Our Mother's Voice- a Eulogy

Our mother's voice was the descant of our days. She rocked us to "Baby's Boat's a Silver Moon" and the Prayer from "Hansel and Gretel". We heard her before we were born and all the time after. She sang in the car, in the yard hanging sheets, in the kitchen, embarrassed us singing in the grocery store, projected her voice far across the back yards to call us in for supper. Once in a while she even had time to sit down at the piano and practice a piece of music. We sang with her as babies, learned rounds, nursery rhymes, folk songs and hymns. As we brought our families back later, we sang together around the piano.

There was always music on the radio or on records. We heard her teaching her voice students. It was assumed we would all play an instrument and sing in the choir, Nate being the only one who dared to pursue singing seriously. I had the privilege of accompanying her on the piano by the time I was ten. I think my career of playing violin for opera and chamber music was molded by her training me in phrasing, allowing for breathing and listening. The violin was the closest sound to her silvery voice that I could find.

We learned to speak clearly, hearing her enunciation in that resonant voice. We also heard what she said, the moral center of her life: kindness to others, respect for each person and trying to understand them, when we disagreed or even disliked them. She listened to our questions and troubles and helped us find our purpose in life.

When she went through the mourning of giving up singing publicly because of an essential tremor condition, her students carried with them some of that voice and, especially, the confidence and understanding she had given them. She expressed herself at the piano she had bought with her teaching money. The piano went with her to Grand Court and to Tecumseh Place where she entertained the other residents. She never lost her musical touch, and as she aged, began to sing along again.

It is the soul voice that we will always hear. She knew us, knew our real selves as no one else will. Even at the last, she said what we needed to hear. I think we will be trying to live up to her faith in us for the rest of our days.