Strangely enough, I was remembering this day in a small village in the foothills of the Italian Alps, with a concert which included a Requiem (by John Rutter, not one of the good ones). The village was the first Italian place to see action in WWI, when the German and Austrians came over the mountains.

The concert was delayed in starting (no unusual thing in Italy) by the Priest having to say the Rosary for a person who had died in the parish that day. As a result, our concert became part of the rosary, with the Magnificat (My soul magnifys the Lord) the Priest's blessing and then the Nunc Dimitis (Now let my soul depart in peace). It concluded with the Requiem ~ we couldn't have picked a better programme for that day or that place..... and for the circumstances over which we had no control at all.

It made the entire evening so much more significant and special for all.

LTS