Pachelbel For Cello
The hospice center, which we moved my mother to last Monday, contains seven beds. Helen’s room has wide French Doors which open to a courtyard with song birds, flowers, and even bunnies grazing on those flowers.
Last evening I watched robins bathing in the nearby bird bath. Not indulging in dainty dips, mind you, but more like our dives into the cold lakes of Maine – fully submerged, a leap to the shore and then “a whole lot of shakin’ goin’ on.”
One of my mother’s many friends, Sarah, came by at night to play her cello. Emphasis on cello. Sarah asked for requests, and the first arrangment to appear on the barren wasteland formerly known as my brain was the Pachelbel Canon. Johann Pachelbel’s most famous piece of music originally written for three violins and a basso continuo. She did her best. (3.8MB Quicktime)
This (3.7MB QT) piece Sarah played without first consulting the peanut gallery.
Beautiful either way, even if you are asking for things that she shouldn’t be able to do in the first place. Glad to see that you are indulging in arts while you are there.
Comment by Matt — June 30, 2006 @ 3:14 pm
So Matthew, how are you doing? Still playing with your friends, sleeping on Debbie’s playroom floor, drooling over Jeff’s flat screen, working hard at Audubon, having dinner every night with your mom?
Your grandmother, Helen, awoke around noon today (only after Richard played his flute) and when she saw Brian taking her picture she said, “Oh, Brian, please, I must look like the Witch of Endoor.”
Comment by Michael — July 2, 2006 @ 1:48 pm
To have such devoted attention at your bedside must feel deeply good at some level, however badly she might feel otherwise. And to go from putative near-death sleep to such witticisms … Bravo, HO! Do not be taken for granted! And bless you, Sarah, for the gift, and Mike for sharing the window into this world.
However, that our dear Mikey would be looking to the blog to stay in touch with his only begotten son is askew somehow … There IS still that quaint, old-fashioned but real-time method called a phone. Not that I’d know, myself …
Comment by adam — July 2, 2006 @ 5:51 pm
This music has been lovely. Thank you Sarah and Richard.
Comment by Jennifer — July 9, 2006 @ 9:22 pm
I prefer the original title.
Comment by FierceBaby — July 9, 2006 @ 9:34 pm