COMMONWEALTH OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 26

Commending James Hayden Laster.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 13, 2006

Agreed to by the Senate, January 19, 2006

 

WHEREAS, James Laster, composer, arranger of music and professor emeritus of Shenandoah Conservatory at Shenandoah University in Winchester, is recognized for his long career and many contributions to the field of music; and

WHEREAS, James Laster graduated from Maryville College in Tennessee with majors in biology and music and earned master's and doctoral degrees in music from George Peabody College for Teachers, now a part of Vanderbilt University, with a minor in religion from Vanderbilt Divinity School; and

WHEREAS, James Laster studied organ with James Bloy at Maryville College, with Peter Fyfe and the late Scott Withrow at George Peabody College for Teachers, and with Herr Franz Sauer at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria; and

WHEREAS, James Laster served several churches as organist and choirmaster, including the Community Church in Tehran, Iran, the Community Church in Beirut, Lebanon, and St. Anne 's Episcopal Church in Nashville, Tennessee; he also was the dedicated and beloved organist and choirmaster for Trinity Episcopal Church in Upperville, Virginia, for over 25 years; and

WHEREAS, during his 27-year tenure at the Shenandoah Conservatory, James Laster taught all aspects of music, including choral arranging, organization, literature, aural skills, sight-singing, and select organ students, and conducted the women's Cantus Singers, the Madrigal Singers, a mixed choir, a show choir, and at times the Concert Choir; and

WHEREAS, James Laster also directed over 50 Broadway musicals and at times appeared as an actor in the productions; and

WHEREAS, a talented composer and arranger, James Laster created over 100 compositions for various ensembles, the majority for choir, and also published several musical bibliographies through the Scarecrow Press to aid organists, singers, conductors, and church musicians; and

WHEREAS, two of James Laster’s  recent premiers were Let There Be Music  for the Arts Academy Chorale of Shenandoah University in 2005 and O Nata Lux for the Millennium Choir in England, broadcast on the BBC in 2004; and

WHEREAS, James Laster always enjoyed the theatre and acting, and after retiring in 2000, he became a more dedicated actor, appearing in many minor and major roles on stage including the professor in Clockwork Orange, Colonel Pickering in My Fair Lady, Norman Thayer in On Golden Pond, and Willie Clark in The Sunshine Boys; and

WHEREAS, a versatile and talented artist, James Laster has provided music education, as well as immense enjoyment to countless music lovers in Winchester, Northern Virginia, and the Commonwealth; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend James Hayden Laster for his numerous contributions and outstanding musical achievements; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to James Hayden Laster as an expression of the General Assembly’s gratitude for his devotion to music and his ardent commitment to the arts.

House Patron:  Cosgrove

Signed:  Bruce Janeson

Clerk of the House of Delegates