Today's "Requiem" concert just got a lot more personal for me

[Scott Semester]

Shortly after yesterday's dress rehearsal for today's "Requiem" concert at St. Luke's, I got an e-mail letting me know that a dear friend and fellow choir member had passed away. Bob Butler, a good friend and a good man, had been hospitalized recently, and his condition had worsened over the past few days, and now he's gone Home.

Bob was one of the first people to welcome me to the St. Luke's Chancel Choir when I started singing there four years ago. He helped me get oriented to the way the choir rehearsals and performances worked, and he always had a great smile to share, especially when he welcomed me back to the choir after I took about a year off when I worked at another church. Bob was always there, faithfully occupying "his" place in the front row, very end seat in the baritone section. Steady is a word I would use to describe Bob. Steady and dependable and faithful.

Today's concert will go on as planned, and I understand we'll be keeping "Bob's seat" open for him. The thing that strikes me is that, up until now, this business of singing a "Requiem" has been a largely theoretical exercise for me -- proclaiming God's love and comfort for an anonymous audience. But now, as we sing this concert, the members of the choir will be ministering to each other as much as to those in attendance.

So, if you're planning to come, be aware that I'm not exactly sure what to expect from this afternoon. As we've been discussing and preparing for this concert, we've readied ourselves for a variety of emotional responses from the audience, but we didn't really plan for a contingency like this one. Hopefully, we'll be able to connect with the uplifting message of promise and inspiration that is at the foundation of Mack Wilberg's "Requiem" and deliver that message to you, the audience, as well as to each other.