Carolyn Margaret Helgeson
When we arrive in heaven we are all going to get a new name. Only God knows what that name might be. For those of us who had the honor and privilege to sing under Carolyn's direction, we would name her Grace. She conducted herself with grace, she directed us with mercy and grace, and she treated her music with grace.
As I interviewed people in preparation for this eulogy, a common thread emerged; "the first time we met".
Lew met Carolyn when they were children, as he moved to the town where she lived. He met a new boy who wanted to show him around town on bikes. Lew's bike was not yet unpacked, so this boy took him from Lew's new home (911 N. Central Avenue) to Carolyn's (1021 N. Central Avenue) and they borrowed her bike. Mind you, it was late winter/early spring and there was still ice on the lake and mud on the streets. Joy riding with Carolyn's bike, Lew skidded across the frozen lake and rode home through the muddy streets to return her bike covered in mud.
I remember as a child early on in our time here in Pleasanton that she was a major musical talent and a wonderful person. My sister, Glenna, and I were in the Carol choir. Nora, and later, Sally joined the Cherub choir. We have been singing and making music ever since. She directed these groups for a period of time but also sought to encourage the talents of other women in the congregation and asked them to take over the directing of the children.
Farrel Pruett recalls meeting Carolyn for the first time on the steps of the church on Neal Street. They were new in town, serving with the Air Force. It was summer and they showed up for the second service, only to find Carolyn locking up. For summer there was only one service. Very early in their conversation Carolyn asked if they sang. "Anne sings," Farrel said. But in less than a year Farrel had joined her in the choir. As many of us know, Farrel and Anne shared their beautiful voices and guitar playing for many years.
Martha Mark went to choir practice in November of 1958 as a young bride. She credits Carolyn with much of her music education. Martha is thankful to Carolyn for the encouragement she provided in asking her to share her voice in solo performances. Carolyn encouraged Martha to go further and because she did, Martha sang with the Oakland Symphony as a soloist. She even got a call back from the San Francisco Opera.
Fran Walz recalls sitting in the congregation in 1966 on her first Sunday in Pleasanton. She heard the small but excellent choir and said to her husband, Fred, "This is our new church family"
Carolyn was more than a choir director. She was a master musician, sometimes a magician, when I recall the music she encouraged from the choir and from the congregation. I would give her another name: Variety!
She should be remembered for the wide range of organ music she chose, sometimes pushing the envelope for the "frozen chosen" Presbyterians. As you heard from the fanfare in her prelude, not everything sounded like the original "Amazing Grace". I believe Fran Walz defined it as "far-reaching."
We sang the traditional Messiah using soloists from our own choir. I will never forget Dick Pearson's magnificent rendition of The Refiner's Fire, with all the runs requiring lots of breath. I don't think Carolyn ever paid a soloist. We all wanted to sing with her to the glory of God. We sang traditional choir music and we sang modern songs. One of my favorites was a speak-sing song we did,
"I believe, therefore I speak, therefore I speak".
(from "Festival Of Praise")
It was rhythmically challenging and profoundly meaningful. We sang Brahms and we sang Gaither music. We sang German hymns and we sang early "praise music". I think, for many of us under her direction, the Bill Gaither Alleluia was a profoundly spiritual experience. It was our chance to be evangelical, to sing an altar call. When Farrell speaks his part towards the end, everyone should rush to the altar and give their lives to Christ. We sang the piece many times over several years, sometimes with different testimonies. Each time it meant something different. The first few times we sang my mother was alive. The last time we sang it she had died. There are moments still today when I watch the video, when the profound message of the piece somes through. Jesus Christ in a life does make a difference.
Because Carolyn knew Jesus her music was a ministry. She took advantage of a variety of music to teach us, congregation and choir, that sung or presented instrumentally, music comes from God. Because God is love, music is a way to express our love back to God.
Choosing the right soloist for the right song was a definite talent. Choosing the right music for any service was most often Holy Spirit inspired. We always marveled at how the music she chose fit so well with the sermon and the message for the day. I may be speaking just for myself, but I think those of us in the choir always got the message twice, and most profoundly from the words and music we shared during the music part of worship.
Carolyn's leadership style inspired me all my life. She had in mind what she wanted, presented it and her ideas to us clearly and in a focused manner. What guides me most in my own leadership style even today is the way she encouraged the musical talents of many people in the congregation, not just in the choirs she directed. She found instrumentalists to play preludes and offertories. She encouraged children to offer their budding piano talents, as we played in church from an early age. Children and young people were encouraged to sing solos as their offerings to Jesus. When I was taking organ lessons she allowed me to play a prelude at Christmas, In Dulci Jubilo, by Bach, I believe. I have never been so nervous in my entire life. I began with the confidence she inspired. I finished and relaxed. Later someone asked me whose arrangment it was. I then realized I had left my foot on one pedal for most of the piece. It changed the flavor and gave a "modern tonality" to the presentation. Carolyn never said a critical word. With grace she allowed me to have my moment of playing at Christmas to the glory of God.
She was always willing to share the stage. Leonard Mark was the assistant organist for many years, filling in well for Carolyn. He recounted times, when it was not really his turn to play on a Sunday, but he would be prepared. He might get a call early on a Sunday morning that Lew and Carolyn were still in Santa Cruz at the beach house. Could he get to the church to play?
More often than not the message actually was, " You don't know how close you came to being called upon."
Martha reminds us that Carolyn never flaunted her own considerable talents in art as well as in music. She was humble with her talents. Fran Walz remembers a time when Chuck Maxson sang a prelude. We sang at both services at the time, so after coffee we were to come back to sing the second service. Chuck got a bit involved in a discussion and lost track of time. The service began. Carolyn started the introduction. No Chuck. Fran remembers an intense glare from Carolyn who commanded, "Sing!" The sergent had spoken. So Fran began. We could hear Chuck running up those stairs to the choir loft, catching his breath, singing with Fran a duet, then finishing his solo.
This is the confidence Carolyn inspired. We were able! And was she able!! Another time Chuck was singing a solo and the electricity went out. Carolyn moved to the piano downstairs and in the dark played the music and Chuck sang from memory.
One of the most effective parts of her leadership style was bringing out the best in others. She had her ideas, but she was most willing to listen to others. She was even- tempered.
Now, her children may have other things to say, but those of us outside the family can say they can remember only one time when she lost her cool. Somebody in the choir said something which pushed her over the edge. She tossed her music and walked out of the rehearsal. We sat in stunned silence.(pause)
Lew confesses to being the person who ticked her off, which sometimes happens in the most cherished of relationships.
Carolyn inspired loyalty in relationships. She had the loyalty of her life partner of over 63 years. He is quoted as saying he liked to make every day a weddng anniversary. Carolyn was so loyal to him, that she was ready to move to San Francisco, because Lew thought he might like to try the city life style. They never moved, but that willingness to do what some one else wanted or needed is indicative of her personality.
Patti Baer writes:
Carolyn was a unique woman with God-given talents which she graciously shared. She had an inviting smile as she encouraged people to come, "Join in the song!" Some members had beautiful voices and some of us just loved to sing along. Carolyn's gracious teaching and willingness to review the anthems enough times until we blended into one voice, gave us confidence to sing praises to God and to know we were not putting on a performance but we were singing to the glory of God.
Because of the Grace she showed to her musical family, Gerrie Froberg reminds us, "we would have done any thing for Carolyn." She truly embodied the 1 Corinthian 13 passage about love being patient and kind.
All of us who had the opportunity to work with her over the years learned much of what we know musically from her. We relished in the grace she showed us. We were able to show God our love for Him, to express the appreciation we had for Jesus in the salvation he brought to us. We live in the power of the Holy Spirit which she demonstrated so often through the music she selected for us and for herself.
So Carolyn, Grace. we know the love of the Lord because you lived it in our presence. We thank you and we will always remember the Grace you showed us, as you loved us, encouraged us and taught us: The joy of the Lord is our strength.
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