Charles E. Hallman, 81, died on April 18. Born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, he graduated from Springfield Twp. High School in 1948 and served in the U.S. Army National Guard in Germany during the Korean War. Mr. Hallman began his career as a pipe organ technician in 1948 with Frederick Burness, and in 1967, with Howard Gamble and Alan Furman, established Burness Associates. He was also state qualified in basic fire fighting and had been a member of the Abington Twp. and Springfield Twp. volunteer fire companies. Charles E. Hallman is survived by his wife of 57 years, Anne (Bower) Hallman, four daughters, twelve grandchildren, a great-granddaughter, and a sister.
John H. Melcher died at his home in Elgin, Illinois, June 27, after a long battle with lung cancer. He was 73. Born in Perth, Ontario, Canada on March 1, 1936, John Melcher came with his family to the United States when he was still young. He attended Steinmetz High School in Chicago, and gained his U.S. citizenship through service in the U.S. Air Force. He received a bachelor’s degree from Beloit College, a master’s from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Sacred Music degree from Union Theological Seminary. He studied organ with Leo Sowerby, Robert Noehren, and Flor Peeters, and harpsichord with Isolde Ahlgrimm. He studied conducting with Margaret Hillis and Robert Shaw, and voice with Thomas Wikman and Henri Noel.
Melcher’s longest appointment was his over thirty years as the music director of the Northwest Choral Society. A member of the American Guild of Organists, he served as organist-choirmaster at St. Mark Lutheran Church, Chicago (1968–71), St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, Des Plaines (1971–80), and Morgan Park Methodist Church (1980–83); then as minister of music at the First United Methodist Church in Park Ridge (1983–97). He joined the staff of Christ the Lord Lutheran Church in Elgin, Illinois, in 1997, serving as cantor, organist, choral and handbell choir director. In March 2006, Melcher joined Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Elgin as director of music ministries.
In 1998, Melcher joined the staff of the Suzuki School of Elgin, where through March 2008 he served as accompanist and coach for the ensemble classes. From 1999–2007, he conducted the ELCA Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Swing Choir for high school students in its summer choir tour of southern and central Illinois. John H. Melcher is survived by his long-time partner, John Morrison.
William “Bill” D. Usher II died April 30 in Los Angeles at the age of 40. He studied at Westminster Choir College and received a bachelor’s degree in organ performance and church music from the University of Louisville, and a master’s degree in organ performance from the University of Southern California. His organ studies were with Searle Wright, Donald McDonald, Melvin Dickinson, and Cherry Rhodes. Usher served at Parsippany United Methodist Church in Parsippany, New Jersey, St. Stephen United Church of Christ in Louisville, the Church of the Incarnation in Glendale, California, and St. Mel Roman Catholic Church in Woodland Hills, California. He was director of music at Holy Trinity Church in Georgetown, District of Columbia (parish of President John F. Kennedy) from 1995–2006; there he led the music ministry of the 3,500-household parish and established the Music at Trinity concert series. At the time of his death, he was director of music and organist at St. Gregory the Great Church in Whittier, California, which also began a concert series, featuring Usher’s Mass in Honor of St. Jude at its inaugural event in 2008. William D. Usher II is survived by his domestic partner, Christopher Sioco, his mother, Marjorie M. Usher, sisters Valerie S. Usher and Vickie Morf, and two nieces.
D. DeWitt Wasson of Cornwall, Pennsylvania, died June 23 at age 88. He earned the Diploma in Sacred Music from Nyack Missionary Training Institute, a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Baptist Seminary, a master’s and doctorate in sacred music from Union Theological Seminary. He held church music positions in Virginia, Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania, and was a reviewer of organ music reviewer for The American Organist. He edited the two-volume Free Harmonizations of Hymn Tunes published by Hinshaw Music and the three-volume Hymntune Index and Related Hymn Materials published by Rowman and Littlefield. He played fifty organ concerts in Europe on alternate years and represented America in numerous international organ festivals. He was founder and musical director of the Westchester Baroque Chorus and Orchestra for more than thirty years and dean of the Westchester County, New York AGO chapter 1961–63 and 1985–87. He established a research collection of organ music at the Westminster Choir College of Ryder University in Princeton, New Jersey. D. DeWitt Wasson married Josephine Diener in June 1947; she died in January of this year.
