Seraphic

A couple of years ago, Seraphic Fire received a $25,000 grant and decided to tackle a big project: recording Claudio Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610, one of the greatest choral works of all time.

the Seraphic Doctor, title given to the Italian medieval theologian Bonaventure

Who forthwith from the glittering Staff unfurld / Th’ imperial Enſign, which full high advanc’t / Shon like a Meteor ſtreaming to the Wind / With Gemms and Golden luſtre rich imblaz’d, / Seraphic arms and Trophies : all the while / Sonorous metal blowing Martial ſounds[…]

Ye Hoſts that to his Courts belong, / Cherubic Quires, Seraphic Flames, / Awake the everlaſting Song.

A thousand times he was like to have denyed all, but durst not defame the most sacred Idol of his Soul: Sometimes he thought his Uncle would be generous, and think it fit to give him Silvia; but that Thought was too Seraphick to remain a Moment in his Heart.

Their passion seems to have been of the seraphic kind. She devoted herself to religion, and persuaded him to do the same.

Too white, for the flower of life is red; Her flesh was the soft, seraphic screen Of a soul that is meant (her parents said) To just see earth, and hardly be seen, And blossom in Heaven instead.

She had a seraphic smile on her face.

So instead of Tesfaye’s seraphic warble, Hanley offers earthier, gruffer tones: you get the impression, considering the casual sexism and more conventional machismo on display here, that the rarefied, stylised and feminised would be unacceptable in his world.