Musician Interview

A few minutes with…Walter Link. Walter is a member of the Chancel Choir, singing in the tenor section. 

Music News:  Have you had any formal musical training, such as voice or piano lessons or another instrument?

Walter Link:  No, I haven’t had any lessons.  My father was a choir director and principal at a Lutheran School and he was always after me to take lessons, but I was too involved in sports.  I played about every sport in school and just didn’t have much time for lessons, but he expected me to sing in the choir at least.

MN:  So you sang in choir growing up then?

WL:  Yes, pretty much from the time I was in elementary school all the way up to about 24, 25 years old I sang in the choir.  Then we moved to Texas and I didn’t sing much for, oh, about 15 years.  Then we got involved in a Methodist church in Richardson, I think it was First UMC Richardson, and started singing again in the choir.

MN:  Was anyone else in your family musical besides your dad?

WL:  Well, my dad was the organist and director at church, we had a choir of about 18-20 singers.  My mother, I have two brothers and sisters younger than me and she was always busy taking care of them, but she was a good singer, too.

MN:  And I know that your daughter, Jocelyn, was involved in the church orchestra here growing up.

WL:  Yeah, she got interested in music and in taking lessons when some of her friends were doing that and she liked the euphonium.  She kept playing in college, too, and now she’s married and living in Austin and plays in a big church orchestra down there. 

MN:  How long have you been at St. Andrew, and how did you come here?

WL:  When we moved to Plano we decided that we wanted to go to church closer to home so we did some church hopping.  It just so happened that we came to St. Andrew on Easter Sunday.  At the end of the service they always invite people up to sing the Hallelujah Chorus, so I went up to sing.  After they were asking those that came up if they’d like to come to a rehearsal, so I came and ended up staying.

MN:  When was that?

WL:  We came right about the time they first moved over from the school to the new church building, the old sanctuary, in 1991.  Charles was still the choir director at that time, and I guess there are only 5 or 6 choir members that have been in the group longer than I have now. 

MN:  What did you like about St. Andrew that made you want to stick around?

WL:  We really liked Charles a lot, and that it was close to home.  Also, it was exciting to be part of a new church that was growing, and the people seemed nice and we kind of said, hey, let’s grow with this church!

MN:  Why do you think you enjoy singing in the choir so much?

WL:  I guess I like being part of something that big, all those voices.  My parents were both involved a lot and I got used to that, and my mom used to sing around the house a lot, church songs.  I really enjoy that kind of music.  When you’ve gone to church so many years you almost have a lot of the hymns memorized.  So I really enjoy singing them in parts in the choir, it keeps them new for me, singing in parts is more fun sometimes than singing melody.  And I really enjoy the people in the choir.

One of the neatest things has been the two trips to Europe the choir has taken.  My wife and I went on both trips and they were two of the highlights of our lives.  We’ve really enjoyed those trips and we’ve really enjoyed the special programs the choir has given over the years.

MN:  What other groups are you involved with at the church?

WL:  We’ve been members of the Visions Sunday School class ever since its inception I think.  My wife is a regular member and I just try to go whenever I can, when the choir is not singing.  I go to all their other events, and we’re pretty involved there.

MN:  When you’re not at church or choir practice, what do you like to do?  What are your other hobbies?

WL:  If I’m not in church it probably means I’m in one of three places:  1) out of town at a football game, likely a Nebraska game; 2) on vacation; or 3) fishing in a bass tournament!

MN:  Thanks, Walter, for talking with us and for your many years of dedicated service in the choir!