Here is Christopher's mum at the concert that followed his funeral
here is what Ron Ryder of the Guardian wrote
A Charlottetown church became a concert hall and a memorial show became a six-hour musical tribute Saturday as musicians, friends and family gathered to say goodbye to drummer Chris Driscoll.
Driscoll died Jan. 9 after a skiing accident on Vermont’s Jay Peak. The 21-year-old was on a weekend outing with friends from McGill University where he was in the final year of the school’s jazz performance program.
The program virtually emptied last week when students and their instruments piled into a charter bus to come to the Island and to wake their friend and bandmate.
From 7 p.m. Saturday until 1 a.m. Sunday, the musicians helped transform Spring Park United Church into a place where music and remembrance became a sort of healing celebration.
Driscoll’s drum kit sat centre stage, backed up by dozens of performers. Some flew from as far away as Vancouver to be part of the evening.
Three drummers, three different companions in Driscoll’s growth as a musician, provided the beat for his passing.
Alan Dowling, who gave a 12-year-old Driscoll his first drum lessons; Chris McCann, who taught him at McGill; and Richard Knox, who began drum lessons with Dowling at the same time as Driscoll and accompanied him into the McGill program — each contributed to the honours.
Dr. Ian Reid, concert organizer and father of Driscoll’s bandmate Pat Reid, said Knox took on a great responsibility and privilege.
“For nine years they had studied and played together,” he said Sunday.
“The finale was these three drummers from Chris’s life with Richard playing Chris’s drums for the last time.”
Reid said the 500 people who came out to Driscoll’s memorial show were transfixed by the gathering of musical talent and by the tribute to someone admired for his talent and for his own self.
“For the past five days I have had upwards of 40 musicians in my house with music coming from every corner,” he said.
“You don’t really understand until you’re among them how these people live; how they relate to their music and to each other. It was obvious that Chris really touched them.”
The concert, ranging from jazz to opera and classical piano, was recorded and captured on video, Reid said he’ll make copies of the recording available through his office.
He said the evening was a fitting tribute to the young man he said was a son of the family in everything but name.
“There were a few lines in the program . . . ‘To a true artist and a brilliant musician; a person for whom life was an exciting adventure filled with potential and opportunity. To one who shared his love freely and in return was loved by all. To the memory of our friend and inspiration, Chris Driscoll’,” he said.
“I think that encompasses so much about this young man.”
