Toronto was beaming with pride yesterday after reports started flooding in from social media that Toronto violinist Edwin Huizinga was spotted performing alongside international opera star Renée Fleming at Senator John McCain’s funeral, at the Washington National Cathedral on Saturday.
According to Fleming’s manager, Dannielle Thomas, McCain who died last Saturday at age 81 of brain cancer, had personally requested the opera star to sing the song.
Huizinga can be seen in the video to the right of Fleming, performing a particularly touching rendition of “Danny Boy”, which brought tears to the eyes of many, including McCain’s wife Cindy McCain, who was visibly moved in the front row of the Cathedral on Saturday morning.
Huizinga offered thanks to the many well-wishers that came in via social media, as well as to his fellow performers “Renée Fleming, Johanna, Kyle, Ezra, and Guy Klucevsek.”
“It was an honour to perform with Renée Fleming today in Washington, DC. To hear the eulogies given by former presidents, and listen to hundreds of other musicians perform was really beautiful. Obama’s words when he spoke to the audience and quoted Ernest Hemingway really spoke to me. He said ‘Today is only one day in all the days that will ever be. But what will happen in all the other days that ever come can depend on what you do today.’ Thank you Obama! Performing Danny Boy with my dear friends and Guy Klucevsek, and Renée was really moving. Thanks Edward Arthur for the pic 🙏”
Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama both gave eulogies for the maverick senator, which was broadcast live to millions around the world.
The son of a distinguished military family, former Navy pilot and Vietnam War POW will be buried at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland on September 2.