Needing a break from learning the art of the cantor, I set out on foot to the Village Vanguard to catch balladeer Shirley Horn. White-gloved queen of syncopation, cradled in piano’s shy embrace, her contralto pitches spin, soar and seed the clouds above me with, “Come rain or come shine.” The scale splinters, the overtone series shatters, and grace notes float, fuse with rain drops. Cascading flats and sharps, sixteenth and whole notes, drizzle whispers to a downpour of thanks. Then a rainbow. Praise settles into the folds of her taffeta skirt, floods the foot pedal, perches on my lips.
Karen Webber, teaching, performing, and liturgical artist, creates spoken word and music pieces to be performed in college classrooms, senior centers, and on Zoom. “Come Shine” is the winner of our PRAISE RAIN contest, part of our 2026 Micromemoir Marathon.