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...but she always loved to tell me about it! I would have been maybe 3 or 4 years old, my parents were on faculty at Camp Selkirk music camp, and I apparently came running up to my Mom one afternoon and nattered away at her, while she and Jane were relaxing in lawn chairs.
Jane loved to tell me about that.
I have absolutely no memory of it.
But I have many memories of Jane over the last 8 years, since I started going to North York Temple. I was quite enamoured at first to find out that she was "that" Jane Clarke (now Jane Davey) - imagine! I was going to the same church as a well-known composer! I had sung her songs and arrangements for years in songsters, music camp choruses, youth choruses. I always identified with her musical style, especially the "jazzy" songs that I could have some fun with.
As I got to know Jane - her spunky personality, the strength of her faith - I stopped thinking of her as a well-known composer, and started thinking of her as my friend. She was a lot of fun to be around. One of my favorite memories is my last year on faculty at Jackson's Point, when Doug and I shared a cabin with Jane and Chris. I remember Jane commenting to me that she was so pleased when she found out we would be sharing a cabin, and I was very pleased too - both that we were sharing a cabin, and that she was happy about it!
Jane was one of those timeless people; you never thought about her not being there. I still see her at the piano at North York, I still hear her in the alto section in the songsters. When she stopped coming out to meetings back before Christmas, there was something missing on Sunday mornings. I kept thinking, "I can't wait for Jane to come back!" I miss her offertories ("It is no Secret" was a favorite) that people would sing along to. The "welcome" portion of the meeting just wasn't complete without her playing that one song...(what was the name of it? Something about "something special happening today" or something like that?) Well, the tune, and her way of playing it, is forever written in my memory.
I wish I could sit down and play those choruses like she used to. It would make the hole feel a little less, well, empty.
I had to smile when a friend turned to me after we had heard of Jane's passing, and commented that he wondered if the choir in heaven was singing one of Jane's songs when she arrived. I added, "and I wonder which one they would have sang?!"
If nothing else can be said of Jane, it was that she loved The Lord her God with all her heart, with all her soul, with all her strength, and with all her mind. And she told of that love time and again through her music.
Heaven's orchestra just gained another member. Maybe even one who will write new music for it to perform. And I can't wait to hear it myself!
Jane loved to tell me about that.
I have absolutely no memory of it.
But I have many memories of Jane over the last 8 years, since I started going to North York Temple. I was quite enamoured at first to find out that she was "that" Jane Clarke (now Jane Davey) - imagine! I was going to the same church as a well-known composer! I had sung her songs and arrangements for years in songsters, music camp choruses, youth choruses. I always identified with her musical style, especially the "jazzy" songs that I could have some fun with.
As I got to know Jane - her spunky personality, the strength of her faith - I stopped thinking of her as a well-known composer, and started thinking of her as my friend. She was a lot of fun to be around. One of my favorite memories is my last year on faculty at Jackson's Point, when Doug and I shared a cabin with Jane and Chris. I remember Jane commenting to me that she was so pleased when she found out we would be sharing a cabin, and I was very pleased too - both that we were sharing a cabin, and that she was happy about it!
Jane was one of those timeless people; you never thought about her not being there. I still see her at the piano at North York, I still hear her in the alto section in the songsters. When she stopped coming out to meetings back before Christmas, there was something missing on Sunday mornings. I kept thinking, "I can't wait for Jane to come back!" I miss her offertories ("It is no Secret" was a favorite) that people would sing along to. The "welcome" portion of the meeting just wasn't complete without her playing that one song...(what was the name of it? Something about "something special happening today" or something like that?) Well, the tune, and her way of playing it, is forever written in my memory.
I wish I could sit down and play those choruses like she used to. It would make the hole feel a little less, well, empty.
I had to smile when a friend turned to me after we had heard of Jane's passing, and commented that he wondered if the choir in heaven was singing one of Jane's songs when she arrived. I added, "and I wonder which one they would have sang?!"
If nothing else can be said of Jane, it was that she loved The Lord her God with all her heart, with all her soul, with all her strength, and with all her mind. And she told of that love time and again through her music.
Heaven's orchestra just gained another member. Maybe even one who will write new music for it to perform. And I can't wait to hear it myself!
