OMG

I prayed to the Messiah today.

How To Pray - David Lang

Not to God but to the music, or maybe to God through music.

Comfort Me, I said.

It was totally selfish, especially after I learned that one of the lions of Classical Music had passed away this weekend previous. Richard Cass.

I cannot explain the loss to you of Dr., Mr, Richard Cass. His daughter is a good friend of mine and the whole family have been top on my list of cool people both individually and as a family.

Someone told me that one day Cass was in rehearsal with a jawbone of a conductor who was being a boor to his ensemble, just laying into them for some triviality. When he inevitably turned on Cass a bit later on, Cass did not giving in to the rancor a conductor can elicit from time to time, and also - did not changing a note, or a tempo an iota. The conductor stopped and upon asking Cass what the problem was, his response was to smile graciously and without malice or irony say, "I just like to play."

I never got to ask him if this was true, but every time I had the pleasure of seeing him, I would sometimes try to bore into his soul to see if that could be true. What I found was that it could not be false.

My problems today bear little in comparison to the heavy weight the loss of this really great man, great guy Dr. Richard Cass holds. For the rest of my days though, his smiling bespectacled face will glow... more like a benevolent Jedi ... than a spirit, on my left side, a little above my head, caring for me and wishing me the best.

And by the way, the Messiah answered. I am totally exhausted. The Valleys, were indeed low today but the crooked was made straight and the rough places plain... but I AM exalted.

Not only will there be A Christmas Carol this Friday, but there will also be Messiah on Sunday.

...Thank you, God.

Nat

Mixed Messiah - Tod Machover