A Friend Sent On His Eternal Journey With A Rousing Chorus

Thursday, 23^rd of April 2026

#BertyRice #memorial #ParsonsAveMaria #BachKommJesuKomm #choir #Kingston  

That’s a first! A 100-strong choir of powerful voices singing Parsons Ave Maria. The final Amen was joyous. It was heavenly to be a part of it. Some three hundred were gathered for Berty’s memorial service in the beautiful All Saints Church, Kingston, where King Athelstan was crowned and where Berty sang as a treble and back row. The music spoke for us all – A Prayer of King Henry VI (Henry Ley), Bring Us, O Lord (William Harris), Komm, Jesu, Komm (Bach) and Berty’s magnificent descant to The Hand, O God, Has Guided using the big tunes from Wagner’s Meistersinger. I don’t ever remember as many tears and laughter. Of course, the church was buzzing afterwards. I found some quiet corners where I was able to catch up with so many old friends and during a time out, jotted down some chords in my notebook.

There might be a new piece there... 

I’ll be walking for Berty in Darkness Into Light on 9^th May. 

Robert Rice, Baritone