Domingo, Yo-Yo Ma & Susan Graham at Edward M. Kennedy’s Funeral

American mezzo Susan Graham sang "Ave Maria" in a funeral mass for the late senator in Roxbury, Boston.

Ted Kennedy and his wife, Vicki, kept classical music as a focal point in their lives. The NY Times reported:

The senator proposed to her [Victoria Reggie Kennedy] in January 1992 at a performance of “La Bohème” at the Metropolitan Opera in New York — a love of opera was a passion they shared.

Placido Domingo and Yo-Yo Ma also performed, teaming up for Cesar Franck's "Panis Angelicus".

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Comments

[Emma]

It was a truly touching mass with such dignity and sorrow. Thanks for sharing.

[Amber]

Thanks so much for posting that! I got goosebumps.

[mnwugn86]

Who is this "Shubert" guy?

[Crew Mantle]

I view most religious personnel with an extremely wary eye; religion in modern times is now seemingly devoid of forgiveness and inclusion, but rather more the image of cold corporate calculation and arrogant inwardness.

Whilst looking at the top picture I wondered which pasty, oily individual did who, then noted the extreme cut on the guy upper left above Miss Graham. He must be very popular among the heirarchy given his radical mane.....

[Squillo]

Beautiful. Thanks for sharing this--it brought tears to my eyes.

[Lou Ann D]

I ended up watching the entire three-hours. I am so glad I was able to hear Susan Graham and Ted Jr., very moving.

[Chris]

I don't know for sure or course since I didn't know "Teddy" but I am a wee bit skeptical that opera was so important in his life. From what I know of the Kennedy clan classical music did not infuse their upbringing or their lives. I never heard of any of them ("Jackie" excepted of course) being into classical music. If they were and to the degree they were, I would suspect image making as the reason. Genuine music appreciation.......hummmmm.....???? Just sayin'.

[El Cajon]

I'd be willing to bet it was the gala January 12, 1992 Freni/Pavarotti Boheme that Victoria and Ted attended. The casts for the other performances during that run were mostly mediocre.
Ms. Graham's rendition of Ave Maria was heard at the end of Meet the Press earlier today (August 30), as NBC flashed a series of Ted Kennedy photos, with some voiceover (Ted Kennedy, Jr., etc.). However, the sequence would have been more effective if we had just heard Ms. Graham, who sang celestially. Thanks O.C., for posting the clip.
Robert Kennedy was buried on the same day I received my B.A. degree at a Washington, D.C. area university. In the morning I was handed my diploma and late in the day, I went down to the Lincoln Memorial to watch Robert Kennedy's cortege pass by. Since I never had the visceral connection with Ted Kennedy I had with Bobby, I watched this year's Washington part of the Kennedy rituals on television and skipped the rest of it.
I realize many people admired Ted Kennedy and that he was an extraordinary legislator. But Bobby Kennedy was and will always be my hero. Like many people of my generation I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when we learned the horrible news of JFK's assassination.
About a year later, when I first visited Washington, the enternal flame was one of the places I first visited. I'll go back to Arlingon National Cemetary in the fall, when the leaves change color, to pay my respects to Ted Kennedy, to the other Kennedys who are buried there, and of course to Mrs. Onassis.

[Chris]

Already you can't hear Graham or Ma due to copyright restrictions. I don't know who is doing this but someone seems determined to make money out of the funeral services. Maybe if one watched an ad for Tide detergent first, then one could hear the music. Suppose?

[Linda Smith]

Ted Kennedy once said that he listened to a recording of Madame Butterfly repeatedly while he was in the hospital recovering from a back injury when he was a young man. This would seem to point to more than a casual interest in opera.

[Chris]

Linda: Ah, yes, Madam Butterfly, a female victim driven to her death by love of a callous man who used her for his pleasure. I can understand how that might have fascinated Ted.

[Warren]

Chris, I realize that maybe you mean that as a joke, but it's a little over the top. I generally like your comments and didn't take you for a right-wingnut...

I also wasn't aware that Ted Kennedy was into classical music, but if that what's being said I have no reason to doubt it.

Ah, the days of Camelot of old when Jackie brought High Western Art music into the public space and sphere. Leonard Bernstein discussing Beethoven and playing live concerts on the radio. Or go further back to Toscanini when it was really part of the broader culture. Oh well, what do you do.