#jeff williams

Dies iræ is a fun little ditty that countless artists across countless genres and mediums have made reference to since the 1200s* (<- the actual date of inception of the Dies iræ is a heated topic of debate among historians. I have doubtless declared war in my ignorance by writing down this century instead of other academically agreed upon time periods.) In this context, I am referring to the musical motif of the Dies iræ as it has been popularized in modern media.

You can find this all out for yourself via some quick googling with the correct spelling, but Dies iræ literally means “Day of Wrath” in its origin Latin Gregorian chant; which is referring to the liturgical “day of judgment”. It mainly symbolizes Death! A funeral march! And the Apocalypse! The end of all things as we know it!!!

The melody itself is memetic and ticks like a clock! Some instances of the Dies iræ you’re likely to instantly recognize are:

Giuseppe Verdi - Requiem - Dies irae ->

Hector Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique - Dream Of A Witches Sabbath ->

Main Title Theme from The Shining ->

So, what’s it doing in my silly joke Venn diagram?

The Dies iræ is a prominent fixture in the Silksong soundtrack, but no one at Team Cherry is going to tell you that directly. Gotta have your ears peeled and be listening for it! [see clip at the start of this post ^ scroll back up I’ll wait]

This is just for fun (we have fun here!) but it’s pretty obvious to me Ruby Rose and Hornet Silksong are inseparably linked to death as characters within their own stories. And I just think they’re neat! Silver eyes, my white whale. Ouuughh Elegy of the Deep.

You can find an illustrative breakdown of the Dies iræ’s pervading presence in the Silksong Soundtrack on YouTube here.

The Dies iræ is also present in the RWBY soundtrack + score. Changyuraptor has hundreds of deep dives into RWBY leitmotifs and musical theming on YouTube here. +Fun supplemental video about the RWBY score by Smaller Soul:

Composers have a huge responsibility when they're hired to write music for movies. They need to set the right tone for not only the scene itself, but for the whole arc of the movie's storyline. Submitters sent in their favorite choices for movie music that set the tone in this way, and now you get to vote for the best one!

The Boondock Saints is a 1999 vigilante action thriller film following Irish fraternal twin brothers who become vigilantes after killing two members of the Russian mafia in self defense. After both experience an epiphany, the twins, together with their mutual best friend, set out on a mission to rid Boston of the criminal underworld in the name of God, all the while being pursued by an FBI Special Agent.

The music for this film was written by Jeff Danna; this piece, which went on to be known as the theme to The Boondock Saints, was first released on his joint album with his brother Mychael Danna, 1998's A Celtic Romance: Legend of Liadain and Curithir.

Star Wars IV: A New Hope was the first movie in the immensely popular Star Wars franchise, which spans movies, series, and books. Its title was originally merely Star Wars, but when its scope was raised by the addition of sequels and then prequels, the title was retroactively changed. The storyline of this film follows Luke Skywalker, who's coming of age on a backwater planet, unknowingly being hidden from the villainous Darth Vader. However, when the rebel leader Princess Leia is captured by the Galactic Empire, Luke Skywalker acquires stolen architectural plans for the Death Star and sets out to rescue her, all while learning the ways of a metaphysical power known as "the Force" from the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The score for this movie was written by John Williams.