Children's Choir

There have always been a few redeeming qualities about going to church.  Well, mostly it's just music.  Once a blue hair gave me a hug and exclaimed, "You're worth going to church for!"  So anyway, it's not just me.

My family moved to Virginia and started attending Christ the Servant Lutheran at the end of 1988.  Liên and I started singing in the children's choir, which was directed by David Willis.  By the time I was going down the 4th-6th grade hallway of Terraset Elementary, we were way too grown up for a children's choir, so we quit.  We were cool.  Then suddenly we found ourselves highlighting parts for his hand bell choir.  You couldn't say no to David Willis.  Not because he was persuasive, not because you were interested, not because it was the right thing to do, but simply because you loved him.  By the time I was walking down the hallways of Oakton High as an overweight and insecure teenager, I was David Willis' sub.  Now that is what I call seriously cool.

David Willis holds a very special place in my heart, and has shaped me just as much as any of my piano teachers.  He died the morning of April 18, 2008.

Koenig Lane's humble six-piece choir (four of which belong to one family) and I did "Hymn of Promise" as the anthem yesterday morning, and I recorded it on my phone.  It was composed by Natalie Sleeth in 1985.  It's not my favorite composition, but Liên and I sang it for David Willis' choir 20 years ago.

Rest in peace.  I will never, ever, ever forget you.

Accompanying the recording are flowers from sweet George.

N.B.  George bought the red rose for me
and the white one for you on April 18th of this year.