In the Midst of Life

“In the Midst of Life” is one of the seven Funeral Sentences in the Book of Common Prayer for the Anglican Church’s Service for the Burial of the Dead. The services are similar to a Requiem Mass, with these additional seven sentences from scripture and liturgy that are said over the body throughout the service. I had been working on a setting of all seven in 2016 when I received word from one of my close friends that his father had just entered hospice and they were preparing for the end. I was in Scotland at the time and received the message in the middle of the night, so I immediately climbed out of bed and went to my friend’s kitchen where I sat at the table and began writing this piece. I often try to sketch for quite some time before committing to any particular material, but in this case the writing was purely reflective – it was the only way I knew how to process my grief. I completed the piece later that day and sent it to my friend’s family who were able to show it to his father before he passed. Sometimes music fills a void which can be occupied by no other entity, and certainly in this case I had no idea how to express my sorrow other than through this piece.

– Benjamin M. Cramer, 2018