The mood at Sir Edmund's state funeral
5:52PM Tuesday January 22, 2008
By Belinda McCammon
Sir Edmund Hillary 1919-2008
As solemn and sombre as St Mary's Church was for the state funeral of Sir Edmund Hillary, still there was no escape from ringing cellphones.
Nor did Mother Nature pay due respect to New Zealand's greatest hero, with thundering rain drowning out parts of a moving farewell and soaking some guests.
Three-times ringing cellphones cut through the quiet reflection of the 500 mourners in the intimate Parnell church.
Mourners turned their heads in search of the offending ringtones, no doubt wondering what it would take for some people to turn their phones off.
The Very Reverend Peter Beck, Dean of Christchurch, had a double dose of bad luck, with a cellphone ringing during his tribute and the noise of rain dousing his tribute to Sir Ed.
Despite the church receiving an early spring clean , including new red carpet and seat cushions, the roof was overlooked as a group of alpine club members, who formed the guard of honour outside the church, were to discover firsthand.
As guests struggled to hear Mr Beck over the heavy rain several alpine club members near the rear of the church were doing their best to avoid the leaks, which left their shirts stained by drips.
Despite the hiccups, the deceptively large white church was the right choice for the funeral of someone of Sir Ed's standing despite debate over its size and suitability.
As soon as the guests entered the church, they knew they were part of a special moment in New Zealand's history, which only those in the church could share and understand.
Unlike the Auckland Holy Trinity Cathedral adjacent to the church, where Sir Ed's flag-drapped casket had lain in state since Monday morning, St Mary's was intimate, warm and yet stately.
The Cathedral had seemed impersonal and seemed to swamp Sir Ed's casket in contrast to the rich wooden gothic style interior of St Mary's.
As guests waited for the service to begin, some of Sir Ed's favourite music played, including Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Trouble Water and Sarah Brightman's Time to Say Goodbye, which created a light atmosphere, with people happily chatting away.
Like a switch the atmosphere changed when 15 minutes before the service was due to start, organ music filled the church.
Guests spoke in hushed tones and murmurs and a sombre mood prevailed in anticipation of the service.
The formal atmosphere continued to increase as VIPs, including Auckland mayor John Banks and the Governor-General Anand Satyanand, arrived shortly before 11am.
After a welcome by the Very Reverend Ross Bay, Dame Malvina Major's rendition of How Great Thou Art, set the tone.
By the second verse there were few dry eyes left in the church.
Men wiped tears from their faces with their hands and shirt cuffs, while women dabbed their eyes with handkerchiefs.
After a reading by the Governor-General, the full power of the choir singing And I Saw a New Heaven, rang through the church.
By the time it was the guests' turn to sing The Lord's My Shepherd people were clearly eager to play more than a silent role, singing the hymn in full voice and with great passion.
Prime Minister Helen Clark seemed small as she stood at the pulpit when she gave her tribute to Sir Ed, but her voice was strong and clear and carried the solemnity of the occasion.
But it was the family of Sir Ed, speaking publicly for the first time since his death, who the guests responded to the most.
Guests listened intently as his children Peter and Sarah recalled memories of their childhood with their famous father.
Sarah Hillary caused the guests to laugh first, with the story of how as a child she was unable to find a suitable answer to what her father did for a job.
Ms Hillary's heartfelt tribute to her father was as much a tribute to her mother Lady Louise Hillary and sister Belinda who died in a plane crash in 1975.
Peter Hillary's natural story-telling ability, perhaps inherited from his father, was put to good use as he recounted the "compulsory" adventures the young Hillary family shared both abroad and throughout New Zealand.
Accompanied at times by laughter from the guests, Mr Hillary said the shared time and shared adventures with his father were "an incredible gift he gave to family and friends".
A haunting violin solo, in memory of Lady Louise, settled the guests down into a contemplative mood.
As the congregation stood in silence, waiting for Sir Ed's casket to be taken from the church, the slow beat of a muffled drum as it made its way into the church heightened the atmosphere of the church.
Guests were moved to tears as Sir Ed's casket, followed by family members left the church with the strains of a lone piper playing Abide With Me outside - echoing throughout the church.
Six flat screen televisions were switched on so guests, who were not in the official party, could watch the Sir Ed's casket be given its final send-off with a haka on the Cathedral's forecourt.
When guests were able to leave it was to rain and the sound of clapping, as the hearse made its way past the church where hundreds of people had lined the road in tribute to New Zealand's greatest hero.
- NZPA
Topic: Sir Edmund Hillary 1919-2008 (Read 829 times)