A TASTE OF HEAVEN
Those who gathered for the Coming Home Concert in St. Louis experienced “a taste of heaven.” From the opening “Lift Up Your Hearts” to the final “There Is a River,” the audience became the choir as they set their programs aside and sang from memory in full voice. Tears flowed and smiles widened – “We sang this at our wedding.” “This is what Dad wanted for his funeral.” – as the St. Louis Jesuits sang the music that has accompanied so many through the special moments of their lives.
In the magnificent Powell Hall where the St. Louis Symphony had played Mahler the night before, 2600 voices filled the space with the music of Bob Dufford, John Foley, Tim Manion, Roc O’Connor and Dan Schutte. There, the St. Louis Jesuits took their final bow, back home in the city where their journey together began so many years ago. There was a powerful sense among those gathered – from all across the country, from Australia, from Canada – that we had all “come home” along with them.