Service of All the Dead. A Review + Music, Art, Literary References, Locations etc.

Chris Sullivan

10 years ago

Hello everyone and welcome to my review and overview of the Morse episode, Service of All the Dead. This was one of my first posts so it is not as comprehensive as my later posts. But, I am returning every so often to add more information to this post.

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Originally aired in the UK on 20th Januaray 1987.

Book Published in 1979

Colin Dexter can be spotted at 34m19s speaking to a student in the background while in the Foreground Morse talks to the archdeacon.

Directed by Peter Hammond.

Screenplay by Julian Mitchell.

Jag Rating (out of ten)

Please feel free to leave any comments. There is a link at the bottom of the page.

Synopsis

During a service of The Feast of the Conversion of St. Augustine at St. Oswalds the church warden is murdered by all intents and purposes by a local tramp, (in this day of political correctness I was wondering what term would the PC brigade prefer to the word ‘tramp’. I came up with Residentially Challenged). Anyway, Max, the pathologist informs Morse that the Church Warden was dead before he was stabbed with the letter opener that had been plunged into his chest. More deaths occur relating to the parishioners of St. Oswalds and Morse and Lewis look to solve the crime before there are no congregation left to attend St. Oswalds.

St Augustine

Review

This is the third and last episode of the first series and as Morse tiptoes his way between the dead bodies he manages to attain his first kiss of the series.

Morse kisses Ruth Rawlinson. (Women around the country wish it was them being kissed by Morse).

A very good episode that not only cements many of Morse’s traits but also one feels he and Lewis forming a connection beyond Chief Inspector and Sergeant. Those traits are a fondness for the ladies, beer, a dislike of religion, his love of classical music and his dislike of any other types of music. When Ruth Rawlinson states what type of music she believes Morse listens to, i.e. Jazz, Morse simply replies, “Music.” Of course let us not forget the other trait that surfaces, acrophobia. When on the church roof Lewis asks Morse if he is alright. Morse replies, “I’m scared of bloody heights, you stupid sod.”

“I’m scared of bloody heights, you stupid sod.”

One outstanding feature of the episode is the way in which it is shot. Through almost the entire episode the characters are filmed reflected in mirrors or glass or other reflective surfaces. These ‘reflections’ become less frequent as the episode draws to its climax which I assume is an allusion to Morse and Lewis beginning to get closer to solving the case. The use of mirrors and glass could be a reference to the phrase ‘smoke and mirrors’ when discussing magic and illusion which is probably how Morse perceives religion. St. Oswalds was dark and lit mostly by candles which produce ‘smoke’ and had numerous mirrors and sections of glass. I know in the Jewish religion that mirrors are covered when someone dies but I am not aware of any similar custom within the Church of England. It all could simply be an allusion to Morse and Lewis not being able to see the suspects as they really are; never being able to see their true selves only the images they wish to reflect.

Their are a few literary flourishes in the episode. Firstly, Morse is talking to Lewis about the tramp that maybe implicated in the murder of the church warden while flipping through a copy of Samuel Beckett’s ‘Waiting for Godot’. The tramp characters, Vladimir and Estragon, in Beckett’s play are probably the most famous tramps in English Literature.

Secondly, is the reference to ‘the curious incident of the dog in the night’. This is from the Sherlock Holmes story, ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’. (Correction. Thank you to Graham Barratt for pointing out my lazy assumption regarding the quote. As Graham pointed out the quote comes form the Sherlock story, Silver Blaze. Note to self do not write blog after the hours of midnight).

Overall it is a very good episode though I did think the body count was rather high and I wasn’t convinced that all the murders were necessary. However, the viewing figures were the highest of the first three episodes so that probably guaranteed a second series.

MUSIC

The acronym BWV that is shown at the end of all Johann Sebastian Bach compositions relates to the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (Bach Works Catalogue). It’s the numbering system identifying compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach.

00h00m33s

The first piece of music is played over the opening credits and the first scenes in the church. The piece is ‘Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, BWV 543‘ by the German Johann Sebastian Bach, (1685-1750). Bach is one of my favourites composers.

00h03m53s

Next up we have Morse leaving a shop having bought a new cassette which he proceeds to play while on his way to the scene of the first murder. The piece is by the German composer Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826) and is titled ‘Overture Euryanthe: Allegro marcato, con molto fuoco’.

I’m afraid there is no Youtube video of the Weber piece and the two that I found were unavailable in my country.

00h21m54s

We are back in the church were we find the following piece of music being played and being accompanied by a choir. It is a beautiful piece by the Austrian composer Anton Bruckner (1824-1896) ‘Locus iste‘.

Thanks to one of my regular readers A.B. ( a big thank you as always A.B.) it has been pointed out I missed piece of music titled “Missa Brevis – Agnus Dei” at 00h24m20s by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594). Missa brevis is Latin for “short Mass”.

00h45m55s

Next up we have another Bach piece being played in the church by Paul Morris. The music is called Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C, BMV 564.

01h01m10s

Back in Morse’s house we find Morse lying on the settee thinking about Ruth Rawlinson. On his record player he is playing ‘Acte IV: Sola, Perduta abbandonata‘ from the Puccini opera ‘Manon Lescaut’. Puccini’s full name is Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini. Born: 1858 in Italy and died 1924.

ART

The first piece of art we encounter is at 00h08m21s when Morse has just left examining the body of the first victim.

I have no idea regarding the artist but the subject matter is obviously Saint Sebastianan early Christian saint and martyr. More often than not he is depicted in art and literature tied to a post or tree and shot with arrows. In more recent times the Saint Sebastian is thought of as a “homosexual icon”. Many art critics have agreed that the homosexual subtext is perceptible in paintings since the Renaissance. This image could have been included to have the viewer believe that the episode had homosexual undertones in particular regarding the vicar Lionel Pawlin.

At 00h40m46s we find Morse on the telephone in his house hallway. Above him is a painting which for the moment I cannot identify. Modigliani was the obvious choice but it isn’t that. The problem is that I also cannot get a good look at it. I did quickly scan all the other episodes for a better look at the painting but to no avail.

A huge thank you to Nancy who has identified the above painting. It is Semi-Nude Girl, Reclining by Egon Schiele. Here is a better look at the painting.

Thank you Nancy.

—————

Next up is not a painting but an allusion to the wonderful paintings of Sir John Everett Millais. The scene I am referring to is where we see Brenda Josephs lying dead in a punt, (01h05m18s)

The scene I believe is in reference to Millais sublime painting ‘Ophelia‘.

The way in which Ophelia is posed in the picture, her open arms and upward gaze, is said to symbolise the traditional portrayal of saints or martyrs. Brenda is also posed in a similar way and this would correspond with the theme and content of the episode.

The next scene is when Morse is talking to the Church Warden at 01h10m55s.

Unfortunately this another one in which I cannot identify the painting. I am not a fan of art iconography so that doesn’t help. The subject is of course the Madonna and Child. I am keeping a folder of all the paintings I can’t identify in the hope I will eventually stumble upon an identification.

Thanks to Nancy who identified this etching in Morse’s house.

Hadrian’s Villa, Tivoli, The Canopus 1768 by Giovanni Battista Piranesi.

Thank you Nancy.

Literary References

The title of the episode, ‘Service of all the Dead’ probably alludes to a poem by D.H. Lawrence with the same title and in another Lawrence poem, ‘All Souls’ the first line contains the words, ‘service of all the dead’.

SERVICE OF ALL THE DEAD

Between the avenues of cypresses,
All in their scarlet cloaks, and surplices
Of linen, go the chaunting choristers,
The priests in gold and black, the villagers.

And all along the path to the cemetery
The round, dark heads of men crowd silently
And black-scarved faces of women-folk, wistfully
Watch at the banner of death, and the mystery.

And at the foot of a grave a father stands
With sunken head, and forgotten, folded hands;
And at the foot of a grave a soman kneels
With pale shut face, and neither hears not feels

The coming of the chaunting choristers
Between the avenues of cypresses,
The silence of the many villagers,
The candle-flames beside the surplices.

ALL SOULS

They are chanting now the service of All the Dead
And the village folk outside in the burying ground
Listen – except those who strive with their dead,
Reaching out in anguish, yet unable quite to touch them:
Those villagers isolated at the grave
Where the candles burn in the daylight, and the painted wreaths
Are propped on end, there, where the mystery starts.

The naked candles burn on every grave.
On your grave, in England, the weeds grow.

But I am your naked candle burning,
And that is not your grave, in England,
The world is your grave.
And my naked body standing on your grave
Upright towards heaven is burning off to you
Its flame of life, now and always, till the end.

It is my offering to you; every day is All Souls’ Day.

I forget you, have forgotten you.
I am busy only at my burning,
I am busy only at my life.
But my feet are on your grave, planted.
And when I lift my face, it is a flame that goes up
To the other world, where you are now.
But I am not concerned with you.
I have forgotten you.

I am a naked candle burning on your grave.

00h26m43s

Morse and Lewis are standing in the churchyard discussing what they witnessed while watching the church service. Lewis talks about putting the wine into a cup. Morse corrects him by telling him the ‘cup’ is called a chalice. Morse then says, “Poisoned chalice, indeed“.

The phrase ‘poisoned chalice‘ was first mentioned in Shakespeare‘s ‘Macbeth‘. It is from act one, scene seven;

“To plague th’ inventor: this even-handed justice
Commends the ingredients of our poisoned chalice
To our own lips.”

00h35m58s

Lewis and Morse are discussing where the tramp Swanpole is while Morse flicks through a copy of Samuel Beckett‘s play ‘Waiting for Godot‘.

‘Waiting for Godot‘ involves two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, (both tramps) waiting endlessly for the arrival of someone named Godot who actually never turns up.

Next up is the scene where Morse and Lewis are searching through the diary of Harry Josephs, (01h09m30s). During there conversation is the reference to ‘the curious incident of the dog in the night’. This is from the Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes story, ‘The Adventure of Silver Blaze‘. Morse and the custody sergeant who is helping, almost quote verbatim the scene from the Holmes story;

Gregory (Scotland Yard detective): “Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention?”
Holmes: “To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.”
Gregory: “The dog did nothing in the night-time.”
Holmes: “That was the curious incident.”

Locations:

34m –

Morse talks to the Archdeacon. (Colin Dexter can be seen talking to a girl).

Dorney Court, Dorney, Buckinghamshire. Where Ruth Rawlinson worked.

Merton College, Merton Street, Oxford. Where Morse interviews the Archdeacon.

———————————

The internal shots of the church are I believe St. Cross Church, St. Cross Road, Oxford. (St. Oswalds). However, the external shots are of the grounds of St Michael’s Church, High Street, Bray. When Lional Paulin leaps from the top of the church it gives a good view of the church tower.

Looking at the above photograph you will see on the side elevation a clock. If we look at the photo below we see the clock plus the other identifying parts like the arched double window above the clock. Below the clock is the small oblong shaped window and below that is a small statue.