Dwight K. Menard
Director of Music and Organist, Union Church (1971-1979)

The Allegro Handbell Choir was directed by Mr. Dwight K. Menard, a native of Wheeling, West Virginia, from 1971 through 1979. Mr. Menard received a Bachelor of Arts from West Virginia Wesleyan College, a Masters in Music from Northwestern University, and did extensive post-graduate work in organ with Grigg Fountain at Northwestern University. He was Organist and Director of Music at Union Church from 1971 through 1979. Mr. Menard also received many awards, among them the Presser Award of Philadelphia and the Performance Award from the American Guild of Musical Artists of New York. He was selected to appear in the 1969 issue of Outstanding Young Men of America.

Mr. Menard was hailed as an excellent musician, teacher, and man by members of the handbell choir and his other pupils in music, including members of the vocal choirs at Union Church. He left Union Church in 1979 after personally turning the directorship to Mr. Surratt, and moved to Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, Mr. Menard lost his battle with cancer and passed away in 1984. Members of the 1971 through 1979 Allegro Handbell Choirs commissioned Mr. William A. Payn of Bucknell University, Ohio, to write a handbell composition in his memory. Mr. Payn was a friend of Mr. Menard and wrote a beautiful handbell score which musically describes Mr. Menard's integrity and strengths as a musician and his kindness as a member of Union Church. Originally titled Tombeu, Elegy has been performed by the handbell choir every year since and has become a favorite, even to members of the choir now too young to have even have known Mr. Menard.

"Commissioned in memory of Dwight K. Menard by members of the 1971-1979 Allegro Handbell Choirs of the Union Church of Hinsdale, Illinois."
--Dedication Line, Elegy

John MacDonald
Director of Music, Union Church (c.1965-1971)

Mr. John MacDonald inherited a strong musical program when he joined the staff at Union Church in the mid-1960s. Eloise Eddy, his predecessor, left him a fine children’s program as well as an accomplished Chancel Choir.

John directed the high school and adult vocal choirs. He was a fine musician and conducted his rehearsals (which were absolutely mandatory) in a disciplined way that led to near perfection during Sunday morning services. He built the high school vocal choir into an ensemble of some sixty members, which sang weekly at the 9:00 a.m. service (then held in the Sanctuary). This choir had a waiting list of teenagers who wanted to be a part of the program in spite of Mr. MacDonald’s stern leadership. He was concerned that a musical option in the church should be available to them, aware especially that boys’ voices developed later in their teens. With this in mind, MacDonald began the bell choir program in 1967, with the purchase of the first three octaves of Schulmerich bells.