Howard Don Small - Stories and Reminiscences I
July 13, 2007
from Haddayr Copley-Woods
Howard Don Small
An old friend of mine died this morning.
He was the director of the St. Mark's choir most of the time I was there. I
loved him. I still do.
He was well over six feet tall and must have weighed 150 pounds soaking
wet. He wore thick, unfashionable glasses and the most beautiful smile you
have ever seen. When I auditioned, he acted delighted that I had joined
them: an awkward, atheist soprano with a rough voice and vague idea of the
tune who couldn't sight read and who didn't even know how to put on a choir
robe.
He made everyone feel that way: instantly part of his choral family. He was
so, so kind. He just radiated gentle, intelligent kindness. Always.
And he was brilliant: graduated from Eastman and with a glorious sense of
music and style. He was an incredible organist; listening to him was like
riding a thunderstorm. He preferred the same simple American hymns I do,
and he was a composer as well: publishing several of his arrangements
and his original pieces.
I loved singing for him. He stood in front of us every Sunday with his face lit
up with joy to hear us; he was a subtle conductor, but often in his own way:
head tilted, body swaying, would dance in our sound.
To be part of his instrument was glorious.
He wrote an arrangement to "Come, Thou Font of Every Blessing" which
always brought me to tears. I especially loved the line: "Oh, to grace, how
great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be" because I feel so grateful to grace,
and yes, to Jesus, for letting me into His church where I never really
belonged and for letting me sing the most glorious music ever written.
Perhaps it seems odd to be grateful to Jesus for lending me His music
instead of dying for our sins like everyone else does, but there you have it: I
am a great debtor to grace. And glad to be.
He always looked right at me when we sang that line, because he knew I
understood what it meant.
He called me one of his "favorite sopranos." He hugged us all in his funny,
formal way with his heart just right there on his face for all to see whenever
we saw him. Seeing him made my heart glad, every time I saw him. Losing
him is sadder than I can say.
Although I'm not an atheist anymore, I'm not so sure about heaven and
following rules to get there. I do know this: wherever Don is, I hope choirs of
heavenly angels are singing. Flaming tongues and all.
Click here. to go to Haddayr's blog entry.
from Haddayr Copley-Woods
Howard Don Small
An old friend of mine died this morning.
He was the director of the St. Mark's choir most of the time I was there. I
loved him. I still do.
He was well over six feet tall and must have weighed 150 pounds soaking
wet. He wore thick, unfashionable glasses and the most beautiful smile you
have ever seen. When I auditioned, he acted delighted that I had joined
them: an awkward, atheist soprano with a rough voice and vague idea of the
tune who couldn't sight read and who didn't even know how to put on a choir
robe.
He made everyone feel that way: instantly part of his choral family. He was
so, so kind. He just radiated gentle, intelligent kindness. Always.
And he was brilliant: graduated from Eastman and with a glorious sense of
music and style. He was an incredible organist; listening to him was like
riding a thunderstorm. He preferred the same simple American hymns I do,
and he was a composer as well: publishing several of his arrangements
and his original pieces.
I loved singing for him. He stood in front of us every Sunday with his face lit
up with joy to hear us; he was a subtle conductor, but often in his own way:
head tilted, body swaying, would dance in our sound.
To be part of his instrument was glorious.
He wrote an arrangement to "Come, Thou Font of Every Blessing" which
always brought me to tears. I especially loved the line: "Oh, to grace, how
great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be" because I feel so grateful to grace,
and yes, to Jesus, for letting me into His church where I never really
belonged and for letting me sing the most glorious music ever written.
Perhaps it seems odd to be grateful to Jesus for lending me His music
instead of dying for our sins like everyone else does, but there you have it: I
am a great debtor to grace. And glad to be.
He always looked right at me when we sang that line, because he knew I
understood what it meant.
He called me one of his "favorite sopranos." He hugged us all in his funny,
formal way with his heart just right there on his face for all to see whenever
we saw him. Seeing him made my heart glad, every time I saw him. Losing
him is sadder than I can say.
Although I'm not an atheist anymore, I'm not so sure about heaven and
following rules to get there. I do know this: wherever Don is, I hope choirs of
heavenly angels are singing. Flaming tongues and all.
Click here. to go to Haddayr's blog entry.
July 14, 2007
from Nick Bauer
Here is a favorite Don reminiscence:
We were at Central Lutheran (what year WAS that???) in mid-rehearsal for a
joint performance. We were on the risers, co-mingled with the host choir,
when Don said:
"Take out the Howells."
This elicited a particular expression of appreciation for that particular - and
very Anglican - composer. To the astonishment of the Lutherans among us,
there arose from the midst of the choir a muted vocalization reminiscent of
coyotes at the full moon... a muted vocalization.
Don gave us a stern look, and he said:
"HUSH! You're not at home!"
from Nick Bauer
Here is a favorite Don reminiscence:
We were at Central Lutheran (what year WAS that???) in mid-rehearsal for a
joint performance. We were on the risers, co-mingled with the host choir,
when Don said:
"Take out the Howells."
This elicited a particular expression of appreciation for that particular - and
very Anglican - composer. To the astonishment of the Lutherans among us,
there arose from the midst of the choir a muted vocalization reminiscent of
coyotes at the full moon... a muted vocalization.
Don gave us a stern look, and he said:
"HUSH! You're not at home!"
July 15, 2007
from Hal Grotevant
In Memoriam, Howard Don Small
I lost one of my most important music mentors, and the world lost an
incredible church musician on July 13, 2007. Howard Don Small served as
Canon Musician at the Cathedral Church of St. Mark, Minneapolis, from 1971
- 1998. Although many things will be said about his extensive professional
accomplishments, I wanted this blog entry to be a more personal
remembrance.
Although I only sang under Don’s direction for about five years (first in the
Cathedral Choral Society and then in the Cathedral Choir), working with him
had a profound effect on me as a musician. Let me mention a few ways.
First, his focus was always on the inextricable connection between music
and worship. Choirs were not in church to perform. They were there so be an
integral part of worship. That always took precedence. (Choir directors do
not universally hold this view!) Singing with him exposed me to the world’s
greatest choral literature - such a gift.
Second, he expected and received excellence from everyone - the very best
we could possibly give, every time. In turn, he gave the same himself. His
dedication and passion for sacred music inspired all of us to continue
learning, striving, and improving. Singing under his direction gave me the
encouragement to keep trying and stretching.
Third, he valued and supported community. The annual overnight choir
retreats were truly bonding experiences for all, and he and Emma frequently
opened their home for parties and celebrations. Through the choir, I made
some very good friends and shared times of joy as well as sadness. A
fellow choir member referred me to Groves Academy for our son; it was truly
a godsend. I came to realize how much Don, Emma, and St. Marks were at
the center of a hub of vibrant choral activity in the Twin Cities. Everyone who
was anybody knew them and their work; many had studied or sung with
Emma or Don.
One of my most cherished memories is participating in the recording of the
CD, “Blessings Great and Small” during June 1997. Steve Barnett was the
producer, and Preston Smith was the recording engineer. The whole
experience was professional at the very highest levels. I had a number of out-
of-body experiences during the marathon sessions, just as I am now,
savoring the memories while listening to the CD.
Don had experienced a number of health challenges over the past decade,
but memories of him are strong and very much alive. Thank you, Don. Rest
in peace.
To read an account of Hal’s speech at Don's retirement celebration in 1998,
go to Hal's blog entry by clicking here.
from Hal Grotevant
In Memoriam, Howard Don Small
I lost one of my most important music mentors, and the world lost an
incredible church musician on July 13, 2007. Howard Don Small served as
Canon Musician at the Cathedral Church of St. Mark, Minneapolis, from 1971
- 1998. Although many things will be said about his extensive professional
accomplishments, I wanted this blog entry to be a more personal
remembrance.
Although I only sang under Don’s direction for about five years (first in the
Cathedral Choral Society and then in the Cathedral Choir), working with him
had a profound effect on me as a musician. Let me mention a few ways.
First, his focus was always on the inextricable connection between music
and worship. Choirs were not in church to perform. They were there so be an
integral part of worship. That always took precedence. (Choir directors do
not universally hold this view!) Singing with him exposed me to the world’s
greatest choral literature - such a gift.
Second, he expected and received excellence from everyone - the very best
we could possibly give, every time. In turn, he gave the same himself. His
dedication and passion for sacred music inspired all of us to continue
learning, striving, and improving. Singing under his direction gave me the
encouragement to keep trying and stretching.
Third, he valued and supported community. The annual overnight choir
retreats were truly bonding experiences for all, and he and Emma frequently
opened their home for parties and celebrations. Through the choir, I made
some very good friends and shared times of joy as well as sadness. A
fellow choir member referred me to Groves Academy for our son; it was truly
a godsend. I came to realize how much Don, Emma, and St. Marks were at
the center of a hub of vibrant choral activity in the Twin Cities. Everyone who
was anybody knew them and their work; many had studied or sung with
Emma or Don.
One of my most cherished memories is participating in the recording of the
CD, “Blessings Great and Small” during June 1997. Steve Barnett was the
producer, and Preston Smith was the recording engineer. The whole
experience was professional at the very highest levels. I had a number of out-
of-body experiences during the marathon sessions, just as I am now,
savoring the memories while listening to the CD.
Don had experienced a number of health challenges over the past decade,
but memories of him are strong and very much alive. Thank you, Don. Rest
in peace.
To read an account of Hal’s speech at Don's retirement celebration in 1998,
go to Hal's blog entry by clicking here.
 | |  | |  | |  |
Hello, all -
Cathedral Choir members past and present, musicians and friends of all
origins, welcome to these tribute pages for Howard Don Small, our beloved
friend. Don passed away on Friday, July 13, 2007, and we will all miss him.
I have added these pages to my web-site-in-progress so that we all can
share memories of Don with each other - my apologies, I tried to build a
completely separate web site but technical difficulties made that temporarily
impossible....
So this is the next-best-thing - and maybe not such a bad thing? After all,
Don was a "res miranda" - a wonderful thing - himself, at least for me, and
I'm sure for many others as well.
Read on! Click the link in the navigation bar at the top of this page to go to
continuing stories pages (there are more all the time!), or the photos page.
To add your story to the list, click here to send an e-mail to me and I will add
it within 24 hours.
Enjoy the stories! I hope to see many more in the days to come.
Sincerely,
Constance Schey
Cathedral Choir member since 1986
(with a few irresponsible absences here and there)
Cathedral Choir members past and present, musicians and friends of all
origins, welcome to these tribute pages for Howard Don Small, our beloved
friend. Don passed away on Friday, July 13, 2007, and we will all miss him.
I have added these pages to my web-site-in-progress so that we all can
share memories of Don with each other - my apologies, I tried to build a
completely separate web site but technical difficulties made that temporarily
impossible....
So this is the next-best-thing - and maybe not such a bad thing? After all,
Don was a "res miranda" - a wonderful thing - himself, at least for me, and
I'm sure for many others as well.
Read on! Click the link in the navigation bar at the top of this page to go to
continuing stories pages (there are more all the time!), or the photos page.
To add your story to the list, click here to send an e-mail to me and I will add
it within 24 hours.
Enjoy the stories! I hope to see many more in the days to come.
Sincerely,
Constance Schey
Cathedral Choir member since 1986
(with a few irresponsible absences here and there)
July 17, 2007
from Rosemary Barenz
Friends old & new,
As many will agree, the memories of Don are just flooding in right now.
I sang for Don at the Cathedral from 1980 - 1983. Don was a champion of
my early singing. I was so green when he hired me. I'm sure he realized
that nearly every solo he gave me would be new to me, yet every piece of
music fit my voice like a glove. I suppose it helped to have Emma as my
voice teacher. Still, his unwavering confidence in my ability helped me find
my early performance legs, and experience the kind of professionalism to
which every young musician should be exposed. Having Don smile up at
me as he conducted are memories I cherish. Whenever I reach for a piece
of music I first learned with Don, there's a sweet reminiscence of standing in
the crook of the piano in the choir room of St. Marks.
Oh yes, let's not forget the choir parties, that sense of community that Don
and Emma offered so freely, and laughing so hard you thought you were
going to . . . well, you know . . . .
from Rosemary Barenz
Friends old & new,
As many will agree, the memories of Don are just flooding in right now.
I sang for Don at the Cathedral from 1980 - 1983. Don was a champion of
my early singing. I was so green when he hired me. I'm sure he realized
that nearly every solo he gave me would be new to me, yet every piece of
music fit my voice like a glove. I suppose it helped to have Emma as my
voice teacher. Still, his unwavering confidence in my ability helped me find
my early performance legs, and experience the kind of professionalism to
which every young musician should be exposed. Having Don smile up at
me as he conducted are memories I cherish. Whenever I reach for a piece
of music I first learned with Don, there's a sweet reminiscence of standing in
the crook of the piano in the choir room of St. Marks.
Oh yes, let's not forget the choir parties, that sense of community that Don
and Emma offered so freely, and laughing so hard you thought you were
going to . . . well, you know . . . .
July 17, 2007
from Inez Bergquist
Don's choir at St. Mark's was fabulous, joyous, top-notch, the very best in
town and the crowning glory of St. Mark's.
Were the angels in heaven jealous?
When he talked about Emma at his retirement party, and said he never could
have done it without her, you knew it was true. And when he blew the pipes
out for "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" on Christmas Eve it was a goose
bump moment, one of many at St. Mark's with Don at the console.
When he was honored as Canon Musician several years ago, we had
wonderful tributes of former choir members coming back to sing. At the end,
as the applause started to die down, Don sprang back to the organ console
and executed an impromptu Nunc Dimittis. And I thought, that is Don Small's
spirit, to God be the glory.
from Inez Bergquist
Don's choir at St. Mark's was fabulous, joyous, top-notch, the very best in
town and the crowning glory of St. Mark's.
Were the angels in heaven jealous?
When he talked about Emma at his retirement party, and said he never could
have done it without her, you knew it was true. And when he blew the pipes
out for "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" on Christmas Eve it was a goose
bump moment, one of many at St. Mark's with Don at the console.
When he was honored as Canon Musician several years ago, we had
wonderful tributes of former choir members coming back to sing. At the end,
as the applause started to die down, Don sprang back to the organ console
and executed an impromptu Nunc Dimittis. And I thought, that is Don Small's
spirit, to God be the glory.
| | | | | | |
July 18, 2007
from Brian Manlove
I owe my life to Don and Emma Small. He went way out on a limb to hire me
as a completely raw unknown agnostic nobody. I was still reeling with
depression from a horrible family tragedy. My first Sunday morning service
he basically ordered me to go up and take communion. He sometime later
that year suggested that I study voice with Emma. His and Emma's belief in
me made me believe in myself. Don rescued me from a state of suicidal
depression and he never knew it. He was the Good Samaritan and I was the
wretch on the side of the road. That is quite literally not bullshit.
Over the next year, experiencing for the first time what I now believe was truly
the body of Christ's presence in a group of 65 or so of the most wonderfully
diverse group of people I have ever known, I became an absolute believer.
The most profound experiences I have ever had happened while Don was
moulding and shaping his choiristers to the music, and he never took any
credit, it was always to glorify God. Singing Leo Sowerby's music in Leo
Sowerby's church. Standing in front of a hundreds and hundreds of people
with a full orchestra behind me, singing the role of Elijah and trying to mean
every single word of it, to trying to be Elijah for Don.. He was the one who
made everything possible for me, and he lived and demonstrated what
others only talked or preached about. His self-effacement and humility were
absolutely awe inspiring. And I never once heard a negative remark from him
... he just drove over to that little church in St. Paul every Sunday morning and
kept on keeping on, doing what he loved to do.
from Brian Manlove
I owe my life to Don and Emma Small. He went way out on a limb to hire me
as a completely raw unknown agnostic nobody. I was still reeling with
depression from a horrible family tragedy. My first Sunday morning service
he basically ordered me to go up and take communion. He sometime later
that year suggested that I study voice with Emma. His and Emma's belief in
me made me believe in myself. Don rescued me from a state of suicidal
depression and he never knew it. He was the Good Samaritan and I was the
wretch on the side of the road. That is quite literally not bullshit.
Over the next year, experiencing for the first time what I now believe was truly
the body of Christ's presence in a group of 65 or so of the most wonderfully
diverse group of people I have ever known, I became an absolute believer.
The most profound experiences I have ever had happened while Don was
moulding and shaping his choiristers to the music, and he never took any
credit, it was always to glorify God. Singing Leo Sowerby's music in Leo
Sowerby's church. Standing in front of a hundreds and hundreds of people
with a full orchestra behind me, singing the role of Elijah and trying to mean
every single word of it, to trying to be Elijah for Don.. He was the one who
made everything possible for me, and he lived and demonstrated what
others only talked or preached about. His self-effacement and humility were
absolutely awe inspiring. And I never once heard a negative remark from him
... he just drove over to that little church in St. Paul every Sunday morning and
kept on keeping on, doing what he loved to do.
July 18, 2007
from Dee Hein
Humor always, but with propriety.
from Dee Hein
Humor always, but with propriety.
July 18, 2007
from Deborah Carbaugh
I’m not so good at putting my thoughts into words, but Don was a most
special person in my life. His passion for music was an inspiration to me
and I know to all of us privileged to have had the opportunity to be enveloped
in that passion. He challenged us to rise above the “typical church choir” and
nurtured us to be a community that cared for each other and our ministry as
we delivered the glorious music to God week after week. That challenge
was met in the many years of marvelous music making. We strived to be the
best we could….not so much to please Don (although that certainly was part
of it….his smile and pleasure after a service well done was a great reward),
but because we were a choir, a community that worshipped together,
supported each other, laughed together, cried together, and above all, loved
immersing ourselves in the music that Don loved and shared with us. And
what a tribute…….that community still is there! I felt so honored to be a part
of the St. Mark’s choir. Don gave me so many opportunities to express
myself in music, not just in solo work, but as a part of this loving community.
I know I could go on and on. I have so many fond memories of Don. I know
that many will be shared in the coming days and weeks and years! He was a
well loved and respected man and his loss is felt deeply.
from Deborah Carbaugh
I’m not so good at putting my thoughts into words, but Don was a most
special person in my life. His passion for music was an inspiration to me
and I know to all of us privileged to have had the opportunity to be enveloped
in that passion. He challenged us to rise above the “typical church choir” and
nurtured us to be a community that cared for each other and our ministry as
we delivered the glorious music to God week after week. That challenge
was met in the many years of marvelous music making. We strived to be the
best we could….not so much to please Don (although that certainly was part
of it….his smile and pleasure after a service well done was a great reward),
but because we were a choir, a community that worshipped together,
supported each other, laughed together, cried together, and above all, loved
immersing ourselves in the music that Don loved and shared with us. And
what a tribute…….that community still is there! I felt so honored to be a part
of the St. Mark’s choir. Don gave me so many opportunities to express
myself in music, not just in solo work, but as a part of this loving community.
I know I could go on and on. I have so many fond memories of Don. I know
that many will be shared in the coming days and weeks and years! He was a
well loved and respected man and his loss is felt deeply.
| editorial note: I remember this occasion quite well, and have shared it with many as an illustration of the unreasonable fun we had. But what Nick didn't hear was one of the Lutheran tenors sitting near me, who leaned over and muttered, 'sotto voce', "We've always wanted to do that......" /cs |