FUNERAL PLANS AND THOUGHTS
The plans for Donald Teeters’ funeral and memorial services are coming together. Many of you have graciously come forward and offered help, and many more from the wider Boston music community have also expressed their wishes to participate in saying farewell to Don. I am deeply grateful for all of you.
Suzanne and I have been coordinating with Don’s nieces, the leadership here at All Saints, and musicians with whom Don had deep and lasting relationships, and we have decided that the most reasonable and appropriate plan is to have a funeral service with interment of ashes early in September and a memorial music service with the All Saints Choir and the invited participation of other area musicians during the weekend of All Saints and All Souls.
The funeral service (with interment of ashes) for Donald Teeters will take place at All Saints Parish, on Wednesday, September 3 at 7:30p.m. The Rev. Dr. Richard Burden, Rector of All Saints will preside and preach. All are invited; a reception will follow.
I believe strongly that our burial liturgy (which is an Easter liturgy) is both a key to and container of our grief, and it is an important first step in the long road of saying goodbye to those we know we cannot live without. It is a time for Don’s family—his family from across the country and his parish and musical family here—to gather and mourn the passing of our loved one; it is also a time for us as Christians to make our most profound proclamations of faith—Christ is alive, and has triumphed over death. The funeral service offers comfort for those who mourn, the commendation to God of the one who has died, and the committal of his remains to the columbarium, all accompanied by the glorious voices of the All Saints Choir and the music that Don cherished and so lovingly crafted and offered here.
A memorial music service featuring the All Saints Choir and invited musicians will be held at All Saints Parish on Sunday Nov. 2 at 5:00 p.m.; the public is invited and a reception will follow.
The musical memorial service will be held on the weekend of the 120th anniversary of this parish, and on the Feast of All the Faithful Departed. It will be an opportunity for many to gather and pay tribute to a man who was a mentor and minister to so many here and throughout New England.
Our prayerbook instructs that the funeral service should be held “at a time when the congregation has opportunity to be present.” Of course, no time is perfect for everyone, but Suzanne and I hope that most of you will be able to participate in one or both of these services, so please mark them on your calendar.
Memorial gifts in honor of Donald Teeters may be made to All Saints Parish and/or Boston Cecilia and sent to 1773 Beacon St. Brookline, MA 02445.
A Prayer for Directors of Music, Organists, and other Musicians (from the Book of Occasional Services): O God, whom saints and angels delight to worship in heaven, be ever present with your servants who seek through music to perfect the praises offered by your people on earth; and grant them even now glimpses of your beauty, and make them worthy at length to behold it unveiled for evermore; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
In the sure and certain hope that Donald is now beholding the unveiled glory of those perfect praises, let us continue to pray for him, for one another and for Christ’s peace on earth.
Richard+