Choir honors its longtime director

Published 12:51 pm Friday, April 7, 2017

By Dwight Sparks

The Clemmons Courier

Debby Trivett’s favorite hymn is “Blessed Assurance.” A close second place goes to “When Morning Gilds the Skies.” And maybe there’s …

She can go on and on about hymns.

She is the long-time music director at Lewisville United Methodist Church.

Long time?

She started “before the flood,” she jokes.

Or 37 years.

In her honor, her choir members recently commissioned composer Pepper Choplin of Raleigh to write a song, “This is Our Story,” which the choir performed for her on March 19.

“It was pretty cool,” the choir director said.

The song blended “Blessed Assurance” with her old Pfeiffer College concert choir’s motto from “The Singers Prayer.” The motto is, “What I sing with my lips I believe in my heart. What I believe in my heart I show forth in my works.”

For a church music director, it was the perfect gift.

She is a one-woman musical whirlwind. She leads the choir, plays the organ and piano, leads a handbell choir and the children’s chorus. “I’m just here on Sunday, and six other days of the week,” she said.

She and husband John were living in Lewisville when she learned of the opening at Lewisville Methodist. It was a chance to be closer to home, and the church quickly became the family’s home. “This is our home church. It’s not just a job. Our boys grew up here,” she said.

The church choir has 18 members with strong, well-trained voices. “They’re small in number but very, very good,” she said.