The memorial service for Jack Adams, longtime band director in the Westport (Connecticut) Public Schools, was held 31 January 2015 at The Unitarian Church in Westport, Connecticut, officiated by The Rev. Edward Thompson. Mr. Adams is long remembered for his performances and his students' performances for Christmas Eve services at this church.

For the memorial service, a brass ensemble of six former students performed in memory of the extraordinary leader of bands at Staples High School, Long Lots Junior High School, and Greens Farms Elementary School. In addition, Mr. Adams was noted for his devotion to students in private lessons offered at his home on Long Lots Road.

The Adams Memorial Brass Ensemble consisted of:
-- Trumpets: Jon Owens, John Kirk Dulaney, Andrew Willmott, Jon Blackburn
-- French Horn: Dave Smith
-- Brass Trombone: Jim Marbury

The music:
-- "Jesu Joy" and "Sheep May Safely Graze," both by J.S. Bach. These two pieces are in one recording, which begins in the middle of "Jesu Joy." 
-- "Air," by G.F. Handel
-- "Canzona per Sonare #2," by G. Gabrieli. This was described by Rev. Thompson as a movement from a suite that is a favorite for brass ensembles.
-- "Allegro" from "Watermusic" by G.F. Handel

Memorial Statements were offered by:
-- Rev. Edward Thompson
-- Ann Nunes, daughter-in-law of Mr. Adams
-- John Kirk Dulaney, student of Mr. Adams
-- Several members of the congregation gathered including former students who went on in life to become music educators.

Names of people gathered to remember Mr. Adams and names they mentioned in conversation evoked the history of Westport and its schools, especially its music programs: Hanulik, Lifson, Kuroghlian, Cuseo, Weigle, and Decker, among them.

These recordings were made by Douglass Taft Davidoff (Staples '75), taking advantage of the exceptional acoustics of the Unitarian Church to record on his iPhone 6 using Evernote to capture the sounds of the music.

It may have been a "cornball" thing to do, as Mr. Adams might say, but Davidoff also recorded the memorial statement offered by his mother, Denise Taft Davidoff. It is included in this playlist.

Mr. Adams was remembered by the Westport writer Dan Woog in his "06800 Where Westport Meets The World" blog on 10 January 2015. In a comment appended to that post, Gerry Kuroghlian of the Staples English faculty wrote: "Move over, Gabriel, Jack is blowing his horn!"

See: http://06880danwoog.com/2015/01/10/remembering-jack-adams/ [The photo shown here is copied from that post; Mr. Adams is depicted teaching and playing horns with Ryan Price at Staples in 1992.]

"Allegro" from "Watermusic" | G.F. Handel

Memorial Statement By Denise Taft Davidoff

"Canzona per Sonare No. 2" | G. Gabrieli

"Air" | G.F. Handel, preceded by Rev. Edward Thompson

"Jesu Joy" & "Sheep May Safely Graze" | J.S. Bach (begins in middle of "Jesu")

"This Guy's In Love With You" cover with help of a SoundCloud karaoke track.

New England Doug