“L'appuntamento” and, in closing, a long note from “Senza fine”: these are the two songs that a very emotional Paolo Fresu played at Ornella Vanoni's funeral in the packed church of San Marco in Milan.
A long round of applause greeted the arrival of the coffin.
Father Luigi Garbini's homily was moving: " Her language was universal; her songs are like the candles in this church that represent us even when we're not here. Ornella's story is our personal story and the story of all of Italy."
"The end we're experiencing today is actually a beginning," he continued. " Ornella is preparing for a night of serenity. In a Zurlini film, Ornella sang "Domani è un altro giorno" (Tomorrow is Another Day), and all the beauty of her ability to give love was evident. Ornella was a sincere artist who spoke openly about her depression. Melancholy pervaded her songs, but there was also a great deal of irony. Her lyrics belong to us because they are spiritual and everyday at the same time."
After the homily, Paolo Fresu, with his trumpet, filled the church with the strains of "L'appuntamento," which the singer had asked him to play at her funeral six years ago. Then came the coda: endless.