Article August 31, 2009 Issue

IN THE BUSINESS OF HARMONY

Getting to know conductor Alastair Willis

BY KIM SHIPPEY, SENIOR WRITER

Seattle-based conductor, church soloist, triathlete, and youth chaperone Alastair Willis was in Boston earlier this summer to conduct a noontime hymn sing in the Original Edifice of The Mother Church.

Over the same weekend, he chaperoned young people attending the national conference of DiscoveryBound, attended by about 200 high-schoolers who are Christian Scientists, along with their friends.

During the 45-minute Mother Church hymn sing, which was open to the public, Willis shared his enthusiasm for the recently released Supplement to the Christian Science Hymnal. Within a few minutes, he had his audience slapping their thighs to better grasp the rhythms and tempos called for by some of the less familiar tunes. He showed them how to "make joyful music to the Lord," loud enough for "the world to hear," especially in phrases such as "Halle ... halle ... hallelujah!" (No. 441).

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