The November sky was undecided. Clouds sulked, perhaps over the rips and tears that allowed the blue to show. Rain had fallen in the night, but family and friends gathered with no need for umbrellas. They drew close together, more for comfort than for warmth. There were words shared, and prayers, and then memories. Then, the blessing...
Four skilled musicians comprised a brass quartet, three of them playing French horns. The contour of the grounds combined with the surrounding trees to form a resonant acoustic chamber, multiplying the instruments without distortion. After the first line of “Nearer, My God, To Thee,” the quartet broke into perfect four-part harmony, the setting of creation resounding as would a well-crafted violin. They transitioned to “God Be With You 'Til We Meet Again,” and as the minor voices of the horns closed in unison, and the final note trembled into silence, the lingering hush was broken by the plaintive voice of a single killdeer adding his quiet, “Amen! Amen!” One of the musicians looked in the direction of the bird, and smiled. The family and friends drifted away, but the sacred hush remained, scarcely disturbed by the dozen killdeer who continued to send forth their “Amen!”
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