on Richard Forrest Woods – Part 5

This is one of many installments of a biography of mentor and friend Dick Woods. See here for the entire series.

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Paris

“Going to study in Europe” has been a thing for American musicians for decades. France, Germany, and the Netherlands have tended to be prime territory, but the list of teachers and their locations covers the entirety of the continent, and a list of their American students contains some of America’s most household names of our time. Dick’s generation of organists and church musicians routinely went to Europe to study playing, improvising, and conducting, and they tended to come back to rather successful careers.

After his appalling dismissal from St. James in Wichita, Dick somehow made his way to Paris for two years, 1962-1964. I don’t know where his funding came from, but it does not appear to have come from the popular and bountiful Fulbright U.S. Student Program that usually comes to mind when discussing American study abroad. It could be that Dick’s years in the Navy Band gave him some connections and/or some funding or at least ignited the idea of studying abroad.

Dick studied conducting privately with Nadia Boulanger, who taught some of our most acclaimed American composers, including Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, even Burt Bacharach. Boulanger herself was a pupil of Gabriel Fauré. Dick received valuable, firsthand insight into the Fauré Requiem from her. It was from that study that he developed a ‘perfect’ performance of the piece in his head, which he told me about when we were once preparing the piece at St. John the Divine, Houston. He told it with a sense of longing rather than of celebration, because he knew that neither he nor any choir could pull off the perfect performance rattling inside his head. I found that oddly defeatist in tone, and it informed my observations of him from then on.

Surely training abroad is life-changing, but Dick never discussed it much. However, he was passionate in talking about Boulanger’s insistence on learning all about Dick the man, so that they could cultivate the deepest musical foundation possible. She would insist they take long walks so that she could learn about him. This probably explains why her roster of students is so diverse. The way Dick talked about it made it sound like therapy! I wish I had been older and wiser to know more of what to ask him and how to process the information.

Dick also studied organ with Jean Langlais at the Schola Cantorum and with André Marchal privately. Normally, one does not study concurrently with multiple organ teachers in Paris, because inter-animosity tends to run high (it’s a French thing). But Marchal had taught Langlais, and their mutual admiration endured. Marchal even subbed for Langlais on occasion at the Schola.

During this time, Langlais recorded the complete solo organ works of César Franck, the first recording of its kind. Dick and another classmate (perhaps Allen Hobbs, perhaps Ann Labounsky) pulled stops for it. Dick once wryly told me that he ‘turned pages’ for those recordings [Langlais was blind!]. He also told me that he screwed up a stop change once, which forced a furious Langlais into an extra take.

Somehow, Langlais screwed up Dick’s playing, to put it bluntly. Dick told me that Langlais insisted that the third beat in a measure always be very strong. Whether something got lost in translation from Langlais’s mouth to Dick’s ears or from Dick’s memory to my ears or from my memory to this blog, I cannot say. But I saw [and heard] firsthand that Dick’s third beats in his playing were always rushed outright rather than merely strong, and it skewed his hymn playing. My own teacher Clyde Holloway taught me that I should always endeavor to sound like Dick when playing for church so that the congregation would never be distracted by being able to tell the difference between us. That’s a noble professional tenet, but on the point of third-beat heaviness, I just couldn’t. Sorry, Clyde, and sorry, congregation.

On June 6, 1964, Dick was among the first four Americans to receive the Diplôme Schola Cantorum, with distinction in organ playing and improvisation. That translated back in the U.S. as ‘Dr. Woods’ from then on.

Next time: Gary and Austin

on Richard Forrest Woods – Part 4

This is one of many installments of a biography of mentor and friend Dick Woods. See here for the entire series.

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Wichita

After leaving grad school at Tulane after only one year, it was on to St. James Church, Wichita, estimated arrival 1955 and estimated departure 1961. Dick founded a boychoir at that church. Judging from the choral sound he cultivated from then on, it would appear that English boychoir had become his choral ideal early on. I have the vaguest recollection of him mentioning singing as a boy chorister in Pittsburgh. If I’m not making that up, then it makes sense that his musical tendencies would have had their first bloom at that early age. (It would also suggest that he was a cradle Episcopalian or at least had discovered Episcopal ways early in life.) At any rate, he gave the Wichita youngsters things they had never experienced – fine liturgical music, a wondrous blend with fellow voices, a sense of propriety in church, and a sense of belonging. Such were the hallmarks of his work for the rest of his life.

But being gay in the mid-twentieth century was often met with hostility, to say the least. And with extremely rare exception, being gay in a position of church leadership was best kept secret. Dick was abruptly dismissed from St. James for whatever reason, but anyone with their finger on the pulse of church attitudes in those days would probably be correct in assuming why. I’ll let a former chorister and a couple clergy from those days complete this post:

“Mr. Woods lived on the second floor if [sic] an old house the church had bought at the edge of its parking [lot], just next to the rectory. It was crummy quarters, but I think he was comfortable there, and very close to his office, the church and the wonderful organ he loved so much. I believe he had a hand [in] making that organ functional once more after some long neglect. I loved to sit alone in the darkened nave, feeling the music pulse through me, as he rehearsed.

“The church. It was both a shelter and a betrayer for me. It did gift me with some temporary self-esteem, and left me with a lifetime appreciation of some inspiring classic religious music, as well as helping me find a place of comfort and excitement for music in general. I thank Richard and the church for that. I forgive the church their ignorance for the evil they visited upon so many of us.”

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“Against what I have learned was some considerable opposition, Richard succeeded in organizing a boys choir at St. James … In the relatively short time he was our choirmaster, he did some very remarkable things with the choirs, as well as with many of us as individuals, myself included … I am very much aware that Richard Woods was one of those essential persons [who helped shape my life], and I would like to know more about him and his life.

“Mr. Woods, as we called him [… was …] strong and intelligent, but [he was a] very private man. I don't know how he related to adults, but he quickly connected with us, and he was an excellent and patient teacher. He paid close attention to our concerns and listened carefully to what we had to say…

“… I missed him deeply when he so suddenly disappeared. Mr. Woods was the only adult in my life that I felt cared about me, and I am pretty certain at this point that he knew that I was being abused and neglected in my own family. While there were a few qualifications necessary to being appointed head choirboy, there were others who probably deserved the position more than I. In retrospect, I am certain that he tilted the table in my favor because he knew that my self-esteem badly needed something just like that. Was that an adult who was paying attention, or what? I was totally stunned at his departure, and the instant disbanding of the boys choir. It had become the high point of my young existence, and truthfully, the only place where I felt competent, safe, respected and wanted. While I know there were others of us who felt similarly, nothing was ever said to us, and I don't think that there was any understanding anywhere within the church community that this was a traumatic event - at least for the kids. The church was no longer my safe place, and I dropped out of church entirely a couple of years later. Incidentally, that dysfunctional congregation split right down the middle shortly thereafter, and a new church was set up out in the eastern suburbs, where the controlling wealth resided. St. James had always been the anchor church, but I believe it struggled mightily for many years thereafter.

“It was only several years later that I managed to obtain any explanation for what precipitated Mr. Woods’s dismissal and, because I got it third party, I still do not know if I got the whole story, or the whole truth. However, it came to my attention when there had been a kerfuffle at the church involving Richard's primary accuser, who had apparently been involved in yet another dysfunctional event, was confronted and reportedly admitted that she had not been truthful about Richard. She disappeared from the congregation, and nothing further was said, to the best of my knowledge. Connecting the dots and examining the whole thing with my more mature understanding of politics and group process, it seems to me that Richard was defamed and that his accuser manipulated his opponents among the Vestry to oust him, with the pretense of squelching a scandal.

“… He showed up for us and for me. He gave freely to us way beyond what was required of him professionally, and left us far better than he found us. He came into my life when I was twelve years old and gave me attention that I got nowhere else. He instilled confidence and taught us cooperation and teamwork. Today, 60 years on, I remember the love and caring he unselfishly gave us, and am eternally grateful. And, he taught me to sing, a gift which has given me comfort for a lifetime.

“In exchange, Richard was not treated well at St. James. I have heard that he was ridiculed by some of the Vestry for his ‘sissy boy choir.’ And, in retrospect, I highly suspect that he was unfairly and inappropriately dismissed. We were not allowed to see him, thank him, or even say goodbye. While I can't speak for the adults among us, I know that this was a traumatic parting for the kids he had trained, cared for and nurtured, and I suspect it must have been traumatic for Richard, as well. I sincerely hope that he went on to a life that returned to him the rewards he so richly deserved … I pray for him and wish him Godspeed in Eternity.”

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Without these quotes, I’d have nothing about St. James. No one from the church responded to my queries. Short of visiting in person and pinning someone down to look up the history, I’m left to wonder if no one wants to talk about it or if they’re just really bad about returning messages. In either case, I don’t have time to beg. At any rate, tragic though the Wichita portion of Dick’s story is, it provides a clearer understanding of a certain prickliness he became known for and of his mistrust of church administrations in his later years.

It is from the quotes above that the idea came to produce a biography of some measure. These people and their heartfelt admiration of Dick inspired me to offer them more information, although I couldn't necessarily offer them a happier ending. Although Dick’s situation didn’t change a whole lot after Wichita, he still brought an untold measure of the profound to many scores of people along the way. Those people know who they are and why they admire him and cherish their memories with him. This series is for them now.

Next time: Paris

on Richard Forrest Woods – Part 3

This is one of many installments of a biography of mentor and friend Dick Woods. See here for the entire series.

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The early years

Richard Forrest Woods was born in Pittsburgh on July 26, 1929, to Forrest A. and Nell [Nelle?] Woods. He had two older siblings Betty L. and Billy G. Richard studied organ with Marshall Bidwell at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, now Carnegie Mellon University. He apparently began his ecclesiastical career at what he called “Trinity Chapel,” Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania. There were two “Trinity” establishments there in those days – Holy Trinity Catholic parish and Trinity Episcopal Church, and I haven’t uncovered evidence to answer definitively which one he served. My guess is he was playing for the Episcopal one, judging from the year (1949) of his acquisition of his 1928 Episcopal Prayer Book. He was twenty years old then and was surely earning extra money playing for church while enrolled at Carnegie, though perhaps he might have started there even earlier as a youth. At any rate, since he primarily served Episcopal parishes throughout his career, the Episcopal Trinity makes sense here. And since this Trinity appears as the first entry in his list of professional posts written in his Prayer Book, then Dick must have considered it his first ‘real’ job.

Immediately after college, Dick enlisted in the Navy Band on cornet and secondarily on keyboard instruments. [It is interesting that his father appears to have played trumpet in the John Philip Sousa band.] Presumably he learned the cornet from his father and/or from participation in school and/or college bands. His enlistment date is given as October 25, 1949, but his boot camp date appears to be October 1950. Surely one of those is incorrect, probably the Boot Camp date. By May 1953, he was rated MU2 [musician petty officer second class], and by April 1952, he was promoted to MU3. He was stationed:

Naval Training Center, Great Lakes [Ill.], October 1950–January 1951

Naval School of Music [Virginia Beach], January 1951–July 1951

Commander Cruisers Atlantic Fleet 156, August 1951–August 1952

Naval Base, New Orleans 152, August 1952–August 1954

After his discharge, he stayed in New Orleans and enrolled at Tulane University, presumably in organ but perhaps in conducting. While enrolled, he was the Organist/Choirmaster at Grace Episcopal, 3700 Canal Street mentioned in an earlier post. Historical note: by 2012, long-term dwindling attendance further aggravated by Hurricane Katrina sent the Grace congregation into disbandment. The campus closed on January 5 of that year and was later acquired as a satellite campus for Bethany Church headquartered in Baton Rouge.

Tulane didn’t do it for him – he left after a year.

Next time: Wichita

on Richard Forrest Woods – Part 2

This is one of many installments of a biography of mentor and friend Dick Woods. See here for the entire series.

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The lay of the land

I received many scores and books from Dick’s estate, courtesy David Templeton. Among those materials was a copy of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, which a twenty-year-old Richard Woods (only one year younger than the book) acquired in 1949, most likely in Pittsburgh, where he was enrolled at the Carnegie Institute and playing at Trinity [Episcopal?] Chapel in Sharpsburg at the time. On the inside facing page are his signature Richard F. Woods and year of the book’s acquisition, 1949.

Five years later, he affixed on the inside front cover a small sticker pre-printed with his name and address, 1318 Soniat Street, New Orleans. At that time, he was enrolled at Tulane University and working as organist/choirmaster for Grace Episcopal Church on Canal Street.

Then some eighteen years later, he added more. On the inside facing page under his signature is a complete listing of his professional posts from 1949 to 1972:

Trinity Chapel [–] Sharpsburg, Pa.
Grace Church – New Orleans, La.
St. James Church – Wichita, Kan.
Holy Angels Cathedral – Gary, Ind.
St. David’s Church – Austin, Tex.
St. Matthew[’]s Church – Austin, Tex[.]

For whatever reason, his final two positions do not appear: Chapel Organist and Lecturer [later Adjunct Professor] in Church Music at the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest, Austin, and later Organist-Choirmaster [Director of Music] at the Church of St. John the Divine (Episcopal), Houston.

There are numerous notations in the margins throughout the book, usually of a practical or clarifying nature, perhaps for Dick to impart to his students or, less likely, as reminders for himself in carrying out his routine field duties. Perhaps he taught his Seminary classes from it. Perhaps he kept it on his shelf to preserve it, while he used a church copy for his field duties. Perhaps he treated it as the single man’s ‘family Bible’ containing life milestones. If that last scenario is true, then Dick’s highlights of his life revolved around his service in the Church. In any event, the penciled listing of church positions is invaluable. Several posts not mentioned in his obituary are included in it.

Apparently, this particular Richard wasn’t “Dick” until midway through his career. He was always Richard in print and on stage. However, some folks who knew him prior to his years in Texas refer to him only as Richard. Best I can tell, it wasn’t until the Texas years that people more commonly began calling him Dick.

Dick didn’t talk about himself. He didn’t talk about past positions. He didn’t even talk much about his crucial years in Paris. That’s one reason this biography didn’t take a formal publication route. Details of Dick’s personal and earlier professional histories are vague and hard to come by. The anecdotes from others are not only tantalizing but also sometimes entertaining. Enter Mr. Bruce Power:

Bruce Power was one of Dick’s best friends in Houston, one of those friends Dick could confide in, one of those friends who kept secrets, one of those friends who was always around and on time, right where needed. Officially, Bruce was the Assistant Organist/Choirmaster at Christ Church Cathedral, choral accompanist at St. Agnes Academy and Strake Jesuit Preparatory, and prolific freelance accompanist. Personally, Bruce loved people and loved to discuss the world with them. He and Dick were definitely kindred spirits on that score, and the world surely came into sharper focus during their conversations, many of which took place over margaritas, fajitas, and cigarettes at the original Ninfa’s Mexican restaurant on Navigation Boulevard in Houston.

Bruce told me that he still misses those days. He and Dick talked about everything under the sun, especially philosophy. And music. Just music. Not the organ. Dick also sprinkled in nuggets of wisdom from his time studying in Paris with Nadia Boulanger, who was a whole-world renaissance woman. What Bruce and Dick didn’t talk about very much was Dick. He just wasn’t the type. He did tell Bruce once that as a teen, he would sneak out his window at night and go party in Pittsburgh! Whatever ‘party’ might mean. But knowing Dick, I suspect he just wanted to be around artistic folks who weren’t buried in their work, folks who could discuss all arts, politics, traveling, and human acceptance.

Next time: The early years

on Richard Forrest Woods -- Part 1

Richard Forrest Woods (1929-1993) served as Organist/Choirmaster of the Church of St. John the Divine (Episcopal) in Houston for the final twenty years of his life, during the last three of which I was his assistant. You are now reading the first of MANY posts forthcoming, of an unofficial biography of Dick, interwoven with my own memoirs and interpretations. There is a reason for that potentially convoluted approach:

Dick retired in 1993, just before the Internet came into its wholly ubiquitous presence. The first substantial mention of him on the Internet is an earlier post of mine with some photos, published seventeen years after Dick’s death, with nothing else emerging online since. After posting that entry, I heard from several people around the country who sang under Dick or knew him or otherwise knew of him. They had discovered the blog post and wanted to know more. I was particularly moved by one fellow who sang as a boy chorister in the early 1960s under Dick at St. James, Wichita. He shared the heartbreaking story of Dick being dismissed from that position on false charges and the boychoir being immediately disbanded under the don’t-ask-any-questions-you-kids mandate typical of the times. But he remembered the sense of dignity, purpose, and musical beauty that Dick introduced to him and his fellow choristers, and he was keen to learn more about Dick’s whereabouts after that. When I connected this gentleman with a couple members of the choir at Dick’s final post, St. John the Divine, Houston, I saw admiration flow in their writing, an admiration I have come to expect from all who worked with Dick.

For decades myself, I have been in a similar frame of mind as that former boy chorister: revisiting my past with lessons learned, hoping to learn more, searching for closure or more information, revisiting happy memories, and better understanding the bad ones. It was then that the inspiration came to research all of Dick’s previous positions, as sources and eyewitness interviews were available. I had planned a full-length, publishable biography, but for most of his previous positions and family history, the history is so scant and so haphazardly preserved (if preserved at all, in that pre-digital age) that there would be very little foundation on which to construct a document of any scholarly merit. Furthermore, my attempts to reach a few folks who knew Dick during his pre-Texas era failed. Without their input and insights, a would-be document would have suffered even more.

Then I thought I might deposit what I had into an archive somewhere, such as with the Association of Anglican Musicians or the American Guild of Organists. But then I realized that anyone searching for Dick, who more than likely would be more admirer than scholar, wouldn’t find that. And so it is here in public, in a looooong series on this website, as a tribute not only to Dick but also to those who loved him and cherish their days with him. I hope that any readers here who might be admirers of Dick Woods will reconnect somehow with this ‘renaissance man’ [Bruce Power’s endearing term] who served all too briefly among them.

For now, a few acknowledgements while I gather my notes and start writing:

John Gearhart, Dick’s successor at St. John the Divine, Houston, and my boss for one year there, has been gracious and forthright with his memories and perspectives. Although he never met Dick, he provided me with much-needed insight into the political and administrative workings of that parish that affected Dick. The support I have always received from John and from his former wife Laurie has been a welcome and calming presence in my life since first meeting them in 1993.

Bruce Power, who during Dick’s years in Houston was Assistant Organist/Choirmaster of Christ Church Cathedral, was one of Dick’s closest confidantes and kindred spirits. His insights into Dick as a friend have been invaluable in enriching my understanding of the man beyond the musician. Dick once told me that he considered Bruce ‘a true friend,’ and I know from my own friendship and collaborations with Bruce since 1990 that that was more than superficial praise.

Ron Wyatt, recently retired from Trinity Church in Galveston, was Dick’s executor, friend, champion, sounding board, and much-needed voice of reason over a span of decades. It has been a pleasure to reconnect with Ron, hear more stories, bust a gut in laughter, and shed a tear or two.

To a person, the many people I have been able to visit with and learn from have been united in their devotion to the man Richard Woods, who brought them together in music from day one. Their care in tending to Dick and his memory is inspiring. And their ‘stories’ match: Dick changed their lives through music and friendship. Their multi-faceted insights have brought to this author an immeasurably enriched awareness of a man I worked for and worked with, but whom I knew for only thirty-seven months.

Many more installments to follow. Next time: The lay of the land

A fond memorial: Richard Forrest Woods (July 26, 1929 – May 15, 1993)

Dick Woods never tired of the beautiful and the excellent. He worked and worked to get a sound just so, and it paid off. He ended up with the finest church choir in Texas (thank you very much), for which I was privileged to serve as Assistant Organist for four years. Dick was a musico-liturgical conservative, but he was progressive in knowing that there is room for everyone in church music. He found a way to maintain excellence and still avoid being classified as snobbish, surely the most delicate balance a church musician can strike, and a particularly difficult task for Dick’s generation.

Dick’s funeral was beautiful. I will never forget that hour with so many current and former choir members in attendance, vested and singing the Vaughan Williams O how amiable, the Tallis If ye love me, and the Mendelssohn He that shall endure, among others. I still see some of the choir members each year; we celebrate Dick’s birthday with Mexican food. (He still draws a crowd!)

Richard Forrest Woods was of “Pennsylvania Dutch” heritage. He studied with Marshall Bidwell at the Carnegie Institute before serving in the Navy band and attending Tulane University. From 1962-1964, he studied in Paris with Boulanger, Langlais and Marchal, and was among the first four Americans to receive the Diplôme Schola Cantorum. Dick served as parish musician at St. James (Wichita), the Cathedral of Holy Angels (Gary), and St. John the Divine (Houston). Prior to Houston, he served as Professor of Music at the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest.

[Update: On September 30, 2014, I discovered some of Dick's notations in his copy of the 1945 Prayer Book, which indicated the date he acquired the book (1949), plus some additional church positions he held: Trinity Chapel (Sharpsburg, PA), Grace (New Orleans), St. David's (Austin), and St. Matthew's (Austin). Obviously, the church positions were added as he served. He was only 20 years old when he acquired the book. There is also the signature of The Rt. Rev. Girault M. Jones, Bishop of Louisiana, dated April 7, 1957.]

Dick’s death left the choir with me – a 25-year-old whippersnapper with 1) a Baptist background, 2) no idea how to deal with a death like this, and sometimes 3) little more than the knowledge that the show must go on. The choir turned their full support to me, and we managed just fine in the interim, making beautiful music each week. I recently dug out a Nunc dimittis tribute I wrote in the church newsletter soon after Dick died. I have brought it out of the dusty archives of my 20s and posted some excerpts below:

"Dick woods taught me a lot, whether he knew it or not. I learned how to use a computer; I learned what a good choir sounds like…

"I learned that if one was with Dick, one could march directly to the front of the line at Ninfa’s Navigation on a Saturday night and be seated immediately. (Incidentally, Dick was perhaps the only person in the world who drank margaritas straight up with no salt.)...

"The most valuable knowledge I gleaned from Dick was that of the Episcopal tradition. As I began work at [this parish], I found that there was more to being an Episcopalian than many people know. But Dick knew. There is a certain amount that one may know and retain simply through lifelong practice, but there is something more to be said for the person who studies, practices, and teaches what goes on in our great faith. Such a person was Dick Woods. I will always be in awe of his vast knowledge of and intimacy with the liturgy. It was somewhat frustrating at times to learn from him; his humility and general quietness made it necessary for me to ask questions. Dick never volunteered much information, but if one would ask, the wisdom that poured forth was generous, awesome, and inspiring…

"He knew precisely what was Episcopal and what was not, and if he didn’t know something, he knew where to look for answers. Dick was not a fundamentalist but rather a traditionalist. No one was more open-minded toward the current trends in the Church than was Dick. Through that open-mindedness, he provided this parish with a greatly diverse music program that was without equal in its day. From Evensong to Eucharist to Morning Prayer to concerts and tours, somehow he managed the difficult task of incorporating all of the various changing preferences into an unchanging, age-old liturgy – always in good taste and always well prepared...

"Richard Woods was one of the last of an amazingly fertile and prosperous generation of true liturgists … The Choir of [this parish] is most fortunate to have achieved musical and liturgical perfection; the people of this church are a most fortunate people to have had such expertise available to them. And I am most fortunate to have worked with Dick, even if just for a short while …"

Rest in peace, dear peaceful one.