Compositional Notes
This piece of music does not follow the events of a specific story line. It is a piece of music dedicated to the memory of Jacques de Molay.
Jacques de Molay was the twenty-third and final Grand Master of an order of monastic knights and soldiers known as the Knights Templar from April 1292 until his death.
The order of the Knights Templar were considered to be elite soldiers in their day, known for acts of heroism and valour during the battles of the Crusades. The Order of the Knights Templar was also extremely wealthy and politically very powerful, so much so that King Phillip IV of France wanted to assume control. Unfortunately for the Knights Templar, rumours about the order – both perverse and heretic – emerged and were to be exploited by the King for his own ends.
On 14 September, in great secrecy, the King sent out orders throughout France for the simultaneous mass arrests of all Templars and the confiscation of their possessions and assets. This act was to be carried out on Friday, 13 October 1307 and included the arrest of Jacques de Molay - who was in Paris at that time.
For the next seven years, Jacque de Molay - around 60 years old - was imprisoned and subject to torture to extract confession and answer the charges of heresy from King Philip IV and Pope Clement V.
Jacques de Molay protested the innocence of both himself and the Order right to the end, even challenging the King and the Pope before God. This was too much for the King who then ordered his execution.
On March 18th, 1314 Jacques de Molay was burned alive on the Ile dl la Cite in Paris over a fire of dry wood ensuring that he died in the agony of burning in the flames thereby denying him the luxury of losing consciousness first due to smoke inhalation. |
