"Well, I'm back..."

[fleetfootmike]

...or, to use another literary quote, "Ouf. Isn't it a blessing to be home?"

Not that I grudge the day, it being Keris' funeral. demoneyeshas already said pretty much everything that needs to be said, but I will add that the venue was beautiful, if windswept, and that Filkdom Assembled was in spectacularly fine voice, especially in the final chorus of Many Hearts One Voice. I think even the funeral director was moved. And it was amusing watching the pallbearers (who by union rules are of course restricted to looking either lugubrious or dyspeptic) trying not to break into grins during Chocolate is a Vegetable. I should also add that bardling deserves tremendous credit for keeping everyone organised.

Suffice it to say that were_gopher and I made it back to Peterborough in time for her to catch the 18.50 back to Leeds, and Anne arrived home not long after me with Chinese, so all was well.

Since a couple of people asked: my cheat sheet (more a full script, to be honest) for Keris' eulogy is here, and the PDF of the Bucks Herald's article (the earlier version of the same thing, including a lovely photo properly credited to kitespirit) is here.

I think he would have been tickled by the fact that the app I was using on my iPad as autocue was OnSong, which allows you to scroll lyrics past at an appropriate speed, the idea being that it'd slow down my tendency to talk too fast. As a result, I can reveal that the recommended tempo for Keris' eulogy is 96 bpm. :)

Comments

[sibylle]

Thank you for posting this report, and for the lovely eulogy. It does sound as good a funeral as funerals can be. Wish I could have been there. You all were in my thoughts today.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

It sounds like it was everything he deserved.

[pocketnaomi.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure that's possible, but it's as close as any of us could come.

[pbristow.livejournal.com]

"I should also add that [info]bardling deserves tremendous credit for keeping everyone organised."

Indeed! Something I missed in my own report. (I could go back and insert that observation now... but that'd be *plagiarism*, wouldn't it? =:o? )

[hms42]

Thank you for sharing that. I only got to meet him one time. (Worldcon 2009 in Montreal). I wish I had gotten to know him more than in passing over that weekend.

[persis.livejournal.com]

Thank you... that's a lovely rememberence of a wonderful man. He will be missed here too.

[ladymondegreen.livejournal.com]

Thank you for making me laugh. I really needed it today. All the photos made me sob. I'm going to hold off on reading the eulogies until tomorrow.

*many, many hugs*

[pinguintante.livejournal.com]

thank you.
made me feel comfortable with crying so far away in germany.
gone, but never forgotten. have peace, my little penguin Keris

[kitespirit.livejournal.com]

Thank you for sharing this! I wish I could have been there... I am relieved that it worked with the flowers - thanks for taking the picture! *hugs*

[ina]

Thank you for this.

[pocketnaomi.livejournal.com]

It's a wonderful eulogy.

I think we should have a day to eulogise the living -- to write up thoughtful statements about what people who are still alive mean to you and why, and speak them. To the person and to others, who might not know all the reasons why this person should be their friend. There's so much I wish I had told him while he was alive.

[kathy-songbird.livejournal.com]

Very moving eulogy. Thank you so much for sharing it.