Organ Recital
Sheila Hess Performs
While we already knew of the event,
it was nice of Sheila Hess to send us an invitation to her organ recital
at Northminster Baptist Church in Jackson, MS. Barbara and I aren't what
one might call organ music aficionados, but we are strong supporters of the
family of Jim and Sheila Hess. Sheila has worked hard to improve her musical
abilities for quite a few years and continues to study organ under Billy
Trotter in Clinton, MS.
Our daughter, Rayanne, plays the organ for First Baptist Church, Belmont,
MS, and while she plays well enough for the congregation, she is well aware
of her limited ability with respect to playing the organ, for the complexity
of the piano pales in comparison to that of the organ. She is an outstanding
pianist, and our family is proud of her musical accomplishments.
When Rayanne found out we planned to attend Sheila's recital, she began to
consider how she might work the trip into her busy routine. As, I recall,
on the day before the recital, Rayanne phoned Barbara and related that she
and "the girls" wanted to ride with us to Jackson. With five people, I decided
that for the sake of comfort we would travel in Barbara's Buick rather than
in my company car.
Rayanne, Merilese, and Katherine arrived around two-thirty, but by the time
all the things needed for the trip were transferred from two vehicles into
one, it was three o'clock and time for us to leave. I have learned to expect
one or two stops whenever I'm making a three-hour drive with a group of females.
We were but one hour into the trip when Merilese needed a bathroom break.
Naturally, the closest facility was still about fifteen minutes away, but
she made it. Thirty minutes, later another stop was required. And, by the
time we arrived at the church, several of us needed a bathroom break.
It was about six o'clock when we located the parking area behind Northminster.
Much of the available parking area is under construction, and I worried if
we left to find the wee ones a bathroom and something to eat, the parking
lot might be filled when we returned. A couple of cookies and a container
of sweet tea were sufficient to stay their appetites until after the program.
Less than a dozen cars were on the parking lot when we returned. A security
guard opened the backdoor for us, and we found our way from the basement
to the sanctuary at street level. We found programs for the recital just
outside the entrance to the sanctuary, and we walked inside to claim a seat
before all the good ones were taken.
It wasn't long before a few familiar faces arrived. Lee Gordon of West Point,
his wife Connie, and granddaughter Morgan came in to sit behind us. Also,
Lee's sister, Janell, and her husband Tom Hill, both of Vicksburg joined
them. Afterwards, Jim and Sheila made a brief appearance to speak to us prior
to the recital. In a few more minutes, Courtney Loving, the Hess's older
daughter arrived. Courtney, Alan, and Mary Addison Loving are soon to move
from Birmingham, AL to Clinton, MS, where Alan will be a youth minister for
one of the Baptist churches.
We made small talk with the Gordon family and a lady who sat with the Gordons,
whose name none of us recall hearing. She and Rayanne talked at length about
Belmont and music, so I gathered she is affiliated with the Music Department
for the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board in Jackson.
I would share the names of some of the selections that Sheila played in her
recital, but I seem to have misplaced my copy of the program. I was not familiar
with any of the pieces and only recognized one of the composers, namely,
J.S. Bach.
The organ had been turned on the podium so that the audience could observe
the organist's footwork and fingering, which added to our appreciation of
all that is required of an organist. While not the largest of pipe organs
in the state of Mississippi, the organ at Northminster is bigger than most.
The console has three keyboards and more stops than I took time to count.
Also, an impressive array of pipes is exposed, the longest of which are sixteen
feet in length. I'm told the church plans to add more capabilities to the
organ to the tune of approximately one million dollars. It is enough to assure
me the church leaders have no immediate plans to rip out the organ and make
room for a band in order to accommodate "the contemporary crowd."
Sheila Hess is a person of small stature, but her performance was anything
but small. She was, as they say, "all over the keyboard(s)." Her footwork
on the bass registers was equally impressive, and there were occasions when
only her feet were playing. Even when her page-turner didn't turn the page
soon enough, Sheila managed the chore nimbly, and to my ear, didn't miss
a note. Such was Sheila's performance that Rayanne told her, afterwards,
that she might never play the organ again. But, moments later Rayanne inquired
where she could purchase a pair of organ-shoes like Sheila was wearing.
I won't ever understand the near addiction that music holds for Sheila, but
I recognize its importance to her life, and I admire her dedication. She
said she doubted she would have another recital as it demands many hours
of preparation and hard work. Though, I expect she'll do another one next
year or the next, and if she does, we'll be there.
Sue Nabors 1934 - 2006
I was teaching 8th grade mathematics at Ripley High School at
the time Fairy Mauney pulled me aside to discuss a problem she had with one
of her seventh grade English students.
"Rob Nabors needs a paddling," she confided, "but, I don’t think I can
bring myself to paddle him. He has cancer, and it is terminal. Mr. Rutherford
would do it, but I don’t want to send Rob to the principal, and I’m
afraid if I don’t have him punished, he’ll just get worse in my
class."
Rob was the twin brother of Ray Nabors and both were sons of Sue Nabors.
They were all persons I knew as members of the community, but I had no contact
with them outside of the school environment.
Because I knew Fairy Mauney to be fair-minded, I was convinced she considered
the punishment was fair and necessary. I agreed to her request with the
understanding, I would use far more restraint with the blows than I might
have for anyone else in need of a paddling. As I recall, three light spats
were administered. Afterwards, Fairy reported that Rob’s classroom behavior
was greatly improved. Rob died later that year with cancer.
I left the Ripley school system in 1970 and lost track of the Nabors. Then
one Sunday, morning about four years ago, Sue showed up at First Baptist
Church with Jerry Young, who had recently moved back to Pontotoc. I didn’t
recognize Sue, but Barbara later told me that she did. After the church service,
Barbara and I spoke briefly to Jerry and Sue. Jerry was working for a law
firm in Tupelo and Sue was living in Tupelo and working as an anesthetist
for North Mississippi Medical Center. Jerry and Sue dated for several years
but only married a few months ago.
Barbara and I attended a party at Sue’s home in 2003, and saw for the
first time in more than thirty years two of Sue’s grown children, Ray
and Rosemary.
In 2004, while facing prostate surgery, Larry Young, Jerry’s brother,
mentioned that I could request the anesthetist of my choice. Naturally, Larry
suggested Sue Nabors, so I passed along my choice to my doctor, and Sue took
good care of me in the operating room.
Earlier this year, Sue Nabors was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was
told she had only a few more months to live. At the time I heard the devastating
news, Larry Young reported Sue had responded better than expected to the
early treatments for her disease. Yet, in the end, Sue succumbed to her illness.
Sue Nabors died on July 31, 2006, one day before her seventy-second birthday.
In closing, I can’t think of a better statement than the one contained
in her obituary notice, "[Sue] devoted her life to helping those she met
and those in need. Never at a loss for words or a story to tell, she will
be greatly missed."
Bodock Beau Insights From The Very
Young
The following came our way this week, thanks to Cheryl Radford of Southaven
MS.
An elderly woman and her little grandson, whose face was sprinkled with bright
freckles, spent the day at the zoo. Lots of children were waiting in line
to get their cheeks painted by a local artist who was painting them with
tiger paws.
"You've got so many freckles, there's no place to paint!" a girl in the line
said to the little fellow.
Embarrassed, the little boy dropped his head. His grandmother knelt down
next to him.
"I love your freckles. When I was a little girl I always wanted freckles,"
she said, while tracing her finger across the child's cheek. "Freckles are
beautiful!"
The boy looked up, "Really?"
"Of course," said the grandmother. "Why, just name me one thing that's prettier
than freckles."
The little boy thought for a moment, peered intensely into his grandma's
face, and softly whispered, "Wrinkles."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own childhood
was like. "We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing made from a
tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked
wild raspberries in the woods."
The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this in. At last she said, "I sure
wish I'd gotten to know you sooner!"
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied "I'm not sure.
"Look in your underwear, Grandma," he advised. "Mine says I'm four."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A second grader came home from school and said to her mother, "Mom, guess
what? We learned how to make babies today."
The mother, more than a little surprised, tried to keep her cool. "That's
interesting," she said. "How do you make babies?"
"It's simple," replied the girl. "You just change "y" to "i" and add 'es'."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Give me a sentence about a public servant," said a teacher.
The small boy wrote: "The fireman came down the ladder pregnant."
The teacher took the lad aside to correct him. "Don't you know what pregnant
means?" she asked.
"Sure," said the young boy confidently. "It means carrying a child."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A nursery school teacher was delivering a station wagon full of kids home
one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the fire
truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog's duties.
"They use him to keep crowds back," said one youngster.
"No," said another, "he's just for good luck."
A third child brought the argument to a close..."They use the dogs," she
said firmly, "to find the fire hydrant."
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