Dr. John Shelton's beautiful music and life well lived

Growing up the son of two music teachers, I was bound to learn piano. Years later as an adult, I’m thankful that was the case.

Part of my training as a youngster was participating in the National Federation of Junior Music Clubs Festival. Each year, students perform two pieces of music by memory for judges and are rated based on their performance and musicality. The top score, superior, receives 5 points. Once 15 points are accumulated over three or more years, the young musician receives a Gold Cup Award. Students can earn up to five Gold Cup Awards.

As a teenager, I played for Dr. John Shelton at the Junior Music Festival, which was then held at Brandt Hall on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. It was the old choir room, spacious and complete with a grand piano.

The Messiah Choir director Dr. John Shelton receives applause after the performance of Handel's "Messiah." Southeast Missourian file

I was prepared. Months of preparation had gone into this performance. It was memorized. The dynamics perfected. There was no question in my mind: I was ready. But midway through one of the pieces, I blanked out. Totally lost where I was in the song. The music stopped.

Dr. Shelton calmly asked whether I could pick up at a certain point. I did, though I left the performance thinking I was bound to get less than a perfect score. When the results came in, my rating sheet listed “Superior.” Shelton provided kind commentary and helpful coaching. It was a seminal moment in my music endeavors, a reminder to never give up — even when the music stops.

On Saturday, Dr. John Shelton died following a fast-acting battle with cancer. He was 89.

While many recall Shelton’s musical talent and work at Southeast Missouri State University, he’s also well known for his music ministry at Centenary United Methodist Church. One of his choir members at the church was former Judge Stephen Limbaugh Sr., who sang tenor. Limbaugh said the late Shelton was an excellent choir director.

“He started to transition a little bit from the organ and the piano to choral direction, and he served for a number of years and added greatly to the worship service of the Centenary Church,” Limbaugh told me Monday. “In addition to his talent as a performer, he was an expert in musical history. And in particular, classical music and church music. And he brought that knowledge to the Centenary choir and was very, very instrumental in making it a success.”

Limbaugh said Shelton, the 2013 recipient of the Otto F. Dingeldein Award for Excellence in Arts and Lifetime Achievement, appreciated all forms of music but especially classical and church music. Just three and a half weeks before his death, Limbaugh said that Shelton played a special rendition of one of his master’s pieces as a piano solo.

Limbaugh noted Shelton spent many Saturday afternoons entertaining at Chateau Girardeau retirement community. “He would play hymns at various times for the residents, and it really was a tonic to them.”

Former Southeast Missouri State University alumni director Jane Stacy in speaking with me about Shelton referenced the Teresa Brewer song “Mutual Admiration Society” as she spoke about the late professor, calling him a musical “genius.”

“John, even two or three days before he died, he would play so (his daughter) Elizabeth [Shelton] could sing,” Stacy said. “They had a mutual admiration society. Everybody who knew John Shelton belonged to his mutual admiration society, because he was just the best in the field as far as loving to talk about music. Music was just his life. And you very seldom see a faculty member who is obsessed about his career and the details that make up his career that’s not just ego driven. He was not ego driven in the world.”

Even though music captivated his own interests, Stacy said Shelton also had other interests and also sought to be engaged in the lives of his children and their activities.

“He would pick up the interests that his children had in order to be part of their lives,” she said.

In recent years, my parents had the opportunity to sing in the community Messiah Choir, which was often directed by Shelton. The choir is made up of musicians from several area churches representing various denominations. Shelton always appeared to be in his element directing the group, part to make it the best it could be and part for pure enjoyment.

Whether in his career or retirement, the music played beautifully through John Shelton’s life. This community was better for it. Heaven has certainly gained a talented soul for the ages.

Lucas Presson is assistant publisher of the Southeast Missourian.