Winter's day

A day of chill winds and intermittent billows of sleet.

Richard has played in various bands over the years (guitar sometimes, bass sometimes). Recently someone he had been in a band with a few years ago died, after several years of very poor health.  Neither of us knew Ben very well, but there had been some good times shared with the band.

So today was the funeral service, Covid19 style. Immediate family members were able to go to the crematorium, up on a windy hill in north Sheffield.  The service was also shared via a webcast.  This was a first for me and Richard, we didn't really know how it would feel.

In the event, it felt surprisingly intimate and appropriate. As well as brief spoken contributions from close family and friends in the chapel, there were recordings from different stages of Ben's musical life, including one from an informal rehearsal. This brought Ben right into the room. It felt like a genuine moment of celebration, remembrance and sharing. He had a wonderful singing voice and it was great to hear it again.