Wheaton College Alumni Magazine Spring 2014 | Page 39
WONDERKIND STUDIOS
Ed Childs (left) has composed music for many friends, including
Dr. Gerard Sundberg, professor at Wheaton's Conservatory of Music.
the Eastman School of Music. His course of study at Eastman was
punctuated by his marriage, as well as three years of military service in
the United States Army Field Band.
After beginning his career in the music department at the Philadelphia
College of Bible, Ed worked for 20 years as professor of music at Biola
University. He then returned to Wheaton and taught in the music department
at Moody Bible Institute. He became dear friends with the very Wheaton
professors who had been, and continued to be, his mentors.
In 1999, Ed’s life took a dramatic turn when he suffered an accident that
left the left side of his body paralyzed. After several months of intensive
rehabilitation, Ed was able to return to teaching, but his ability to play music
was compromised, and he could no longer serve as church organist at
College Church in Wheaton.
Drawing on the prayers of many and on his own determination, Ed chose
to view limitation as opportunity: he again turned his focus to composition,
and produced volumes of sacred and secular choral, vocal, keyboard,
and instrumental works. Many of Ed’s compositions are for the organ, and
Ed asked Brenda Heck Portman ’02, the young woman who filled in for
him at College Church after his accident, to be his hands and feet for the CD,
All Might and Majesty. Ed’s compositions and arrangements led to
the production of more CDs, including several that Ed arranged at the
request of Conservatory of Music Professor Gerard Sundberg, whose rich
voice is highlighted throughout.
Desiring further collaboration, Ed began to arrange favorite spirituals with
more musician friends in mind: flautist Jennifer Dolan Reddick ’95, violinist
Gail Salvatori ’76, and harpist Barbara Ann Fackler ’78. Ed’s efforts
yielded yet another CD, At the River, which was recorded and engineered
by Daniel Fackler ’80. Ed describes it as a “journey back to my physical and
expressive roots.” Recalled and arranged from memory, the pieces on
At the River hold echoes and memories of Ed’s grandmother, playing the
piano late into the New England night.
Jennifer describes the experience of working with Ed as, “Uplifting! He never
seems to run out of energy or excitement as we rehearse.”
Barbara says of their collaboration, “Ed has shown me that it’s possible to
be humble and confident concurrently.”
With At the River, Ed’s journey as a musician might be described as
coming around full circle—but with two CDs on the horizon, including one
arranged expressly for cellist Julie MacLean Tehan ’03, who now teaches at
Wheaton’s Community School of the Arts, and an organ composition in the
works for Brenda Portman, it’s clear the influence of Ed’s musical outpouring
will continue to expand.
P HOT O COURT E S Y THE DE NVER CEN TER FOR TH E PER FORMIN G A R T S / CREDIT: JENNIFER M KO SKIN EN
“I thought it was a lovely
time to learn more about
the school and meet other
parents and alumni.”
“THE PERFORMANCE WAS AMAZING!”
“More of
this type
of event,
please!”
WHEATON
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