Dozens join legendary 87-year-old Bay Area choir director for impressive reunion performance

MORAGA, Calif. - It has been said that music can act as a salve. It can create community and connections and unite us in unexpected ways. And sometimes it can even serve as a powerful reminder of long-forgotten bonds, stirring a collective memory of a cherished, shared experience. 

That power of music was on full display on Sunday at Campolindo High School in Moraga, where some 50 people, former students who once walked that same campus decades ago, returned to put on an impressive two-hour performance led by their former and long-retired choir director, 87-year-old Lindley Hall.

What we know:

Those who took part in the event ranged in age from their early 40s to their 60s. They included local residents as well as those who flew back to their hometown for the occasion, traveling from places including Arizona and Santa Barbara and as far as Virginia and Connecticut.

Countless hours of dedication 

The Campolindo High School Alumni Choir began rehearsing for the reunion concert back in March, with many of the singers meeting in their old choir room once a month for three-hour stretches, at first.

"Then they started going to four hours, and then finally, the accompanist said to me, I’ve been here five hours today. And the poor man, he plays for two Catholic services in the morning and gets in his car and runs over and meets us. And so for him to stay five hours," Hall said, amazed by the group’s dedication.

When they weren’t practicing together or if they couldn't attend the rehearsals, they would go over the music on their own.

"The music was all online. So they could study their part all if they were out of town, and if you're an alto, then we had an alto part for each song, so you could learn your own part," the choir director explained.

He said the individual remote practices were an important aspect of the reunion ensemble and the organizers’ goal to include as many participants as possible, even those who lived afar.

Singers said while it felt like a daunting commitment at first, once they began working with their former teacher, they were quickly struck by how fulfilling the experience was.  

"You sign-up to participate in the choir thinking it will be fun but also maybe a little concerned of the time required," said Class of 1995 and alumni choir co-chair Chelsea Glavinovich McClure. "Then attend a rehearsal or two and the experience moves you more than expected, so then you want more."  

The program 

The concert comprised almost 20 numbers. It kicked off with a "Phantom of the Opera" medley and moved into songs and acts from popular musicals through the years and also included various classical choir pieces. 

The songs from the musicals were paired with choreographed movement and dance steps with some story lines humorously altered and updated to reflect the reunion setting. 

Many of the soloists reprised their performances from long ago, when they were teens, and though decades had passed, their voices remained youthful, vibrant, and strong.

Connection and community

As much as it was about music, it was also about making connections and reveling in community. Hall said many of the choir members told him how much they loved meeting and getting to know fellow alums.

"It’s been fun, and I think they thoroughly enjoy each other," Hall shared, noting the choir practices have led to other social events like a karaoke night out. 

For the former high school choir director, it was about offering his former students a chance to create music and be a part of something they enjoyed doing from back in their youth. 

The backstory:

Hall started at Campolindo in 1976 with his storied career there lasting 23 years. During that time, he became embedded in a community he calls "beautiful" and one he said he feels deeply connected to and grateful for.

"I can't say enough about how fortunate I was to land here," he said.

He landed here from Ohio, where he and his late wife were from and where he previously spent 15 years as a choir teacher. 

His new teaching gig in California brought him to the small, quiet East Bay town of Moraga, semi-rural and nestled among rolling hills. 

Rough first year

His job at the town’s only high school began with a rough start as he was coming in to fill the shoes of a very popular choir director. 

"My first year was really terrible. The kids were really disappointed because they had a really fine teacher in Mr. Fettke," he recalled, adding that right away, the kids picked up on his Midwestern roots. "I called soda ‘pop,’ you know, and stuff like that," he said. "This guy from the Midwest didn't know anything about California." 

It didn’t take long to hit his stride, as he would remember the following school year as what he described as his "defining second year," when he realized he had made a connection with the students. 

To kick off the new school year, he offered an icebreaker. 

"I just went in and the first thing I said was, ‘Okay, I hope you guys had a good summer. I'm glad to see you back. Does anybody have a joke?'" he recalled. 

Hall recounted how one of his students did have something to contribute. She had a joke, but what she decided to share was completely inappropriate. 

"And I thought, you know, that’s really terrible. I mean, she shouldn’t have told it. But secretly I'm thinking, damn, it's going to be a good year," he laughed.

Hall's impact

He quickly became a beloved and deeply respected teacher who was serious in his musical instruction but made singing fun. In addition to being the school’s choir director, he was also responsible for producing annual musicals and chamber shows. 

During his tenure, he was behind almost two dozen shows and is often credited for establishing what’s still widely considered as one of the most highly regarded high school musical theater programs in the East Bay.

In 1999, Hall retired, ending a celebrated and legendary career. And while his profession as a teacher came to an end, his ties to his students and his love for directing music didn’t. Many of the bonds he made would only get stronger. 

"I probably was closer to a lot of my students because my wife and I didn't have children of our own. And we were out here, without any family," Hall shared, adding, "I was very fortunate because Campolino, it was just a good place. The parents were so good to me."

Hall recalled getting to work with parents through production projects like building props and making costumes. 

"I got to know the parents because of all the things we did, especially through the musicals," he said. "So then I think it just kind of carried over, and it was fortunate for me that I had relationships with a lot of different families. And so I was blessed."

He said that it was also through Facebook, that he was able to connect with many of his former students later in the years, reestablishing relationships and getting to know them again, now as adults. He’s proud that he doesn’t miss a chance to post well wishes to former students on their birthdays.

Difficult time

Five years ago, Hall lost his wife, his only family here, as it had been just the two of them since moving out West. It was a difficult time.

Hall recounted what his doctor told him following his loss. "When my wife died, my doctor, he said, ‘You know, you can sit in your easy chair and wait to die, or you can get up and do something.’"

It was a message he would heed. And that directive to "do something," to find a renewed sense of purpose, was made easier to execute given the people who had become like family to him over the years.

"I think I'm alive, and I continue to grow because I've had so many people in my life from this group," Hall said.  

Two people from his cherished group of former students, Glavinovich McClure and Matt White, also a graduate of the Class of 1995, would be instrumental in coming up with the plans for a choir reunion, an idea they announced after meeting up with their former teacher one day for lunch.

"So they were the ones that said, ‘We're doing it!’ Well, I thought, you know, they'll just leave, and I'll never hear from them again," Hall said. 

He joked that he clearly didn’t know his former students well because the next time he heard from them was a couple of weeks later after they had started to put the wheels into motion. It didn’t take long before the Campolindo High School Alumni Choir was born.  

What they're saying:

Glavinovich McClure said this experience has been an incredible privilege. 

"Working with him to bring this event to the stage has been an honor," she shared.

And she praised the music leader for his magical effect on those around him.  

"Mr. Hall is the most thoughtful and selfless person I know," she said. "Mr. Hall has a special way of seeing people, connecting with people and making them feel special and important."  

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It has been deeply enriching and rewarding for those who have been able to sing under the direction of their former choir teacher.

"To see Lindley so moved was reason enough," said Kerry Baker, Class of 1992. "But reconnecting and having fun working towards something was the experience of a lifetime!" 

Sunday’s performance was actually the second big performance as part of this alumni choir effort. 

Two years ago, the ensemble, which included many but not all of the same singers, gathered for its first concert event. 

Keeping him going

What's next:

When KTVU asked Hall if he was looking ahead with plans to do another reunion performance, in his answer, he pointed to how much this group has meant to him and how they have kept him going. 

"I don't know what to say. It's the one thing that's kind of kept me alive. And so, at 87, I'm fortunate to be here," Hall responded. "I feel like if I say, okay, we're going to do another one in two more years, it may keep me alive a couple more years," he said, laughing. 

Audience participation 

On Sunday, the closing song of the performance was the popular and well-known choral selection, "Battle of the Republic." 

And true to the ensemble’s inclusive approach and community spirit, the choir director invited those in the audience to join in toward the end of the song.  

In a scene of unity with people brought together by music, audience members stood from their seats and sang with the choir. 

‘People come into our lives for a reason’

Earlier, as the program drew to a close, Hall addressed the crowd, sharing how much hard work and dedication it took for this group to bring this production to fruition. 

"What each has given to this effort is unbelievable," he said. 

He noted how many of the singers managed to attend every single rehearsal.

"It isn’t always easy when you’ve got young kids or older parents that you're looking after. So the devotion of this choir and their willingness to share their talent, it’s been remarkable," the choir director said. "And I am so proud of this group and what we’ve accomplished together."

Hall went on to explain that when he made the selection of the piece they would be singing next, he did not realize how it reflected so much of his own feelings. 

"It kind of tells the story of my life and how I feel about this group and what they have done for me," he told the audience.

And then he read some of the words from the song, "For Good," from the musical "Wicked." The lyrics, choir members would later find from him, printed out, and slipped into a gift bag each member received. 

"I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason, bringing something we must learn. And we are led to those who help us grow if we let them," the former high school teacher shared. "I do believe I have been changed for the better because I knew you, because I knew you, I have been changed for good."

Editor's note: Sharon Song is a Campolindo High School alumna and took choir while there. 

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