I watched The Choral the other day and I must say I fell in love with a piece of poetry by John Henry Newman

Farewell, but not for ever! brother dear,
Be brave and patient on thy bed of sorrow;
Swiftly shall pass thy night of trial here,
And I will come and wake thee on the morrow.

It’s a simple story.

As the name suggests, Gerontius, Mr Duxbury, is an old man who, in the first part of the oratorio, is on his deathbed.
It’s quite short and ends with his death.
In the second part, there is some delay while the destiny of Gerontius’ soul is decided.

You see?
You always have to queue.

Heaven’ll be the same.

In this case, it’s because the forces of good and evil are contending for Gerontius’ soul, with the music given to the demons very dramatic, while the Angel, and that will be Mary…
The salvation of Gerontius is what she wants.
And Mitch wanting the other.
To cut it short, the Angel wins, and the oratorio ends with her conveying his soul to Purgatory with a promise to lead him from there into the presence of God.

Not much of a story, is it?

You don’t have to believe it.
I always took the Matthew Passion with a pinch of salt.

---

Read the full text here: https://www.newmanreader.org/works/verses/gerontius.html

Angel

Softly and gently, dearly-ransom’d soul,

In my most loving arms I now enfold thee,

And, o’er the penal waters, as they roll,

I poise thee, and I lower thee, and hold thee.

And carefully I dip thee in the lake,

And thou, without a sob or a resistance,

Dost through the flood thy rapid passage take,

Sinking deep, deeper, into the dim distance. {370}

Angels, to whom the willing task is given,

Shall tend, and nurse, and lull thee, as thou liest;

And masses on the earth, and prayers in heaven,

Shall aid thee at the Throne of the Most Highest.

Farewell, but not for ever! brother dear,

Be brave and patient on thy bed of sorrow;

Swiftly shall pass thy night of trial here,

And I will come and wake thee on the morrow.