My mother had a beautiful singing voice, and she had passion. Her songs expressed a depth emotion that could always silence her gaggle of children. An image I can still conjure is watching her head lifted, her eyes fixed on the sky, the wind blowing through her hair as she burst into “Oh, Danny Boy”.
Her Irish Catholic heritage demanded a Catholic education for us kids. Many times my sisters and I sang with the school choir in the balcony under the direction of our intrepid director, Sister Mary Natalie. Along with the commanding presence of the church’s pipe organ, we sang the resounding Latin hymns that filled the church.
Music can inspire, unify, raise the hair on your arms, bring tears to your eyes, raise you up and humble you at the same time.