Marcus Maroney wrote: >I for one do not find the hymn comic at all. Joyous, yes...comic, not in >the least. I think it's more a celebration/plea to Diana. *shrug* I think the comic nature of the song is obvious, at least in the recordings by Pears and Bostridge. The unfestive pace, the coloratura in "excellent" (like a deliberate parody), the silly repeat of the word "Goddess" (utterly uncelebratory), the brisk and most funny "bright" at the end of each strophe. Well, all thinks speaks out for a deliberate comic nature of the piece. (at least IMHO) Robert Peters [log in to unmask]