Seven Years to Make a Piper

One of our ward members died yesterday. He's been suffering for years, and been in and out of the hospital for 6 months. The past few weeks he's been on life support, and his wife made the decision to (yesterday) remove him from life support. He went Home.

Today at church when this was announced, the ward Kicked Into High Gear! It was amazing to watch! The Young Men and priesthood holders pounced on the RS room and set it up for the viewing on Tuesday. The RS arranged for meals for the family after the funeral, and musical numbers during the funeral. Anybody else who may not have known his wife or him well went up to her today (she was in church, can you believe it?) and gave her a hug and said they loved her. Since it was Fast and Testimony Sunday, many people shared their sympathy for his wife during their testimonies. It was the best thing she could have done, go to church on the day after her husband died. To receive so many hugs and hear so many expressions of love and sympathy and to hear of so many prayers in her behalf must have helped her state of mind a lot. And in actuality, when she first showed up at church, she was crying, but as the 3 hours passed, she just sat and took it all in wifh a look of (nearly) unbelief on her face.

OK, here's the piping part of it: she asked me if I would pipe for her husband's funeral. I think I said I would be honored, but I don't really remember. I started crying, too, and gave her another hug. A quick consultation with the bishop pinpointed my participation to start when the casket leaves the hearse and continues until it reaches the gravesite. After that, there is a 15 minute service and dedication of the grave and then everybody goes home.

So now I'm going through my list of slow airs and am making a list of suitable ones, starting with the best and proceding downwards. Off the top of my head, I'm thinking:

Farewell to Camraw
Flowers of the Forest
Amazing Grace
Bells of Dunblane
Lock Rannoch

I know there's another one that I used for my first year competition, but I can't remember what it is. I'll brush up on that one, too. Dunno how many I'll need, as I don't know how far away from the road the grave is.

Dream Angus.

That's the other one. It's very sad and lovely. I love slow airs.

If I get to the end and they're still walking, I'll start over.

Hope I do well, for her sake. She's had such a rough time.

I'm also taking part in a musical number, singing the alto part of a suitable hymn:

Each Life That Touches Ours For Good

I'm going over to Lois' house after this shift to practice with her and with Marie, the sopranist. I'm glad this happened on a day I could participate.