What kind of prayers do you say at a memorial service? How do you put your sentiments in words or music?
I’ve been thinking of this for weeks now, ever since I was asked to sing at the celebration of life of a wonderful old family friend. He lived a good and long life, married to the same woman for 65 years, with four children and four grandchildren. He took me to see one of the first Broadway shows I ever saw when I was a teen on a business trip to New York. Generous, warm-hearted, funny, vibrant, such a positive thinker that I don’t think he ever said the words “It can’t be done.” That’s faith.
“What were some of his favorite songs?” I asked his widow. She named a few that were definitely out of my vocal range, then mentioned “Bring Him Home” from the musical Les Misérables. “I could do that,” I brazenly said, “a capella, without accompaniment. Would that work?” She and her kids agreed it would be the right choice.
It is a prayer. In the movie version Hugh Jackman makes it an incredibly moving entreaty to God for a young man’s life. “Let him live,” he prays/sings. “Let him be, let him live.” Wouldn’t that be odd to sing at a memorial? I asked myself. But the more I thought of it, it goes with the sentiment nicely of the song, “Bring him home.” Home, that place we live in the next life; home, where we are all headed; home, where we will meet one another again.
Here is a rehearsal I did, just to see how it’ll go. OK, I’m no Hugh Jackman, but God willing, I’ll do all right. As long as I can sing without crying. It’s a prayer that was in a big Broadway hit. It’ll be a prayer for our gathering. May God bring all of us home.
