However, she and the other family members stayed in the back of the chapel until three minutes before our meeting was to begin. So, I went back and informed them that since they stayed this long, they might as well stay a bit longer and sing in my ward. So, they agreed. I explained things to the Bishopric member, and since I was in charge of the music, it was no problem.
Serendipitous situations like this sometimes just happen, if the wheels are put in motion at the right time by the right people. It was wonderful to have them sing. We had not had a special musical number in many weeks. (Summers are when it is particularly difficult to secure people who are willing or in town long enough to prepare a special musical number.
Together, we sang that duet many times in many different meetings, but mostly for funerals and special musical numbers at church. After I left home, she taught it to others of my siblings. I believe, every one of us had a chance to sing it either with my mother or with each other.
Over the years, apparently my mom shared this music with others in her family, too, like her opera singing brothers. They shared it with their singing children, too. It has become quite a favorite throughout our clan.
Actually, I didn't realize this until last summer when my cousin asked be to accompany her and her nephew singing it in her ward. When we got together to practice, she was quite surprised that I had the physical book that she had a photocopy of. We compared the music and there were the handwritten notes of where I was to sing and where my mom would sing. Somehow, I was blessed to own that heirloom book.
(My cousin is endeavoring to order the actual book, now that she has the correct information about it.)