Monday Morning Musings

Posted on July 9, 2018 under Monday Morning Musings with 3 comments

The unveiling

They came from Moncton and Amherst. They came from Sherbrook and P.E.I. They came from Halifax, Quebec and the United States. They came from Cape Breton.

A large crowd packed St. Ninian’s Cathedral on Saturday night to pay homage to James MacPherson. The lineup of musicians  for the Pastoral Airs concert was impressive and would have made for a great concert, anytime anywhere. But there was no mistaking that there was an additional element in the room that added another dynamic to the event.

James MacPherson was amongst us. There was a lot of raw emotion on display as musicians and speakers honored his memory.

This part of the world is blessed with so much talent which was on full display on Saturday. There were vocalists, pianists, a flautist, organist, bagpipers, violinists and guitar players. And James’ beloved Senior Choir who poured their souls into every piece they performed.

I don’t think I would offend any of the performers by singling out the stunning vocals of Michael Aucoin who brought the crowd to its feet with his masterful tenor voice performing “The Holy City”.

The highlight of the evening was the formal tribute to James with the unveiling of the Anna Syperek portrait.

We provided a special surprise with a taped performance of Danny Boy sung by none other than James MacPherson. I don’t think that I was the only one shedding a tear.

No concert is without its challenges. There were the usual last minute issues as organizers tried to get everything in place so that the show could start on time and run smoothly.

The 800+ who attended the concert were treated to music which was a blend of the sacred and secular in perfect harmony, in a house of worship.

Thanks to the MacPherson and Painter MacDonald families for giving us an opportunity to publicly acknowledge the 48 years of blood, sweat and tears that James gave to his church and his community.

He will not be forgotten.

Advertisement