February 12, 2017
February 12, 2017
It’s hard to summarize the profoundly positive impact that David Riley had on my life. I have so many happy memories of my time with the choir, both at St. Paul’s and at St. Stephen’s. And David was, in a sense, the author of all of them. I relish the countless hours spent standing around the piano in the ground floor of St. Paul’s upper school, and the hard work that went into perfecting pieces like “Faire is the Heaven” and “O Magnum Mysterium.” I remember the pride I felt when David conferred upon me the red ribbon as a soprano. I can smell the incense of Cathedral of Mary Our Queen during Advent Lessons and Carols and hear David’s intonation: “I loo-ook from afar…”
There are many more, perhaps too many to count. But when I distill these memories into a few words, here is what I know:
David was a man who spent his life creating joy in the lives of others. He genuinely cared for each member of his choirs. He invested in us and made us better singers, better Christians, better people. And on occasion we delivered in return a performance that elicited from him a satisfied, proud smirk indicating a job well done – everyone who sang for him knows the smirk I’m talking about. In short, his passion for music, for his choir, and for his friends translated into more beautiful experiences for everyone in his orbit. David, I will miss you, but I know you’re in a better place where your talent will continue to be appreciated.
There are many more, perhaps too many to count. But when I distill these memories into a few words, here is what I know:
David was a man who spent his life creating joy in the lives of others. He genuinely cared for each member of his choirs. He invested in us and made us better singers, better Christians, better people. And on occasion we delivered in return a performance that elicited from him a satisfied, proud smirk indicating a job well done – everyone who sang for him knows the smirk I’m talking about. In short, his passion for music, for his choir, and for his friends translated into more beautiful experiences for everyone in his orbit. David, I will miss you, but I know you’re in a better place where your talent will continue to be appreciated.