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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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