TimesPublished for the Members and Friends of The Manchester United Methodist Church Chancel Choir

June 2002

ChancelNashville EX

TRA!

Tennessee TripReturns ChoirTo Edgehill

Belval Assumes Throne as Chancel QueenJames Adrain Belval was ordered to serve as Queenof the Chancel Choir during coronation ceremoniesat the choir’s year-end party June 2. Belval was select-ed to serve by the Chancel Chief Justice when president-elect Karen Yoemans presented no spouse to assume the traditional role.

During a hearing before the coronation ceremonies,the Chief Justice reported that the court had conductedan extensive analysis of the dilemma. The court foundit was appropriate to apply a provision of EnglishMaritime Law allowing for conscription of sailors intimes of threat to the Monarchy.

The court based its selection on the need to find aQueen that was compatible with the president whoholds both nursing and civil engineering degrees. Aftercareful deliberation the court identified Belval as both

When the light, but enthusiasticapplause faded away, theChancel Choir had completed its lastperformance of the season. A busyseason that started with rehearsals forViva Vivaldi and Celebrate TheSpirit concerts and concluded with aconcert in a small Nashville church.

The Tennessee tour was thechoir’s second visit to the Nashvillearea and to the Edgehill UnitedMethodist Church – a repeat of a tripmade five years earlier.

A total of 57 singers and about adozen spouses, groupies and instru-mentalists made the six-hour journey,most riding in “super scenicruiser”busses.

The Saturday evening concert atEdgehill, a church in the Nashville

With robes in boxes and suitcases in tow, members of the Chancel Choir load up for anoutreach tour to Nashville over the weekend of June 7-9. A total of 57 singers, abouthalf the choir, made the trip, accompanied by spouses, friends and family.

inner-city, was billed as “Sing OnceMore” and featured a number ofsongs from the choir’s Celebrate TheSpirit concert last fall includingRobert Ray’s Gospel Mass.

Following a night on the town, thechoir provided music for two Sundayworship services at the HermitageUnited Methodist Church.

Continued on Page 2

Continued on Page 7

The Royal Robe is installed on Jim Belval by court bailiffs LarryDietzel and Jim Descher during coronation ceremonies at the end-of-season party on June 2. Belval was ordered to serve as ChancelChoir Queen by the Chief Justice of the Chancel after the president-elect presented no spouse for coronation.

2

The choir and guests stayed at thefamed Opryland Hotel, enjoying theacres of shops and restaurants underglass domes.

Once the choir members arrived at11p.m. on Friday, they made a run toget some sleep or get a snack in oneof the hotel’s many restaurants.

Saturday offered choir membersoptions of going downtown or stay-ing at the hotel and walking to thenearby Opry Mills Outlet Mall builton the former site of Opryland.

Following the Edgehill concert,about half the group returned to thehotel for a pleasant dinner with theremainder heading for Nashville’sSecond Street for some late nightentertainment.

An early call brought the choir tothe busses on Sunday morning andthe short trip to Hermitage.

Following worship, the Hermitagechurch provided lunch to the choirand its guests. Then it was back onthe busses for the return trip to St. Louis with a quick dinner stop inMount Vernon, Ill.

The choir makes an outreach tourevery other year, usually to citieswithin a five-hour bus ride from St. Louis.

This year, the schedule called for avisit to Memphis, but competition forhotel rooms with the Mike Tysonboxing match left the choir with noplace to stay and the promise of adifficult time getting around the city.

Last minute changes resulted inthe repeat visit to Nashville. In addi-tion to its previous trip to Tennessee,the choir has also visited Chicagoand Kansas City, as well as its twotrips to New York to perform atCarnegie Hall. Some members of thechoir also made a trip to Europe inthe 1980s.

Chancel Choir EnjoysSouthern HospitalityContinued from Page 1

A last-minute executive decision left the robes in the boxes and the choir arrayed inbright casual cloths for the concert at Edgehill United Methodist Church. Here, Kevinintroduces the choir at the beginning of the program.

Clutching folders, the choirmarches toward the opendoors of Edgehill, lower left.Above, a brief strategy ses-sion is held on the front lawnbefore the concert. DaveGnaegy and Moe Parisienlevitate a robe box over a car.Lois Hendrickson and JeffAllee search through theboxes for their robe justbefore the decision is madeto rebox them. Ann Garbermakes a strong point to SueWoolweaver, left, as the clockticks 28 minutes to go.

3

Get any number of Chancel Choirmembers together for an outingand you’ll find food involved.Nashville was no different. Most ofthe entertainment on this trip consist-ed of eating.

As quickly as the bus engines shutdown late Friday night, a large groupheaded for the Jack Daniel’s Saloonat the hotel for pizza or a late nightrefreshment.

Sunrise found them in any num-ber of hotel restaurants rehearsingthe finer points of eggs benedict andbiscuits and gravy.

Most of the crew stayed at theOpryland Hotel on Saturday explor-ing the hotel’s many indoor gardens

or walking to the Opry Mills OutletMall a short distance away. A fewhearty soles rode the bus to down-town Nashville and explored musicand antique shops.

Following the concert Saturdaynight, about a third of the groupheaded back to the hotel for a sedatedinner while the rest headed for theSecond Street area of downtownNashville to wonder the streets witha few thousand kids, drunks, near-do-wells and tourists. Most ate dinner ateither the Crab House or River Grill.

Once safely back at the hotel, afew of the sleepless landed inKevin’s room for a night cap.

Food and Fun Occupy Nashville Down Time

Larry Woolweaver and Julie Kramer enjoysome liquid refreshment in Kevin’s room onSaturday night, top left. Jack and Mary LouAdams and Bob and Kay Sherrill pause onDelta Island in the Opryland Hotel, top right.Cheryl Fletcher, Larry Shepard, MerryGnaegy and Judi Shepard explore one ofthe many indoor gardens, bottom left.Ramona Schroeder chows down on somelate night pizza at the Jack Daniel’s Saloon,above.

NashvilleMoments

4

Goin’ to Nashville, so maybewe’ll see somebody famous.Maybe we’ll talk to a celebrity.Then, maybe not.

After Kevin saw Lou Rawls on aNashville street during the last trip,choir members had their autographbooks ready this time. But the pickin’s turned out to be slim.

The closest we came to a bonifiedcelebrity sighting was a quick look atsportscaster Terry Bradshaw. Ourbusses had just pulled up under thehotel canopy when a white, stretchlimo pulled up and out poppedBradshaw. He was accompanied bya sweet young blond he seemed toknow very well. They disappearedquickly into the hotel.

As it turns out, it was his daughterand they had been involved in an air-plane accident on their way toNashville for a NASCAR race.

Some basses thought there was aNashville talent scout in the Edgehillaudience when they spotted an attrac-tive women in the front row singingalong with the music and takingnotes.

However, their vision of a nationalchoral tour invitation were dashed,when they learned after the concertshe was Jean Kinnard's daughter,Sarah Evins, from Franklin, Tenn.Sarah turned out to be a jazz pianistand has performed all of our musicwith her own church choir.

But a real celebrity did come tothe Hermitage Church just to hear us.It was Warren Hartman who’s beenKenny Rodger’s pianist for 12 years.He also happens to be CarolDuggin’s cousin.

Hartman said we sounded great.He liked our style. But made nopromises on our being “discovered.”

Real Celebrities Were Hard to Find In Nashville

Although recent reports place Elvis alive in KansasCity, he was sighted at the Opry Mills Outlet Mallin Nashville with admirer Sandy Ford. Othercelebrities didn’t stand as still for choir members.

John Stahr checks theNashville newspaper for thelatest, top left. Buddy Rains,Gene Stukey and TomLawrence review a sour noteat Edgehill, above. CeceSpatola enjoys a hot fudgeSundae on Sunday after astop in Mount Vernon, Ill.,lower left. Kevin flashes anearly morning smile while wait-ing for the bus on Sunday andBarb Vendt proudly displaysher new bamboo plant thatonly looks like asparagus.

6

The Chancel Choir provided worship music for two Sunday morning services at theHermitage United Methodist Church in Hermitage, Tenn. on June 9. Jackie Smith stepsup to the pulpit for a solo in a selection from the Gospel Mass at left. Judi Shepardenjoys lunch the Hermitage church provided the choir after the worship services.

Laid Back Church Gets Dose of Gospel RockThe Sunday morning worshipcrowd at Hermitage UnitedMethodist Church may have beenexpecting a quiet, traditional serviceon what was billed as LotteryAwareness Sunday.

But as the dynamics increased andJackie Smith let go with her GospelMass solo, the eyes in the pewsbetrayed the surprise.

The Chancel Choir was invited toprovide worship music for thechurch’s two services, performingselections from the Gospel Mass anda couple of other pieces from the tourprogram.

Kevin’s introductory remarks tothe congregation reporting that“Methodism was alive and well inMissouri despite what you’ve heard”drew quiet laughter.

The church, which seats about 600people, was half full for the two ser-vices. The choir’s traveling contin-gent, referred to as “groupies androadies” by the senior pastor, werealso introduced.

A large “Church For Sale”sign greeted cars entering thechurch’s parking lot. Hermitage is

planning to build a new 1,200-seatsanctuary a short distance away fromits current location. Reportedly, anearby retirement home has agreed topurchase the current church property.

Following a break to pack uprobes and instruments and changeinto more comfortable “traveling”cloths, the choir was served lunch bychurch members.

The lasagna was a perfect way toprepare for the long trip home.

7

an engineer and an employee of a St. Louis health care organization.

The court then ordered Belval toserve as Queen. He was escortedbefore the bench by two members ofthe Royal Music Police who servedas bailiffs for the proceeding.

In consideration for the potentialstress that serving in such a rolemight bring Belval, the Chief Justiceplaced four members of the choir onstandby to aid the Queen shouldintervention be needed. They areBertha Erhardt, nursing needs;Mindy Zimmerman, trauma needs;Martha Roper, counseling needs; andSue Woolweaver, disaster needs.

Belval was then administered theoath of office and declared Queen forthe ensuing year.

Prior to the coronation, the courtstripped the Royal Regalia fromQueen Diane Lawrence during theannual Defrocking Ceremony.

Following the coronation ceremo-ny, the 2002 Chancel Choir officerswere elected. Director of MusicMinistries Kevin McBeth then gavethe annual state-of-the-choir speechand outlined next year’s performanceschedule.

A complete list of officers and adetailed account of the speech will bepublished in the August edition ofthe Chancel Times.

Belval Assumes Throne as Chancel QueenContinued from Page 1

Flanked by Larry Dietzel and JimDescher, the Chief Justice deliversthe selection order, top left. MikeLatimer, Royal Herald, sounds thecall. Queen Belval greets his sub-jects after taking the oath, middlerow. Outgoing Queen DianeLawrence takes her final walk.

Chancel NotesSMALL WORLD. The sign hon-

oring POWs at the Rend Lake reststop lists Capt. Thomas Daffon ofPinkneyville. Happens our JanieWalker went to high school withhim.

LIKE FLIES TO HONEY. Tenminutes hadn’t passed after walking

into the JackDaniel’sSaloon at theOprylandHotel beforechanteuseJackie Smithreceived aninvitation tosing with theband, a freedrink from the

bartender, and three phone numbersfrom men at the bar (one a groomhosting his bachelor party).

POWER BALL? After sittingthrough two blistering indictments ofstate-sponsored lotteries at theHermitage church, some choir mem-bers pushed lotto tickets a little deep-er into their pockets. “But she didn’tmention Power Ball,” came a whis-per.

BUS WORTHY? Bus travel ismore difficult for some. Five hoursinto the journey, Bertha Erhardtstood up and whined “I’m bored.Somebody entertain me.” She latercame down with a case “horizontigo”which is dizziness from long-term

sitting.SEEN MAGELLAN? That

Opryland Hotel is a big place. Ittook Bill and Jean Lange more than45 minutes to find their room afterarrival.

BUT OFFICER. Drummer JoeKingsbury was nabbed by the longarm of the law. He was so anxious toget on the road, he got a speedingticket driving to the church to loadthe busses for the trip.

LOOK YOUR AGE. DianeLawrence was carded in a bar onNashville’s Second Street. Can’t betoo careful, things ain’t always whatthe seem.

CLIMATE CONTROLLED.Passengers on the “Minnie Pearl” bustook a chill on the way to Nashville.It was cold enough for Mary LouAdams to unpack her bathrobe andsuit up. Meanwhile, folks on theJohnnie Cash bus were too hot andsuffered from horizontigo.

WHAT KEY? Ever wonder whata panicked choral director looks like?Try Kevin’s face after two big bussesloaded with singers pull up to alocked Edgehill church. Some werehoping for a calendar mixup so wecould go to dinner early.

LEAVE IT TO BROWN.Through an interesting twist of fate,one set of luggage decided to returnto St. Louis under UPS escort.

LIMO FOUND. Last trip toNashville Moe Parisien and friendsspent several hours trying to find alimousine at 3 a.m. He found oneeasier this trip when a stretch pulledup on Second Street and offered aride back to the hotel. Moe and threefriends, Jeff Allee, Julee Breakstoneand Christina Vogal took the ride instyle.

CHORAL ADVICE. One sopra-no gave substitute soloist JimDescher some unsolicited advice onhow to stay calm when singing a

solo. “Just squeeze your cheeks,”she said without explaining whichones.

M*A*S*H UNIT. The ChancelChoir travels like a self-containedArmy. We had our own trial attor-ney, orthopedic surgeon, neonatalnurse and a mortician.. We wereready in case anyone was arrested,broke a bone, needed a diaper changeor died from a high note.

POCKET PROTECTORS. TomLawrence was seen hanging out withindividuals known to be occupationalsafety engineers staying at the hotel.Tom and Diane stayed on to join theconvention. Coincidently there wasalos a group of Harley-Davidsonowners meeting there too.

ALL IN THE FAMILY. Somegave up a Saturday with their choir

buddies tohang outwith rela-tives. MaryDean touredtheParthenonwithcousins.JeanKinnardvisitedantique

stores in Franklin, Tenn. with herdaughter.

THE POWER OF CHICKEN.Sue Woolweaver found out howpowerful chicken wings can be whenshe offered some to three guys on theSecond Street if they would droptheir pants. They did.

PHANTOM GROUPIES. Wenever saw them, but we felt theirpresence. That was Rick Spatola andsons who drove to Nashville early.Cece Spatola swears they were therein the building. There was even aSpatola sighting in the hotel lobby.They say Elvis started this way.

Cover Story: Three Tales ofLottery Winners. JackieSmith does a little light read-ing on the bus trip home.

Josh Hayes spent the Nashvillenights in a Murphy bed – justone of the high-tech amenitiesof the Opryland Hotel.

TTiimmeessChancelSpecial Edition ~ June 17, 2002

Newsletter Editor . . . . . . . . . . .Gary FordPhotography . . . . . . . . . .Karen Yoemans,

Maurice Parisien, Greg Fletcher,Bertha and Don Erhardt, Gary Ford.

Published for the Chancel Choir byFord Communications LLC

Available electronically in PDF format.