Blog posting written by Erica Moriarty, Documentary Studies and Production ’16, FLEFF Intern, Houston, Texas

I both love and hate scary movies. Call me a masochist, but I find fun in jumping out of my chair and squealing at the top of my lungs. However, the nights following my viewing of a scary movie are not so enjoyable.

Last night, I listened to Carmina Burana right before bed, which proved to be a less than intelligent decision. As the first song, O Fortuna, played through my computer, I grew increasingly uneasy. I felt myself return to the same fear in the nights after I watched The Exorcist.

My skin clammed up from being tightly cocooned in my comforter. My refrigerator suddenly emitted demon noises. Ghostly shapes kept popping up in my closet, later to be revealed as sweaters.

To calm my nerves, I looked up more on the meaning of O Fortuna. The translation of the last line reads, “Fate strikes down the strong man. Everyone weep with me!” After seeing this, my fear suddenly subsided. Instead, I was sad.

The song wasn’t about demons or ghosts at all. The lyrics simply follow this poor man’s terrible bout of ill fate and misfortune. With this revelation, I continued with my listening and researching of Carmina Burana. My anticipation for the concert during FLEFF in a month grew more than ever before.

Which songs from Carmina Burana are you most excited to hear? Click the link to hear more!