In Loving Memory...
This post is dedicated to Mrs. Sherry Parker (retired Drama teacher, Burroughs HS) and her husband, Mr. Russell Parker (retired Choir and Madrigals teacher, Burroughs HS), also to the Concert Choir and Madrigals students of 1996-97, Burroughs High School. This is the most precious memory I have of the Parkers together.
May, 1997: The seniors in Mr. Parker's Concert Choir and Madrigals classes (class of '97) wanted to come up with a special way to say good bye. Someone suggested that we squeeze it into the program for our Spring Concert-the last concert of the year, and the last time the seniors would appear on the stage at the PAC together. We decided on a song we'd sing after the Concert Choir performance, and practiced for two weeks after school, and passed the sheet music around in class without Mr. Parker knowing about it. After the Concert Choir finnished the program the night of the concert, we slowly started to inch our way off the risers and formed a half circle around the piano. Mr. Parker started to get worried and angry at us for doing something "unplanned". He kept asking what we were doing, and we just kept telling him, "you'll see!" when Holly Staab-Farris (class of '95) walked out on stage and sat at the piano. Mr. Parker didn't know what to do then. He just let it all play out. Marla Littleton then stepped up to the mic and sort of apologized to Mr. Parker for changing the program without telling him about it first, and went on to say that it was the seniors' last concert at the school and that we only knew of one way to say good bye to someone who had had so much influence over our lives. He'd been presented with a collage of programs and sheet music and the lyrics of the song we were about to sing in the middle. We performed the song for him and the audience. After we finnished, we were all in tears and started hugging each other and taking turns hugging Mr. Parker. There was so much love on stage that night-so much emotion. He was in tears too, and walked up to the mic and tried, with little success, to regain stage composure. He said, "Well, I guess there are two finales tonight!". Little did Mr. Parker know that the whole time, Mrs. Parker was running the lights for our "impromptu addition to the program". For Mrs. Parker to help us with this little addition to our performance, she showed her love for her husband, and for us. This is something I'll remember for the rest of my life.
Below are the lyrics of the song we'd chosen to recap our time with Mr. Parker, with Mrs. Parker's help:
SEASONS OF LOVE from the musical RENT
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes,
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Moments so dear.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights
In cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.
In five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure
A year in the life?
How about love?
How about love?
How about love? Measure in love
Seasons of love. Seasons of love
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes!
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Journeys to plan.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure the life
Of a woman or a man?
In truths that she learned,
Or in times that he cried.
In bridges he burned,
Or the way that she died.
It's time now to sing out,
Tho' the story never ends
Let's celebrate
Remember a year in the life of friends
Remember the love!
Remember the love!
Seasons of love!
Oh you got to got to Remember the love! remember the love,
You Measure in love know that love is a gift from up above Seasons of love.
Share love, give love spread love Measure measure your life in love.
May, 1997: The seniors in Mr. Parker's Concert Choir and Madrigals classes (class of '97) wanted to come up with a special way to say good bye. Someone suggested that we squeeze it into the program for our Spring Concert-the last concert of the year, and the last time the seniors would appear on the stage at the PAC together. We decided on a song we'd sing after the Concert Choir performance, and practiced for two weeks after school, and passed the sheet music around in class without Mr. Parker knowing about it. After the Concert Choir finnished the program the night of the concert, we slowly started to inch our way off the risers and formed a half circle around the piano. Mr. Parker started to get worried and angry at us for doing something "unplanned". He kept asking what we were doing, and we just kept telling him, "you'll see!" when Holly Staab-Farris (class of '95) walked out on stage and sat at the piano. Mr. Parker didn't know what to do then. He just let it all play out. Marla Littleton then stepped up to the mic and sort of apologized to Mr. Parker for changing the program without telling him about it first, and went on to say that it was the seniors' last concert at the school and that we only knew of one way to say good bye to someone who had had so much influence over our lives. He'd been presented with a collage of programs and sheet music and the lyrics of the song we were about to sing in the middle. We performed the song for him and the audience. After we finnished, we were all in tears and started hugging each other and taking turns hugging Mr. Parker. There was so much love on stage that night-so much emotion. He was in tears too, and walked up to the mic and tried, with little success, to regain stage composure. He said, "Well, I guess there are two finales tonight!". Little did Mr. Parker know that the whole time, Mrs. Parker was running the lights for our "impromptu addition to the program". For Mrs. Parker to help us with this little addition to our performance, she showed her love for her husband, and for us. This is something I'll remember for the rest of my life.
Below are the lyrics of the song we'd chosen to recap our time with Mr. Parker, with Mrs. Parker's help:
SEASONS OF LOVE from the musical RENT
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes,
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Moments so dear.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights
In cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.
In five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure
A year in the life?
How about love?
How about love?
How about love? Measure in love
Seasons of love. Seasons of love
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes!
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Journeys to plan.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure the life
Of a woman or a man?
In truths that she learned,
Or in times that he cried.
In bridges he burned,
Or the way that she died.
It's time now to sing out,
Tho' the story never ends
Let's celebrate
Remember a year in the life of friends
Remember the love!
Remember the love!
Seasons of love!
Oh you got to got to Remember the love! remember the love,
You Measure in love know that love is a gift from up above Seasons of love.
Share love, give love spread love Measure measure your life in love.