MUSIC THROUGH THE YEARS AT PERRY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
MUSIC THROUGH THE YEARS
AT
PERRY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Compiled and Written by
Jackie Beeland
Assisted by
Martin Beeland
September 7, 2012
Music Through The Years at
Perry (United) Methodist Church
¡°We Shall Sing On That Beautiful Shore, The Melodious Songs Of The Blest.¡± This
quote is on the tombstone of FRED M. (PAPA) HOUSER, the second known leader of
song at Perry Methodist Church (United not included in the title at that time) and
grandfather of G. FRANCIS NUNN.
LEWIS M. HOUSER, great grandfather of G. Francis Nunn, was the first song leader
around the middle l800s. It was said by ne ighbors that every evening beautiful music
could be heard coming from the Houser home as they sang and played the piano. Mr.
Fred Houser later gave the music leadership to his daughter, MRS. BESSIE HOUSER
NUNN, who directed the choir and played the piano; then she later gave it to her son, G.
FRANCES NUNN. He began as choir director at Perry Methodist Church immediately
after graduating in the spring of l936 from Emory University, where he was a member
and president of the Emory Glee Club. He continued as choir director for 46 years (l982);
therefore, four generations of the Houser/ Nunn family were music leaders at the Perry
Methodist Church for over l00 years, all volunteer. Mr. Francis¡¯ selected repertoire
included many classical anthems. Among his favorites were: ¡°My Eternal King¡± (which
was sung at his funeral in September, l993, by the Sanctuary Choir), ¡°Goin¡¯ Home,¡±
¡°With A Voice Of Singing,¡± ¡°Pilgrim¡¯s Chorus,¡± ¡°Thanks Be To Thee,¡± ¡°God So Loved
The World,¡± and ¡°I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked.¡± There is indication by some of
the notations on t his repertoire of music that ¡°Perry Choral Union¡± formed early on by
the Perry Methodist, First Baptist, and Presbyterian Church Choirs and presented
programs in the community. Mrs. Bessie Houser Nunn directed this combined choir. Mr.
Francis presented many Easter and Christmas cantatas and many of them were written
and/or composed by John W. Peterson. Several of the cantatas were: Hallelujah, What a
Savior, A Festival of Carols and Nine Lessons, Night of Miracles, The Miracle of
Bethlehem, and Carols of Christmas. Mr. Frances and the choir enjoyed presenting
Spring and Fall Concerts. These musicals often included both religious and secular
pieces. Among the secular were: ¡°Shenandoah,¡± ¡°Oklahoma,¡± ¡°Love is a Many Splendid
Thing,¡± Rigoletto, and ¡°The Anvil Chorus¡± from Trovatore. The latter two pieces (quartet
section) were sung by a male quartet in which Mr. Francis sang. He enjoyed putting
together a male quartet and mixed quartet for various songs. While at Emory, he would
usher at the Fox Theater in order to see and hear the operas Trovatore and Rigoletto. He
enjoyed participating in ¡°walk on parts¡± at these performances. His selected musical
repertoire is repaired, cataloged, and a part of the Perry UMC Music Library.
MRS. NORINE SWANSON JONES served as Pianist and Organist for many years
during the l900s.
1
MISS WILLIE RYALS served as Organist at the Perry Church from 1936 until between
1965 and 1970, having succeeded Mrs. Minerva Houser Hook and Mrs. Nettie Hook
Paul. During those years, Miss Willie taught vocal and piano lessons at the Perry
Schools. She also accompanied numerous people as they performed musically in the
community. In the late l940s, MR. WENDELL WHIPPLE, SR. led music in the
Methodist Youth Fellowship on S unday evenings and assisted with Sanctuary Choir
directing when needed.
In l969, Perry UMC hired its first salaried youth director, JOHN POWELL, now Dr. John
Powell. John introduced the youth to learning to play the guitar and playing it for evening
services on occasions. He organized a youth group and youth choir. For one of the
presentations the choir joined the First Baptist youth group in presenting the musical,
Good News. John took the youth group on many interesting trips, one of which was the
Rattlesnake Roundup at Claxton, Georgia. I remember that some of the youth ate the
fried rattlesnake meat which was free, so they could save their money for something else.
Another one of the trips was to Pine Mountain Primitive Campground. Tents were the
source of housing. A severe electrical and rain storm was experienced that night, but
everybody survived and enjoyed the next day at Calloway Gardens. Devotional and
singing time was enjoyed on these trips. John left Perry UMC in l971.
In August, 1982, KAREN CLAY joined the staff of Perry UMC as Children¡¯s and Youth
Director. Two of the cantatas presented during this time were Music Machine and
Christmas Fever. The children had an after school program that consisted of music, Bible
teaching, and snacks. The youth choir sang regularly for Sunday night services. Karen
organized the first children¡¯s handbell choir.
In l983, G. Francis Nunn resigned and brought in to take his place a young man named
TOM FLICK who was the first salaried minister of music, having joined us in April,
l983. He directed a handbell choir; graded children¡¯s choirs; enlarged choir loft in order
to accommodate another row of seating; selected, with a committee, a seven foot Yamaha
grand piano that was placed in the Perry UMC sanctuary in honor of G. Francis Nunn;
and taught and directed the Sanctuary Choir. Our favorite Call to Worship was ¡°Lord,
Listen to Your Children Praying¡± with Tom¡¯s singing and choir backup. Tom remembers
what fun it w as singing with Mr. Francis in the quartet portion of Rigoletto and ¡°The
Anvil Chorus¡± from the opera, Trovatore. During Tom Flick¡¯s tenure, the choir enjoyed
presenting such cantatas as Gaither¡¯s He Started the Whole World Singing, Clydesdale¡®s I
Am, Christmas Tapestry, and How Great Thou Art. A sound system was installed to
accommodate the choir loft during this time by T om Flick, Joe McNutt, and Jimmy
Beeland.
2
In August, l962, JOE AND DONNA MCNUTT moved from Ohio to Perry. Both as
trained musicians immediately joined Perry UMC and the Sanctuary Choir. At that time,
Mrs. Norine Swanson Jones was organist for the 9:00 A.M. service, and Miss Willie
Ryals was the 11:00 A.M. organist. When ¡°Miss Norine¡± retired, Donna took her place as
organist for the 9:00 A.M. service. Later when Miss Willie retired, Donna continued as
organist for the 9:00 A.M. service and also assumed Miss Willie¡¯s place as organist for
the 11:00 A.M. and evening services until she retired in the middle l980s. A 9:00 A.M.
Choir was established, and Joe McNutt began directing this choir and served in this
volunteer position until l983 when Tom Flick came to Perry UMC as Minister of Music.
In l978, Mr. Francis asked Joe McNutt to direct the Sanctuary Choir in Otis Skillings¡¯
Rejoice!; in l979, John W. Peterson¡¯s Born a King; and in l980, John W. Peterson¡¯s King
of Kings. During Donna and Joe¡¯s tenure, they established a mixed (male and female)
quartet with plans to learn and memorize a sa cred musical repertoire to present where
needed. This was accomplished, and the quartet enjoyed singing many programs near and
far. The quartet was known as ¡°T he Vocalaires.¡± Donna McNutt served as p iano
accompanist. Members of the quartet were: Joe McNutt, Bass; Phil Ballard, Tenor; Mara
Ballard, Alto; Jackie Beeland, Lead. Donna McNutt organized a L adies¡¯ Sextet which
also learned and memorized a sacred musical repertoire, and programs were presented at
Perry UMC and throughout the community. Donna McNutt served as piano accompanist.
The name of this group was ¡° R ejoice.¡± Members were: Altos, Sara Muse and Lynn
Lowrey; Second Soprano, Fran Hartman and Pat Purcell; First Soprano, Susan Potts and
Jackie Beeland. The following is a quote from DONNA MCNUTT: ¡°It was a privilege
for Joe and for me to be a very small part of the music program during our stay in
Georgia. It is one experience that I will always remember and cherish.¡±
JIM AND DEBBIE MCILRATH, now Rev. Jim McIlrath, came to Perry UMC two
different times. Jim was Youth Minister from l974 until l977. They returned in l979. Jim
was an Associate Pastor and Youth Minister, and Debbie was Director of Children¡¯s
Ministries. Debbie composed a children¡¯s musical, This Church is Alive and Doing Quite
Well, which was presented May 4, l980, and was well received. She composed a number
of songs that were used in the church, and she served as pianist on many occasions. Jim
said that Francis gave him permission to teach and direct the Sanctuary Choir in
presenting Handel¡¯s Messiah. This went very well, and the choir enjoyed the experience.
He also directed the youth musical, The Witness. Jim reminded me of the time Francis
Nunn, Joe McNutt, Harold Jennings and he sang the quartet portion of Rigoletto and ¡°The
Anvil Chorus¡± from the opera, Trovatore, in one of the concerts. Rev. Tom Johnson was
the pastor at the time, and Jim said that he told Francis that he was aware of the lyrics
regarding ¡°drinking¡± in ¡°The Anvil Chorus¡± and somewhat questioned its being
appropriate! Jim and Rev. Johnson still laugh about this when they meet at United
Methodist Annual Conferences. Jim and Debbie left Perry UMC in l982.
3
In l977, BRAD KIDWELL came to Perry UMC as the next Youth Director. He had a lot
of musical talent and presented several quality youth musical programs, a well received
solo program and Children¡¯s Musical, Down by The Creek Bank by Dottie Rambo. Brad
was an excellent photographer. He took the trio of pictures that were used on the front
cover of the church bulletin during the years he was at Perry UMC and later years, also.
CHRIS MURRELL, now Rev. Chris Murrell, came to Perry UMC as Minister of Music
in l986. He organized the Joy Choir (older adult), led Youth and Children¡¯s Choir,
Handbell Choirs, and Sanctuary Choir. He directed such cantatas as Glory Forever, Carry
the Light, arranged by J ay Rouse and Randy Vader, Clydesdale¡¯s Resounding Praise,
Come Celebrate Christmas, Make His Praise Glorious, and several Tenebrae services on
Maundy Thursdays. Chris was the first of the Ministers of Music to use live orchestral
accompaniment. This accompaniment form has continued. The piano and/or organ were
included when needed. Chris left Perry UMC in 1996.
DR. DON HUTCHINSON was the next Minister of Music at Perry UMC in l996. He
directed the Sanctuary Choir, Handbell Choirs, Joy Choir and was in charge of the Prime
Time programs and trips. One of the presentations under Dr. Hutchinson¡¯s direction was
a concert by the Sanctuary Choir of collected beautiful anthems with a String Ensemble
accompaniment. Don left Perry UMC in l998.
NANCY JOINER served as accompanist for the Joy Choir beginning in the fall of l996.
She later became the interim director and also accompanist for the choir. When Marc
Foster came to Perry UMC as Mi nister of Music, Nancy resumed her position as
accompanist and continued through Glynn Haynes¡¯ tenure. When Glynn left Perry UMC,
Nancy served as i nterim director again, and Marilyn Hooten became the accompanist.
This arrangement was continued until 2006.
DEBBIE WOOD was Minister of Youth during the early l990s, and during the years of
l996 through l998, she also served as Youth Choir Director.
MARC FOSTER, now Dr. Marc Foster, came to Perry UMC as Mi nister of Music in
l999. It¡¯s interesting to note that the home he purchased in Perry was the HOUSER home.
Marc organized the music library by a pplying the appropriate computer program to
catalog both numerically and alphabetically each anthem and collected work and
arranging a room in which to house the music collection. This system has been continued,
and the library now contains over 700 a nthems and numerous collected works. He
directed two concerts, ¡°Favorite Anthems¡± and ¡°Great Hymns of Faith,¡± sung by the
Sanctuary Choir, and CD recordings were made of each. The concerts were staged in the
old Perry High School Auditorium (now Houston County Board of Education Building).
He directed such cantatas as Handel¡¯s Messiah, A New Creation by Rene¡¯ Clausen, and A
4
................
................
In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.
To fulfill the demand for quickly locating and searching documents.
It is intelligent file search solution for home and business.
Related download
- bluegrass gospel karaoke
- sixty second annual choral union concert series aadl
- musical instruments in worship grace primitive baptist
- music cie notes
- thank you lord for making me me lyrics
- the primitive quartet update on kaye commencement candler
- he is mine i am his forever gt speer new desire ministries
- abstract examples fine and performing arts
- arkansas talk business
- heaven will be worth the journey kevin spencer music
Related searches
- united methodist church pastors directory
- united methodist church merchandise
- united methodist church history
- united methodist church official site
- united methodist church pastors
- united methodist church structure chart
- united methodist church conference website
- university united methodist church facebook
- united methodist church charlotte nc
- united methodist church statistics
- retired united methodist church pastors
- united methodist church concord nc