Dad’s songs

When Dad first learned that he had cancer he started planning his service.  And as the months went on he would tell Mom of a song that he wanted song at his service.  So when it came time to actually plan his service he had done the work and we merely needed to put the finer details together. 

The songs Dad chose obviously were meaningful to him.  In true form of his heritage we sang all the songs a cappela. 

On my Tuesday visits with Dad I took an iPad along and Dad enjoyed youtube clips of songs.  He especially liked the Booth Brothers.

 

Growing up I heard a variety of music.  We even had a record collection of old-fashioned pop music.  But quartets – especially the Easter Brothers – were a favorite of his.  He had requested the Stumptown Church quartet to sings these songs but scheduling didn’t work out.  I was grateful, though, to be able to sing the songs as congregational singing.  We rarely sing a cappella anymore and I’ve always enjoyed good 4 part harmony a cappella.

 

 

Dad enjoyed great tenor singers.  Il Divo has been around awhile but the last Tuesday I spent with Dad I shared a youtube clip of the younger tenor group – Il Volo.

Not sure what it says about me but I have always LOVED the song ‘O Sole Mio – especially the part where it pauses and then belts it out. And when these three do this song I get goose bumps and can dissolve into a puddle.  Like I said – not sure what that means but ‘it is what it is’.  =)  Dad thought the did a great job as well when I showed it to him.

We played music by Jim Reeves during the services.  Jim Reeve’s album “We Thank Thee” was a favorite of us kids.  Everyone Sunday morning Mom would put a record on to wake us and this was one of them.  We each have our own favorite song off the record and mine was the title song “We Thank Thee”.   “God Be With You till We Meet Again” was one of the songs Dad chose for us to sing.

I’ve had this post started for over a month and finally decided it was time to finish it and send it on it’s way.  These past 8 weeks without Dad are just the beginning of learning to get used to his absence.  I think I’ve cried more this past week then the week of the funeral – reality is slowly setting in.  But we will meet again – Hallelujah!