MEMORIALS AND TRIBUTES

On this Memorial Day it seems the right thing to do, to offer a musical remembrance for those who have died for our country, and also for those (now gone before us) who have been central to our lives and growth as decent human beings. 

Rocco Palmo in his blog "Whispers in the Loggia" traditionally posts the "Nimrod" section from Elgar's Enigma Variations as performed by a British military band in tribute to their fallen ones; for myself, I have in the past (and have again, below) offered the performance by the Chicago Symphony, led by Daniel Barenboim.  In his case, there must have been a double memorial:  officially, it was a tribute to the former CSO music director, Sir Georg Solti, who had just died.  But surely there was the remembrance, too, of Barenboim's deceased wife, the great cellist Jacqueline Du Pre, who died 10 years before this 1997 performance from the complications of multiple sclerosis.

In my own case, as we are heading into our Archdiocesan priests' retreat, I cannot forget the scene some years ago when before our afternoon session Msgr James Oberkirk had a massive heart attack in front of us all, and died.  As we moved from that session into the chapel, Fr Oberkirk's protege was at the organ, and he happened to be playing this particular work.  It was eerie, and deeply moving.

So for all our fallen heroes, named and unnamed; and for all those whom we love-- let's enjoy the day, be thankful for their sacrifices, and re-commit ourselves to faithful service in the name of the One for whom service is most fitting...