Brattleboro Concert Choir choristers getting ready for Benjamin Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb and Richard Blackford’s Mirror of Perfection.

My first pet ever was named after the cat Jeoffrey in the Britten piece, but this is the first time I’ve ever heard this work performed. Cosette, our cat of 14 years, is sick and It’s easy to understand writing ecstatic poetry as a way to honor her presence in our lives.