William retires!

After 18+ years leading us in singing and praising God, Dir. of Music William Easterling will leave his post for a much deserved retirement.

William Easterling began as Trinity’s organist/choir director in October 2007. For 35 years he praised God through music, serving his first church while in middle school.

A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, William earned degrees in Organ and Vocal Performance from Baylor University, and a Master of Sacred Music Degree (with distinction) from Westminster Choir College. He studied with four of the most distinguished concert organists and professors in the country; at Baylor with Joyce Jones, at Westminster Choir College with Alan Morrison, and privately with Ken Cowan and Matthew Lewis. He studied conducting at Westminster with Joe Morrison and James Jorden.

William came to Trinity from Christ Church United Methodist in Manhattan, where he held the post of Organ Scholar/Assistant Organist. At Christ Church he accompanied the professional choir in a diversified repertory of oratorios such as Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, Brahms Requiem and the Vierne Messe Solemne, as well as choral rep from composers of the Renaissance period to the music of Arvo Párt and John Adams. This immersion of different styles of the choral literature resulted in a respect for a wide range of church music, and that respect is evident in the varied repertory of Trinity’s choir.

Prior to his position as Organ Scholar he was a paid soloist at Christ Church for several years and also at Marble Collegiate where he sang tenor solos in Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem and Haydn’s Creation among others.

As a singer he has appeared with the opera companies of Dallas, Fort Worth and Santa Fe (as a member of the Apprentice Artist program), along with The Brevard Music and Bard Music Festivals among others. He received his Actor’s Equity card just out of college from Casa Manana Theater in Fort Worth, Texas. In New York he sings with the New York Choral Artists, appearing regularly with the New York Philharmonic and other orchestras under the batons of distinguished conductors such as Kurt Masur, Loren Mazel and Sir Colin Davis and Joseph Flumerfelt. As organist he made his New York recital debut at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

We will surely miss William’s beautiful voice and gentle nature. Please offer your love to William for his many years of service at the organ console and piano bench and directing our choir.

William: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant!”