St. David's Celebrates Organist/Choir Director's 50 Years at Parish
“You have been here,” the Rev. Paul Nesta said, “as we've baptized our children, married spouses, and buried our loved ones. Your constancy and devotion to St. David's and to our Lord are an inspiration.”
These words by Nesta pointed to parish organist and choir director, Canon Dr. Pam Youngblood as the church honored her 50 years of service with Evensong and reception. That’s right, 50 years at the same parish, not a lot of churches can say that.
Youngblood began serving at St. David’s in 1976 while earning an advanced degree in music at University of North Texas after moving to the area from Tennessee. Soon she joined the choir at St. David’s and shortly after, the organist moved to join a religious commune. Youngblood served as interim for a few days and was then offered a permanent place. “I always felt like St. David’s was right,” she said. “It’s a call. And it’s been an important part of my life and who I am. One of my earliest memories when I was about four, my family was going to a Lutheran Church in Ohio and I heard, “Holy, Holy, Holy, and thought that was the greatest thing ever. Then the choir would come out and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I want to do that!’”
Youngblood has a hefty professional life in music. She performs in orchestra, leads a flute choir and works as the Dean of Arts and Design at Texas Woman’s University.
Youngblood is adored at St. David’s and the parish understands the magnitude of serving 50 years in the same church. It was with this understanding that they commissioned the British composer Cecilia McDowall to compose an anthem for the Evensong celebration. The anthem is to be published by Oxford University Press as a choral leaflet. Cecilia's text was George Herbert's Let All the World In Every Corner Sing. The world premiere of the anthem was at St. David’s. While Youngblood directed the rest of the Evensong, her coworker at Texas Woman's University, Dr. Joni Jensen, directed this anthem as Youngblood sat with her family. Clive Driskill-Smith was the guest organist for the service.
Bishop Rob Price served as celebrant for the occasion and also offered his remarks about such a faithful woman. “My mother was a choir master and organist so I know the work Dr. Youngblood has been putting in all these years,” Bishop Price said. “I listened to the practice late-nights when I was a child. There is a saying in Greek, mathein pathein, to learn is to suffer and we give thanks for your suffering… to learn all these pieces as an offering to God and his people. Thank you for your leadership in this place. Thank you for perfecting the praises of God’s people at St. David’s.”
Nesta, who works closely with Youngblood, gave a sermon through occasional tears as he talked about her meaningful work and how she was an example of the Godly discipline of stability. Even through tragedy when her beloved husband was killed unexpectantly during a car crash during Holy Week in the 1990s. “What we celebrate tonight is the virtue of stability that we have seen on display in the life of Dr. Youngblood,” he said. “Stability is recognizing God’s presence, right where we are, particularly in times of testing and loss. Stability is hard fought and it comes through the overlooked virtue of endurance.”
During the homily Nesta also teased Youngblood and talked about a story she tells of the early days when in the 1980s she worked with a rector she did not like and wanted to leave. Her husband told her, “you know you can outlast him.” Nesta added, “she really took that to heart, didn’t she?” Nesta also said he remembers those words often after long nights working together on music programming “it’s almost as if she mutters under her breath, ‘I can outlast this one too,’” he joked.
Youngblood’s longevity in the parish is generational with parishioners telling her that she played at their wedding and their daughter’s wedding. “That is such a privilege.” So what comes next after these 50 years? “It’s been longer than most and for that I’ve been grateful,” Youngblood said. And I’m not leaving.”