This week saw Michaelmas, not only the start of a traditional academic year (in at least some ancient universities), but the feast of St Michael and All Angels. It seemed obvious to me, therefore, that this instalment of the blog should consider some musical evocation of angels. Though there are several one might have chosen, I have gone for one which might not be thought the most obvious.

The first of three ‘Mélodies’ written by Erik Satie setting texts by Patrice Contamine de Latour – Spanish born, but living in Paris – is entitled simply ‘les anges’ ‘the angels’. The line of the text taken as title of this post is perhaps the oddest piece of imagery describing angels flying, described as in a clear sky above the sea, and perhaps more musically as playing lutes in divine harmony, their voices rising like incense.

That rise is illustrated by the piano opening with an ascending arpeggio, and the floating flight of the heavenly being perhaps encapsulated in Satie’s deceptively simple but rather untethered harmony: verses do end with a perfect cadence in D Major, but the tonic is rather avoided between these moments.

These melodies were composed in 1886. Around 1890 Satie got involved in mystical Rosicrucianism though not long after he set up his own esoteric church – Église Métropolitaine d’Art de Jésus Conducteur – so it is hard to suggest traditional Christian theology as a big part of his inspiration, though mysticism has its own venerability and traditions.

The nature of angels has been subject to a lot of theological thinking over the centuries, and assuming tradition to be a decent source for theology we have to assume that angelology is meaningful, though sources of knowledge about such beings are not very solid. Nevertheless, within the octave of the feast of all angels, perhaps Satie’s little song can help orient us to the sense of otherness and mystery that is inherent in consideration of things of which we can know but little. Those there are, of course, who would argue that all of theology falls into that bracket; why, though, should that stop us trying?