To Play or Not to Play - That is the Question...

The other day I mentioned Bryn Terfel pulling out of the Royal Opera House's autumn production due to family commitments.
Following on from that, Rupert Christiansen wrote a piece yesterday which has some very good points, and it appears the public are divided. You can read the report and the comments here.

I do know that Robin had to make a very difficult decision connected to the premiere of his first ever concerto, 'Concerto Primavera'.
Two days prior to the performance, Robin's father died suddenly and unexpectedly.
Our world was in turmoil.
We had to deal with the emotion in the same way as any family.
But what do you do about the premiere?
The orchestra were booked and had been rehearsing.
The event was sold out.
It was not only the premiere of the piece, but also, the first concerto Robin had composed.
It wasn't just a case of being present at the premiere, Robin also had to perform it!
All in all it was a difficult position.

We discussed the situation as a family and it was decided that the 'show must go on', for many reasons, one of which being that Robin's father had been looking forward to it so much.
We didn't tell anyone.
Robin just got up there, played as well as he could, and somehow managed to get through the whole experience.
In fact the event was a huge success, and gained excellent reviews, which gave a much needed morale boost.

So, in this situation, the show did go on.
However, I'm not sure the same would apply if it were a sick child.
A parent who has died is a very different scenario, there really isn't a lot you can do.
A sick child needs support.
I just hope we don't have to face that dilemma, and I suppose all situations have to be looked at individually, and an informed decision made that feels right for the performer and their family.