For a man who spent most of his life convincing the world that fighting against apartheid was a just fight against human rights violations and which could still be fought without the spill of blood, perhaps there could not have been a more fitting hymn to welcome his body at the St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town.
On Day 2 of the lying in state of the revered late Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the Cathedral in Cape Town, the Anglican Church Brigade, a youth church band, welcome his body with the hymn: “Fight the good fight with all thy might!”
On a warm Friday morning with clergies in their black robes lining up the Wale Street to welcome their former Archbishop’s lifeless body, alongside the local and international media contingent to capture the moment, the hearse carrying Tutu’s body in a simple coffin made its way towards the Cathedral moving slowly as the youth band played hymns.
With a strong smell of the burning incense in the air, down the stairs towards the entrance into the Cathedral, daughters Reverend Mpho Tutu van Furth, Nontombi Tutu, granddaughter Nyaniso Tutu as well as a daughter-in-law, Mamello Morrison stood in wait.
Archbishop #DesmondTutu‘s body arrives at the St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town for Day 2 of public viewing. #SABCNews pic.twitter.com/d2QIZVEzxh
— Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) December 31, 2021
But for Cleoris Adonais, a 16-year-old member of the youthful band, fight the good fight with all thy might was the best fitting hymn to welcome the archbishop.
“The hymn is one of the important hymns in the Anglican church and it is perfect because it this is what he did all his life. He fought the good fight and that is why we played it this morning when he was coming in. It says fight the good fight will thy might and Christ is thy strength and Christ is thy right,” says Adonias who says having joined the band seven years, she remains proud to have made that decision.
However, important as the occasion is to her, she says it is equally a sad one.
“I am bit emotional even though it is such a proud moment for me to be here. But this was a very important member of the Anglican churches and it is quite sad that he is no more.”
According to the Band Chaplin, Reverend Richard Dunston the band is a very important component of the Anglican youth.
“The Church Lads’ and Church Girls’ Brigade is an organisation that was formed almost 150 years ago for boys and girls in society just to get them off the street and to instill in them the spirituality and how to have a role of life through the brigade, and so that they don’t fall into the trap of gangsterism and everything,” he says.
The Anglican Church Brigade band playing hymns outside the St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town in preparation for the arrival of #DesmondTutu‘s body on Day 2 of the Lying in State. The hearse is on its way to and is expected to arrive any moment. #SABCNews pic.twitter.com/7uMIEWVKxx
— Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) December 31, 2021
For his non-violent stance throughout his “good” fight against apartheid, Tutu became the second South African Nobel Prize laureate after Albert Luthuli 24 years prior, when he was awarded the prize in 1984. Nine years later, Nelson Mandela and FW De Klerk were also awarded the prize.
“Lay hold on life, and it shall be thy joy and crown eternally,” goes the last part of the first verse of the fight the good fight hymn, perhaps indeed just a fitting tribute for a man who battled what was believed to be polio as a child, and tuberculosis as a young man and lived with prostate cancer for over 20 years.
Tutu’s funeral will be held in Cape Town on Saturday. He will then be cremated and his ashes will be interred in the Cathedral.
Tutu’s body lies in state stream – Day 2:
