kage_ar:
Alan -
Thank you so much for sharing. Between the chills and the tears I had to say thank you. When one of Mr. Mullins’ songs comes on, I’ll look at my husband and say “he sounds so Catholic!”
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Well, lookee what my family found in the items that survived our Good Friday house fire!
This is a photo of Rich taken at All Saints Catholic Church in Wichita, Dec 21, 1996, a few days before his last Christmas. It was a free concert (as was most of his concerts) that he played for Marriage Encounter.
He was supposed to have played at a big fancy, wealthy Church east of here but they declined only a few days before the concert, citing too much interference with Christmas preparations.
I had the sudden delusion that I would love to see Rich play a concert on my own personal piano, and said to my wife, “you know what would be funny, if we could talk Father Busch into letting us having the concert at All Saints and moving my piano there for the occasion.” She took my fantasy seriously, made some phone calls, and it was done. Father Gorges, our energetic young associate pastor (and founder of Totus Tuus) had a friend who supplied a 24 channel sound system for no charge, I had my piano shipped there, tuned at home and then again afterwards in place. He sat down and played a few notes, expressed pleasure at the piano (a seven foot grand, NOT a baby grand as
this article about the concert on kidbrother.net states – but I won’t hold that against them) and promptly began to play the third movement of the Moonlight Sonate by Beethoven to test out the piano.
I have some videotape of his playing. He told me I could record the concert as long as I didn’t try to rip off his agents (who had said recording would be prohibited). I told him, “I would love to get video of you playing on my piano,” and he just said, “why don’t you just record the concert?” I said, “they told me I couldn’t, or I would have brought my camera.” He said, “nahh, don’t worry about it. They just are afraid you’re going to try to make money off it.” So he and I left the building together and parted at his jeep, where he went to pick up a few friends last minute before the concert, and I left to go get my videotape camera. I got some crappy video, but I got one song he was just experimenting with but I don’tknow if he ever recorded.
This was just a few months vefore his death, and our only copy I think burned up in our house fire. We have given away a few copies, so they still exist but I’m not sure where.
Here is Father Busch, who said “yes” and then put up with all sorts of hassles to get the sounds system, piano and all set up, amidst Sunday Masses, no less, when this seven foot grand was going to sit right in front of the Altar – nearly regretting saying “yes” but falling in love with Rich almost immediately upon meeting him, and listening in rapt attention to his songs and especially the remarks Rich made between songs. The other priest is Father Gorges, founder of Totus Tuus, and unfortunately missed the bulk of the concert because he was running a lock-in for the CYO in the school gym that night.
Neither priest is still at All Saints. Father Busch is now retired, but I see him every week at 4 pm Mass at St. Anthony, where he celebrates the Mass and I play the music.
In the background, you see the handsome face of my son Chris, who was to turn 9 on Christmas that week. He’s now 17, and graduated from high school.
Alan
