Paul D. Sarkozi
Wherever you are -- the thousands whose souls, spirits, character and voices were shaped by the time you spent with him -- take a moment to bless this great man with the music and lyrics that he used to bless us as we graduated: "The Lord Bless You and Keep You." Close your eyes. Picture George in all his animated glory conducting before you. Hear the many voices join yours -- friends, classmates, those who preceded you, those followed you. See them standing on the risers, in England, Rome, Ocracoake Island. Feel their presence across the world now as our collective thoughts turn to Uncle Trauty. Now return your eyes to George (or he'll yell at you for looking away) and sing, "The Lord Bless You and Keep You. The Lord lift His countenance upon you. And give you peace. And give you peace. The Lord make His face to shine upon you. And be gracious. And be gracious. The Lord be gracious, gracious unto you. Amen."
Paul D. Sarkozi
Isn't it remarkable how a death can spark so much life? Our minds overflow with memories and we cannot help but be transported back to Blind Brook and the LGI! How many people have you told about George in the last 24 hours? This morning as I was driving my daughter and her high school friends in their carpool, I recounted how George could draw talent and excellence from you that you never imagined you had. I told them how his passion (madness?) for excellence had led him to break his arm in rehearsal. After I dropped them off, I thought about how to this day I cannot listen to "And The Glory of the Lord" in a Messiah performance without bursting into song myself. I hear that opening chord banging on the piano, hear the introduction, anticipate the altos entrance and then get ready to dive in with the basses. Thank you, George.
Del Shortliffe
"remarkable how a death can spark so much life" -- Yes. I have been unable to tear myself away from this site -- the best use of Facebook I have experienced. I told my 2nd period class about it, when a student asked me whether I kept thinking to myself "This is the last time I'll teach Heart of Darkness, the last time I'll tackle "King Lear with kids"? I said that, yes, I am having those thoughts, and they are made more powerful by my suddenly and unexpectedly re-living, through Facebook, the first years of my career. I'm very happily moved by it all.
Cynthia Mesh
Funny, Del - I'm having the same feeling. Have so much to do today, but cannot break away from these wonderful memories and the sense of grand community that you and George and Dave Schein and others created. You are an inspiring teacher, Del, and you taught me and encouraged me so much. I will never forget your encouragement of my writing poetry, all the while pushing me to dig deeper and to work hard. Your gifts live in all of us, whether you ever teach Heart of Darkness again or not!
Paul D. Sarkozi
Hard to believe you won't be teaching a class anymore, Del. You, too, are such an inspiration to so many (including me). I was teaching a class last night (how many of us were inspired by you, Pete, Doc, George and others to make learning... come alive for others, to help build the character and shape the minds of those whom we have the opportunity to reach) and I also shared my memories of Blind Brook and the power of these Facebook postings. I am certain that, as it is with George, your teaching will endure far beyond the time you spend in a classroom (even the kind that has four walls!)
Jeff Futterman
Del, it's funny. I can't think of you as older. You will always be remembered as the young, cool teacher. And I agree. This has been the best use of social media I have ever been involved in. It's amazing to "see" everyone's personalilty come out in the words they write. And the funny thing is, their personalities are not much different than they were 30 years ago. All good. And it's great to see how we can all come together as one again. Brings chills.
DeMille Halliburton
In the classroom was one thing, but who can remember Del's prance in the cross country fields!!!! I always tried to mirror the graceful stride...
Paul D. Sarkozi
I finally figured out who wrote "The Creation" -- the piece that Craig Bierko narrated with the choir behind him. It is choral music written by Tom Scott with lyrics by James Weldon Johnson. The music is published by The Westminster Choir College Library, Mr. Trautwein's alma mater. Hamen, that's good!
AND God stepped out on space,
And He looked around and said,
“I’m lonely—
I’ll make me a world.”
And far as the eye of God could see 5
Darkness covered everything,
Blacker than a hundred midnights
Down in a cypress swamp.
Then God smiled,
And the light broke, 10
And the darkness rolled up on one side,
And the light stood shining on the other,
And God said, “That’s good!”
Then God reached out and took the light in His hands,
And God rolled the light around in His hands 15
Until He made the sun;
And He set that sun a-blazing in the heavens.
And the light that was left from making the sun
God gathered it up in a shining ball
And flung it against the darkness, 20
Spangling the night with the moon and stars.
Then down between
The darkness and the light
He hurled the world;
And God said, “That’s good!” 25
Then God himself stepped down—
And the sun was on His right hand,
And the moon was on His left;
The stars were clustered about His head,
And the earth was under His feet. 30
And God walked, and where He trod
His footsteps hollowed the valleys out
And bulged the mountains up.
Then He stopped and looked and saw
That the earth was hot and barren. 35
So God stepped over to the edge of the world
And He spat out the seven seas;
He batted His eyes, and the lightnings flashed;
He clapped His hands, and the thunders rolled;
And the waters above the earth came down, 40
The cooling waters came down.
Then the green grass sprouted,
And the little red flowers blossomed,
The pine tree pointed his finger to the sky,
And the oak spread out his arms, 45
The lakes cuddled down in the hollows of the ground,
And the rivers ran down to the sea;
And God smiled again,
And the rainbow appeared,
And curled itself around His shoulder. 50
Then God raised His arm and He waved His hand
Over the sea and over the land,
And He said, “Bring forth! Bring forth!”
And quicker than God could drop His hand.
Fishes and fowls 55
And beasts and birds
Swam the rivers and the seas,
Roamed the forests and the woods,
And split the air with their wings.
And God said, “That’s good!” 60
Then God walked around,
And God looked around
On all that He had made.
He looked at His sun,
And He looked at His moon, 65
And He looked at His little stars;
He looked on His world
With all its living things,
And God said, “I’m lonely still.”
Then God sat down 70
On the side of a hill where He could think;
By a deep, wide river He sat down;
With His head in His hands,
God thought and thought,
Till He thought, “I’ll make me a man!” 75
Up from the bed of the river
God scooped the clay;
And by the bank of the river
He kneeled Him down;
And there the great God Almighty 80
Who lit the sun and fixed it in the sky,
Who flung the stars to the most far corner of the night,
Who rounded the earth in the middle of His hand;
This Great God,
Like a mammy bending over her baby, 85
Kneeled down in the dust
Toiling over a lump of clay
Till He shaped it in His own image;
Then into it He blew the breath of life,
And man became a living soul. 90
Amen. Amen.
Then into it He blew the breath of life,
And man became a living soul. 90
Amen. Amen.
Wherever you are -- the thousands whose souls, spirits, character and voices were shaped by the time you spent with him -- take a moment to bless this great man with the music and lyrics that he used to bless us as we graduated: "The Lord Bless You and Keep You." Close your eyes. Picture George in all his animated glory conducting before you. Hear the many voices join yours -- friends, classmates, those who preceded you, those followed you. See them standing on the risers, in England, Rome, Ocracoake Island. Feel their presence across the world now as our collective thoughts turn to Uncle Trauty. Now return your eyes to George (or he'll yell at you for looking away) and sing, "The Lord Bless You and Keep You. The Lord lift His countenance upon you. And give you peace. And give you peace. The Lord make His face to shine upon you. And be gracious. And be gracious. The Lord be gracious, gracious unto you. Amen."
Paul D. Sarkozi
Isn't it remarkable how a death can spark so much life? Our minds overflow with memories and we cannot help but be transported back to Blind Brook and the LGI! How many people have you told about George in the last 24 hours? This morning as I was driving my daughter and her high school friends in their carpool, I recounted how George could draw talent and excellence from you that you never imagined you had. I told them how his passion (madness?) for excellence had led him to break his arm in rehearsal. After I dropped them off, I thought about how to this day I cannot listen to "And The Glory of the Lord" in a Messiah performance without bursting into song myself. I hear that opening chord banging on the piano, hear the introduction, anticipate the altos entrance and then get ready to dive in with the basses. Thank you, George.
Del Shortliffe
"remarkable how a death can spark so much life" -- Yes. I have been unable to tear myself away from this site -- the best use of Facebook I have experienced. I told my 2nd period class about it, when a student asked me whether I kept thinking to myself "This is the last time I'll teach Heart of Darkness, the last time I'll tackle "King Lear with kids"? I said that, yes, I am having those thoughts, and they are made more powerful by my suddenly and unexpectedly re-living, through Facebook, the first years of my career. I'm very happily moved by it all.
Cynthia Mesh
Funny, Del - I'm having the same feeling. Have so much to do today, but cannot break away from these wonderful memories and the sense of grand community that you and George and Dave Schein and others created. You are an inspiring teacher, Del, and you taught me and encouraged me so much. I will never forget your encouragement of my writing poetry, all the while pushing me to dig deeper and to work hard. Your gifts live in all of us, whether you ever teach Heart of Darkness again or not!
Paul D. Sarkozi
Hard to believe you won't be teaching a class anymore, Del. You, too, are such an inspiration to so many (including me). I was teaching a class last night (how many of us were inspired by you, Pete, Doc, George and others to make learning... come alive for others, to help build the character and shape the minds of those whom we have the opportunity to reach) and I also shared my memories of Blind Brook and the power of these Facebook postings. I am certain that, as it is with George, your teaching will endure far beyond the time you spend in a classroom (even the kind that has four walls!)
Jeff Futterman
Del, it's funny. I can't think of you as older. You will always be remembered as the young, cool teacher. And I agree. This has been the best use of social media I have ever been involved in. It's amazing to "see" everyone's personalilty come out in the words they write. And the funny thing is, their personalities are not much different than they were 30 years ago. All good. And it's great to see how we can all come together as one again. Brings chills.
DeMille Halliburton
In the classroom was one thing, but who can remember Del's prance in the cross country fields!!!! I always tried to mirror the graceful stride...
Paul D. Sarkozi
I finally figured out who wrote "The Creation" -- the piece that Craig Bierko narrated with the choir behind him. It is choral music written by Tom Scott with lyrics by James Weldon Johnson. The music is published by The Westminster Choir College Library, Mr. Trautwein's alma mater. Hamen, that's good!
AND God stepped out on space,
And He looked around and said,
“I’m lonely—
I’ll make me a world.”
And far as the eye of God could see 5
Darkness covered everything,
Blacker than a hundred midnights
Down in a cypress swamp.
Then God smiled,
And the light broke, 10
And the darkness rolled up on one side,
And the light stood shining on the other,
And God said, “That’s good!”
Then God reached out and took the light in His hands,
And God rolled the light around in His hands 15
Until He made the sun;
And He set that sun a-blazing in the heavens.
And the light that was left from making the sun
God gathered it up in a shining ball
And flung it against the darkness, 20
Spangling the night with the moon and stars.
Then down between
The darkness and the light
He hurled the world;
And God said, “That’s good!” 25
Then God himself stepped down—
And the sun was on His right hand,
And the moon was on His left;
The stars were clustered about His head,
And the earth was under His feet. 30
And God walked, and where He trod
His footsteps hollowed the valleys out
And bulged the mountains up.
Then He stopped and looked and saw
That the earth was hot and barren. 35
So God stepped over to the edge of the world
And He spat out the seven seas;
He batted His eyes, and the lightnings flashed;
He clapped His hands, and the thunders rolled;
And the waters above the earth came down, 40
The cooling waters came down.
Then the green grass sprouted,
And the little red flowers blossomed,
The pine tree pointed his finger to the sky,
And the oak spread out his arms, 45
The lakes cuddled down in the hollows of the ground,
And the rivers ran down to the sea;
And God smiled again,
And the rainbow appeared,
And curled itself around His shoulder. 50
Then God raised His arm and He waved His hand
Over the sea and over the land,
And He said, “Bring forth! Bring forth!”
And quicker than God could drop His hand.
Fishes and fowls 55
And beasts and birds
Swam the rivers and the seas,
Roamed the forests and the woods,
And split the air with their wings.
And God said, “That’s good!” 60
Then God walked around,
And God looked around
On all that He had made.
He looked at His sun,
And He looked at His moon, 65
And He looked at His little stars;
He looked on His world
With all its living things,
And God said, “I’m lonely still.”
Then God sat down 70
On the side of a hill where He could think;
By a deep, wide river He sat down;
With His head in His hands,
God thought and thought,
Till He thought, “I’ll make me a man!” 75
Up from the bed of the river
God scooped the clay;
And by the bank of the river
He kneeled Him down;
And there the great God Almighty 80
Who lit the sun and fixed it in the sky,
Who flung the stars to the most far corner of the night,
Who rounded the earth in the middle of His hand;
This Great God,
Like a mammy bending over her baby, 85
Kneeled down in the dust
Toiling over a lump of clay
Till He shaped it in His own image;
Then into it He blew the breath of life,
And man became a living soul. 90
Amen. Amen.
Then into it He blew the breath of life,
And man became a living soul. 90
Amen. Amen.
