Blest are they who are sorrowful, for they shall have comfort.
Blest are they that mourn, for they shall have comfort.
-Brahms’ “Requiem”
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Dr Neuen, my Chorale director was at the funeral on Sunday. I guess he is Lee and Lani’s neighbor. Small small world. He paused in the middle of rehearsal yesterday to talk a bit about it and relate it to the Brahms piece we’re singing. As soon as he started talking about it, I knew that it was the same one, and I was really shaken up. As he described the tragedy of the accident, the deaths, the injuries, and the aftermath, I saw the faces of 100 choirmates fall. It was a hard sight to see. I mean, at church and at the funeral, I had seen the pain in everybody’s face as we were hit by the news and have continued to mourn and dwell on the everything. I have told a few other people who are outside of the situation since it has shaped a lot of what the last few months have been for a lot of us. But to see the severity of it all suddenly impact 100 people who do not know the Swards, who never saw Isaac, renewed the pain for me. Last night was one of tossing and turning, as I was unable to shake several images from my mind, and was just thinking things through, mourning, questioning.
Singing the Requiem this quarter has been a good, healing, experience. I just pray that the words would prove to be true once again. Lord, comfort all of us. Be with the Swards and the Amaviscas.
