Over the Christmas holidays, I visited the Titanic exhibition by Liverpool docks. The whole exhibition was incredibly thought-provoking; however, the part that stayed with me most was hearing about the musicians, who continued to play right until the end. Supposedly, the last song they played was a hymn- 'Nearer my God to Thee'. I used the lyrics to form the basis of a creative piece, my tribute to those incredibly brave individuals, who, for me, sum up hope and humanity.
Nearer, Ever Nearer
“Many brave things were
done that night, but none were more brave than those done by men
playing minute after minute as the ship settled quietly lower and
lower in the sea. The music they played served alike as their own
immortal requiem and their right to be recalled on the scrolls of
undying fame”- Second class Titanic passenger
The end approached.
Sunset had occurred hours
before; it was the darkness that enveloped them, the stars and moon
that watched, silently. Did anyone watch them, in return? Not the
musicians. At the count, they picked up their instruments, began
plucking at the tunes that had been their lifeblood:
'Yet in my dreams I'll be
Nearer my God to Thee'
For others, the way was
lit. The lifeboats were dropped- women and children first, then men.
Inadequate even in capacity, they were sent half-empty. Not that that
mattered to the band, continuing their task of mercy, heading
towards- what? A reward, granted from the steps of Heaven? Whether
they thought of that or not, whether they doubted, whether their
faith was lost or strengthened, still they continued:
'Yet in my dreams I'll be
Nearer my God to Thee'
Even as they sank lower,
the icy claws of the water grasping at more and more of hope, the
same strains played strong. Was there hysteria? Could they be heard,
those simple airs, above the screams and fright? They say that Death
turns even the strongest into someone to be held- yet those men
couldn't, for they had to hold. Objects once made of string and wood
became much more, became the only lifeboats those left would have.
Maybe the stars, too, appeared greater than their sum of carbon,
turning from fire into angels, beckoning to the angel-song below:
'Yet in my dreams I'll be
Nearer my God to Thee'
Lastly, finally, the
darkness gave way. The end came, as hearts, lungs and minds were
frozen. The water that had taken so much took it all; stole their
breath, their lives, thrust them into an eternal sleep. Upwards,
upwards, surpassing those very stars that had looked upon them all
the while. And yet, with their final act, those individuals had
closed Pandora's Box, leaving their final requiem to the world- a
lasting act of hope and humanity- and still, their song will be:
'Nearer my God to Thee'