1 Chronicle Profile
Singer Is A Sts
9y AUDREY L. WILLIAMS
Staff Writer
All it took to change John Williams' mind about a
full-time career as an opera performer was his two
children sitting at the dinner table.
Today, at 35, Williams says he no longer has the
ambitions he once had as a bright-eyed student at the
North Carolina School of the Arts to become a
world-renowned classical baritone.
i 44l thought about going to New York," he says,
? "and each time 1 would sit down at the dinner table
and see my two little children, 1 knew I had to work.
When I was a young student in school, 1 had those il
c lusions."
By profession, Williams is a loan officer at the
i Reynolds Carolina Credit Union on Fifth Street, but
whenever free time will allow, the accomplished
singer will absorb himself in rigorous hours of practice
with one of his two accompanists.
} His baritone voice has taken him as far away as a
summer of study in Italy and as close to home as the
town of Inez in Warren County for a guest performance.
For 15 years now, Williams' voice has also been a
mainstay at First Presbyterian Church and, he says,
4'I've been with them since my days at the School of
the Arts. I can never forget Presbyterian."
Throughout Winston-Salem's more sophisticated
~ and select audiences of opera, Williams, who
qualified last year as a semi-finalist for the New York
7 Metropolitan Opera, is considered a high-caliber
baritone. .
~
March of Dimes From Page A6 ^
IHIHIHaMMIHMtllllltltllltlHUHMMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMItlllllllllllllHHIIIMIIIIIIIItltlimtllMIM' /
film coverage in Burl- Olde Worlde Inc., the com- \
ington. WXII weather- pany whose participants
caster, Debbie Severs and personified the fun and
sports director Cameron spirit of WalkAmerica, 1(
Kent have been named were present to encourage S<
honorary chairpersons of similiar corporate participa- N
the Walk. tion in TeamWalk '84. th
~ Noted team participants This event is the largest
u.? ?_ ur.ii. " " ?
iwin iosi yeas s nam arc; iuna-raiser ior tne Marcn iv
Ffcirchild Industries, who of Dimes in its efforts to A
received national recogni- prevent birth defects. The
tion as the top winner in the community involvement na- d
small company category; tionwide on WalkAmerica cl
Wachovia Bank and Trust Day is proof of America's b
Co., the first member of the support of the efforts being c
$10,000 TeamWalk Club; made by the March of Y
Western Electric, with* the Dimes in the research and IS
hffrtefcf pW^80ita tefcfh arid pfeVfcntioii of birth defects. F
lllttltlMHMMIMtllMMHIIII II llll II lllttf It IIIIMUI11 IIHIIIMIIMHtllHIIHHIIII tlllHflMtlHIIII E
Calendar From Page A 6 b
ing a workshop on Street Law at 6:30 p.m. at the f
14th Street Recreation Center. The topic will be E
^'Youth and the Law." For more information call ^
727-2891. a
I
Attorney Billy D. Friende, Jr. will speak on wills /
and estates at the third session of the East Winston t
Monday Night Law Series at 7:30. at the East t
Winston Branch Library. 1(
Consumer Credit Counseling Services and Nor- "mm
thwestern Bank will co-sponsor the workshop,
"Balancing Your Checkbook" from 7-8:30 p.m. at
the American Red Cross Bldg. in Room 109. Brenda
A ? ? _ J A J 1 L.
Morgan, assisiani vice-presiaeni ana orancn
manager of Northwestern, will be the guest speaker. I
For more information call 725-1958.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13
* Tickets are still available for "Salem Christmas/'
the traditional holiday program to be presented twice
from 4-6 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at Old Salem.
The Winston-Salem Chapter of Women Aglow
will meet from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Central YMCA
at 775 West End Blvd. Fellowship will begin at 9 a.m.
"Here Come Santa Claus: Keeping Up With Holiday
Cheer," will be the topic of discussion at the
YWCA Mothers Network from 9:30-11 a.m. at the
YWCA. Betsy Butterfield, MSW will be the guest
- speaker.
A special Christmas celebration and a sharing of
Christmas memories will be the emphasis at the
YWCA Options For Living Series from 10:30 a.m. to
noon at Granville Place on Granville Drive.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS
The High Point Parks & Recreation Department is
forming a basketball league for women. All teams interested
in joining the league may call call 887-2511
for more information.
r
The Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center will
sponsor a six-week class in aerobics on Tuesday and
Thursday nights from 7-8:30 and Wednesday mornings
from 10-11:30. For pre-regisration and fee information
call 727-2740.
The United African American Network, an
outreach ministry of New Hope of Deliverance and
Miracle Center Inc., is sponsoring a drive to supply
food, clothing and toys for needy families this
Christmas. Contributions can be brought by the office
at 1700 N. Liberty St., or call 723-1436.
/
^ .. . ^ I
I
< ^ ir
At Home
While still a a student at the School of the Arts, he
won young artist competitions for the Charleston,
S.C., Symphony and the N.C. Symphony. And if
that's not enough, Williams also performed in the
Winston-Salem Symphony's first concert at the
Cla./.nc I I~ 1 - * '
oivtvi.3 nc nas since appeared witn the local
symphony on numerous occasions.
This Sunday he will be the featured baritone in the
"Messiah" with the First Baptist Church at the K.R.
Williams Auditorium at Winston-Salem State
University, and is also gearing up for the part of
Balthazar in the Menotti opera "Amahl and the
Night Visitors."
"I don't get to perform opera very much," he
says, "because there's just not enough outlets, and
practice for the major operas means a lot of time that
I don't have."
A native of Raleigh, Williams says his interest in
classical music was sparked by an aunt, a local singer
herself, when he was in high school.
"Had times been different, she would have probably
been a star," says Williams. "She was instrumental
in my taking music lesssons. I used to just
listen to her sing."
Somewhat shy, Williams doesn't seem to take
kindly to a delve into his past, but he almost seems to
dote on his years as a high school student in Raleigh.
"I guess 1 was just like any red-blooded American
kid," says Williams, "but 1 was a misfit. I didn't
play any sports, but I did go out for waterboy. I
made two games and that didn't work out because
the water was too heavy."
Since his brief career on the football team didn't
?i
student HHHHh
)f Month
4rs. Jean v Tripp1,1 * Airs ? Mel anil
'eggy Wheeler 'fctid "Mrs. sefrt' barid ' director siys,
ivangcline Metts. "Melanie is one of the most
Melanie's ambition is to loveable and teachable
econve a professional students I have ever worked
musician. One of her goals with in my 29 years. She is
or the year was to become also one of the most wellland
Student of the mannered and helpful
4onth. In addition, she has students. She has the
ilready been named to the capacity to excel in many
Jnited States Achievement things."
Academy Band. She says Cathi Lam be, a 10thhat
she learned a lot in grade-flute/piano-player
>and last year and hopes to won the runner-up honors,
earn even more this year. She is a drum major for the
R.V. Boone Sr., W pre- marching band and accomi
Suits j|
! Polyesters
J from
wool i
v Blends |
| from jj
T Corduroy
! Sport Cool
S -Suede E
. All Waal Slacks | ?laathar
*27" ' 11 Holiday Hour*
' ' I I Mon.-Fri. 9-9
Drat* Shirts I -***',?t"5
from ?8" I >un'1 to *
Ti?t Bifi iTrrnpw
from* 4M llfllililfl#
B#itt k^AUUUK||
from $495 B rTn ftlrMVrT
Sport Shirts
from *998 1455 Trade Mai
I (Aero?$ from aid* of I
I
The
"S.; . :': : ; ; ' ' " '
Is!...i. - x,.^\/ fl
John Williams Is considered one off the best c!
a not so financially-sound career In the ope
(photo by James Parker). h
pan out too well, Williams says he began spending
most of his time in the music room. There, he took
voice lessons and was later encouraged by a music
teacher to enter the School of the Arts.
4 There was just no place for someone to seriously
take up music in my high school and I feel fortunate
to have gpne to the School of the Arts," says
Williams.
If Williams had to choose his favorite singer, he
says Leontyne Price would be number one on his list,
HH
? Agncw v.*
for the honors
chorus.
The other top ten winners
were Ghusun Hassan, Peter
Birkner, Freda Henry, John
Foster, Lowell Murchison, *? I
Lowell Basham, Martin
Earhart and Argress
Hymes. I
C H /-i ^ n ? n ? 1 m . 1 mm ^
iJl UUCllla I C L C1 V 111 5 H
honorable mentions were
Lee Salley, Lisa Pegram,
M,ark Moore, Stefan
Moore, Greg Wilks and
Sherri Fields.
W All Wool
' SUITS \
*136nI
l Hand Tailored it
H|
vjrMw,i . WL4B&
A,,WRT K?9teg
from Ijt
ll frtm s49,s
ibow Patches
Buttons _
"| Men's
All Wsofhtr Cooti V ll
Zip Out Lining ^i i^
J I I
when yoi.
t Blvd. 748*9031 So experience
Brtndl* 9)
f
Chronicle, Thursday, December 8, 1983-Page A7
' ' i'11'111
9
| H
%k ^WBm
*8 . /iijlfcml
gjr j^Bj
lasslcal baritones in the area, but the reality of
ra world makes him an occasional performer
with Aretha Franklin and Roberta Flack vying for a
close second and third, all three having accomplished
much in the entertainment business by knocking
down many barriers.
"I've gotten further in this thing than I thought I
would," says Williams. "There is still a good amount
of prejudice in the opera world that I would like to
see eliminated^ Sometimes those frustrations are a little
disappointing."
_ Please see page A 9
' ? ' -- J
W ^1
I .""II MIST.
Pfa* *Ti | /;
KrX@*&5m2&&: 'Jt'Stik,
^XyyT jji
HBbSirk _.< % * *?^L'- IBsr
WI^H
^|||^ i|
n?J% ^r JM ^S?H^fl
K ^k "'iCB
R| ' nOmBe|
i^>-^^irs
b ;"' * j^B
K ;j?Mf
^^^^K:-"'.;4 ^ JCT
) MIS riNG
DNIGHT
At home, or at your favorite bar,j
go Misting, you make any night special,
the smooth mellow lightness of Canadian Mist.
An imported Canadian Whisky.
a ? ASANAS ahsi* per o> c
K