketch.

Although the list only contains the names of the donors and dates, I have personally read the scriptures and music papers behind these 224 cases and am extremely familiar with them.

"A total of 17 cases." Fanning put down the quill.

A high-ranking clergyman who was closer to him took it and handed it back to Pogre.

"Only 17 cases of heresy?"

"Yes."

"The rest can be considered clean?"

Fanning hesitated for a moment and then answered carefully: "I have only ruled on 17 cases of blasphemy, and recommended 25 cases as acceptable as sacred music material."

"As for the remaining 182 cases, they are neither grace nor blasphemy, but are just mediocre works."

Bogre listened expressionlessly, without making any comment. He just slowly uncovered the taller pile of parchment scrolls next to him:

"Brother Fanning, in the 17th bar of this copy of the Apostle's Prayer, the soprano part and the melodic part form a diminished fifth interval, but you didn't wear a red silk ribbon?"

Fanning glanced at the score from a distance and explained, "Mr. Dean, that is Musica Ficta. The B flat modified by falsetto actually constitutes a perfect fifth."

"The B flat note is not within the key. Does it constitute blasphemy to use a temporary perfect fifth to praise purity?" A senior clergyman questioned from the second seat on the right.

"According to Chapter 9 of Guido da Lezzo's Canon of Sacred Music, temporary lowering of notes is permitted before Easter, but sharpening of notes should be used with caution," Fanning quoted the source without batting an eyelid.

"But Amos 5:23 says, 'Do not listen to false voices.' False voices are like heretics using sweet rhetoric to cover up poison." The monk in the third seat on the right spoke up.

"The rules for the use of false sounds were further improved and established by the Monastery of St. Gall a hundred years ago. Pope Innocent I once called it 'like an angel mending a torn robe.'" Fanning prayed to him.

"If the holy robe is stained with filthy blood, shouldn't it be burned in its entirety?" Pogre said from the chief seat. "Look at the 33rd bar of the 'Hymn of the Holy Communion' again. Parallel fifths appear frequently. Why isn't there a red silk band?"

Fanning calmly explained: "That is the overlap of the organ retentive sound and the vocal line. In the actual performance, the child's voice sings an octave higher, forming the allowed parallel twelfth degree."

"The devil is best at using terminology to weave a web." The third senior clergyman on the right row stared at Fanning, "Does the actual pure interval hearing violate the principle of 'each voice independently glorifies the Father'?"

"This technique was used in early polyphonic chants such as the parallel organum, where appropriate symbols were used to symbolize the 'echo of the earthly and heavenly,'" Fanning said.

The senior clergy were speechless for a moment.

Pogre opened a scripture: "Leviticus 19:19 says, 'You shall keep my statutes: You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, and you shall not make a garment of two kinds of material for your clothing.'"

After hearing this, Fanning finally fell silent.

Bogre looked at the young man opposite him and said calmly, "Brother Fanning, let me ask again, for the remaining 182 cases, are you guaranteeing their purity with what you just said?"

"What I just said is that they are mediocre." Fanning still frowned, "But if there are any parts that are not sacred and dignified, I am afraid that the author did not intend it."

"So you have identified only 17 cases of people being tempted by the devil." Pogre stared at him, emphasizing the word "confirmed".

".Only 17 cases." Fanning hesitated, but still nodded.

"Well."

Bogre reached out and picked up a crow feather pen, dipped it into the bright red ink bottle, and then held it out to Fanning.

Fanning had no choice but to take it.

"Then please ask Mr. Chief Scribe to circle out the 'suspected' heretics on top of the 'confirmed' ones."