Music, once admitted to the soul, becomes a
sort of spirit, and never dies.
~Edward George Bulwer-Lytton
A fellow musician of my husband's died a few weeks ago. Thursday there will be a memorial service to honor this man. An APB has gone out to those who knew him to come join what will be basically a grand jam session.
The thought of people joining together to play from their hearts in honor of a friend touches me. He has played with some of the best over the past decades--he was one of the best himself--and it will be a stellar gathering. (The definitions of "stellar" include: of or relating to the stars; composed of stars; outstanding. Interesting that that word should occur to me here.)
It feels strange to say that I feel excited about going to this memorial service. But this promises to be one of those times when sad and glad mingle to make a phantom harmonic, of music and of people.
2 comments:
mamie, I so "get it" -- having been born into a musical family, there is nothing better than the sound of live music, especially from musicians who are not only talented at what they do, but play from the heart.
Incidentally, we wanted to do a massive jam session for my dad this year (landmark b-day); but, sadly, we're having trouble putting it together logistically and financially. We're still gonna try -- a musical celebration for the living is even sweeter. But, I think the memorial service you are attending will be more uplifting than anything else.
Hope you can put it together for your dad. It would be a treat for him to participate, I'm sure.
I'm reminded now that one of the finest funerals I ever attended was for Burt Massengale. He was the bandmaster for a big band well known in the southeast. Not a dry eye in the house, but musically it was a hit.
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