Oh my goodness it was cold all day even when the sun shone through the clouds later in the afternoon. Temperatures hovered very close to the freezing mark all day -- above freezing but only by a few degrees. My professional day began with a Skype presentation to a classroom workshop in Halifax. I covered aspects of social media use in professional practice, so it seemed fitting that we communicate through one such platform <smile>. It was a rough start with me forgetting a file saved on the laptop which was at home. Lucky for me that I live in a small town and the trip home and back took about 12 minutes <smile>. Things started on time and there were some fantastic questions from the students in attendance. The second meeting of the day was cancelled, so I was able to complete another review task and get it off before end of work day today -- the deadline. Do we see a pattern forming here? <grin>. The day on campus ended with a gathering for a colleague who retired this fall. We had worked together often when I applied for research funding or worked setting up research contracts. His assistance was valued. We chatted briefly about getting used to being 'out of the game' so to speak. It takes a fair amount of adaptation.
The news of the day came in the form of an obituary for a retired professor from the Music Department, who for 50 years had been conductor and musical director for a local male choir -- Men of the Deeps. Jack O'Donnell's work with this group took coal miners from Cape Breton around the world to sing their songs of life in the mines. He and his wife were instrumental in bringing the L'Arche community to Antigonish, also. Jack received many honours for his dedicated work including honourary doctorate degrees, a lifetime achievement award from the East Coast Music Association, and the Order of Canada. His presence in our community will be missed on so many levels. Another retired faculty member who arranges an annual musical arts series noted today that Jack "was the best friend that music had in Antigonish." I found the last line of his obituary particularly poignant. It was a quote from a Cape Breton Post article back in 1966 when the choir was beginning. "From out of the deeps, let a new song now pierce the sky."
It seemed only fitting to feature a song from the coal miners choir today. Their arrangements and great harmonies all carry Jack O'Donnell's touch. The song that came to mind first is found in the link shared here. The song begins at about 3:35 point. Prior to that Rita MacNeil notes the work of the coal miner and a choir member recites a poem about mining accidents. The song then begins. While the topic deals with a mining disaster just down the road from town, the lyrics describe the feelings of loss and grief well. This song came from the Westray disaster that occurred while the Men of the Deeps were in concert on campus -- a disaster from which the truth took years to fully uncover. Somehow this sounds odd today, but Enjoy!
Their Lights Will Shine -- Men of the Deeps
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