(Note written yesterday August 30, 2011, after the passing of Dr. Virginia-Gene Rittenhouse)My heart has been heavy today as I have tried to wrap my mind around the loss of a truly incredible lady. I say my heart, but really I think it’s all of me. There is so much to say; yet there are no words. I have just sat in silence and wept.
She was a legend, an inspiration, a rock. She was unique, feisty, and incredibly talented. She didn’t understand the meaning of “no”, this combined with her incredible vision, opened doors for remarkable opportunities and experiences.
A favorite memory is going to her house in Massachusetts and eating her famous apple crisp while she told stories of early ensemble escapades with Connie, Glee, Shawn, and others. Or how she tied with herself on violin and piano in a music competition when she was young. She would recount the stories with dramatic flourish, or wry humor. She never slowed down, she napped during concerts, on the bus, or while still standing, she was famous for calling people at 3 am, and was so determined in any pursuit that it was compelling.
I wish I could have known her better. I wish we could see the reach of the impact she has made on the world. I wish we didn’t have to say goodbyes. It is impossible to number the lives she has touched or to know just how much she has impacted mine.
My life would be very different if it were not for her. The places I have been, the people I know, the experiences I have had that would just not be if it weren’t for her.
As Dr. Bingham said in typical Australian fashion: “She broke the mold when she was born”. There will never be anyone like her again.
For those of us who knew her, we will never be the same. She has irrevocably altered our lives and in so doing left a legacy. I now have a huge network of ensemble family, many of whom I have not met, that I feel a connection to because of our shared or parallel experiences. She can never truly leave from among us because she is in each of us. She is in our memories, in our hearts, in our music.
She loved to quote Bach in saying that “Music is to be played to the glory of God and the refreshment of the spirit”. It amazed me how on tour I could be completely exhausted before the concert began, and then feel rejuvenated by the time it was through. It is amazing the way music transports and refreshes. Yet perhaps most beautiful was that driving her love of music was the mission—the greater impact she wanted to make on the world beyond those that could hear the music.
You gave your life and love, your spirit and energy, your all to the mission of music. You nurtured in me a love of music, a passion and purpose, a strength.
We miss you Dr. Rittenhouse more than you could know. Until we meet again at the biggest ever ensemble reunion…
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