Donald Allured Obituary

Dr. Donald E. Allured

September 14, 1922 ? February 28, 2011

A native of Lansing, MI, Don Allured was a graduate of Alma College, and received his Master's Degree in Sacred Music from Union Theological Seminary in New York. He served on the faculty of Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ, 1979 -1988, developing a handbell leadership curriculum for students majoring in sacred music. During his years there, Don established the ongoing annual tour of the Westminster Handbell Choir. In May of 2007, he received an Honorary Doctor of Music Degree from Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton.

Don was president and honorary life member of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers, and was awarded the Guild's highest accreditation, Master Teacher and Master Conductor. Music composed and arranged by Don is widely used by bell choirs throughout the world. A lovely tribute is posted at www.AGEHR.org.

In 1977, Don established the Week of Handbells at Bay View Music Conservatory, in Bay View, MI, one of his proudest accomplishments. The Wesleyan Handbell Choir of Lake Charles, LA toured all fifty states under Don's able direction. Don had the honor of directing BellFest of Pensacola. In Pensacola, the local chapter of American Guild of Organists was one of his greatest blessings. He loved all his musical colleagues.

Don is survived by his loving wife, Melissa; daughters, Janet and Gwendolyn; and sons, Ross, Bruce and Timothy. Also surviving Don are his 5 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. Don's faithful dog Hannah misses him terribly.

Don is preceded in death by parents, Paul and Helen Allured; siblings, Robert Allured and Janet Frazier; and son, Lee Allured.

In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to The American Guild of English Handbell Ringers ? Donald E. Allured Original Composition Award Fund, 1055 E. Centerville Station Road, Dayton, OH 45459.

Memorial service will be Saturday, March 5, 2011, 4:00 PM, at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 3400 Bayou Blvd., Pensacola, FL with Rev. Dr. Hugh Hamilton officiating. A reception will follow the service.

Trahan Family Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

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Published by the Pensacola News Journal on Mar. 4, 2011.

Memories and Condolences
for Donald Allured

9 Entries

Laura and Gene Atkinson

March 5, 2011

Melissa, We are sad to hear of Don's passing. We know you will miss him very much, and we hope that your many wonderful memories will provide comfort and sustenance.

March 5, 2011

Melissa, Thoughts and prayers are with you today and your family. May God's healing grace and peace be with you. Blessings, Ann Held

Judy/Bruce Olson

March 4, 2011

It was awesome to watch Don play the handbells at Trinity church. He will be missed by all.

Linda Henderson

March 4, 2011

Dear Melissa and family members,

Don was a dear friend of ours at First Church of Christ in Wethersfield, Connecticut. Not only did he come and work with our choirs on several occasions - helping us get Super Bell polished for our concerts but, some of us were blessed to have worked with him at Bayview Week of Handbells. He was a wonderful, faith-filled man who was a gifted clinician and musician. He gave so much to those around him and the music world, who may have only known him through his music.

This Sunday, in his honor, we will be playing "Prelude" as a handbell duet accompanied by David Spicer on the organ. Don will be missed by all who knew and loved him. You have our sincere condolences.
We will keep you and your family in our thoughts and prayers.

May God wrap His arms around you and give you peace and comfort at your time of loss.

Linda Henderson
Former Bayview ringer
Associate in Music at First Church of Christ - Wethersfield, CT

March 4, 2011

Dear Melissa & family members,

Don was certainly a "gentle giant of a man" and influence to so many people around the world. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. We regret that we cannot be there to convey our condolences in person.

We love you very much and will continue to keep you in our prayers.

Love,
David & Patti Jernigan

Alison Wood

March 3, 2011

I am so sorry to hear of the passing of Donald Allured. He had such an influence on the handbell world! By the time I was teaching in the late 1970s, we were using his book as the only real text that was available. It was the dream of our Schulmerich representative, John Nelson, to get Donald Allured up to Canada. It took him a bit of time to convince people we were ready for a workshop with "The Master" but John continued to push. By the time Don came to Alberta in October of 1983, he was the acknowledged expert in ringing, and I was thrilled that everyone there actually heard his message that "playing the right note at the right time is only the beginning!" He pushed us toward excellence, gave us techniques to go beyond, and his visit resulted in a new level of performance for the ringers in attendance, new techniques for the teachers to take back to their classrooms, and most importantly - the formation of the first handbell guild in Canada - the Alberta Guild in 1984. If Carol Petrie was still with us I am sure she would add here that the Saskatchewan Guild, formed shortly thereafter, was also started in that room. Mr. Allured attended part of that first meeting of handbell enthusiasts, listened attentively, and gave measured advice, but only when asked. He was invited back to conduct our first festival in 1984.

I will always think of Donald Allured as one of the founding fathers of the instrument I love. Through his books and workshops, handbells were no longer a novelty instrument that made church worship more interesting on special occasions and facilitated note reading in school children. They became a truly musical instrument, requiring a team of people to work and think as one, in order to make music that was genuinely heavenly. The people trained by Donald Allured became the teachers, armed with a variety of techniques and exercises guaranteed to achieve musicality, to solve previously impossible ringing problems, and to settle for nothing less than excellence.

This has been a sad year of huge loss for the American Guild and, by association, for the handbell ringers of the world. To the families of Donald Allured, as well as David Davidson and the other pioneers before them - their ringing families and the people lucky enough to share their daily lives - the hearts and prayers of people all over the world are with you. May it give you some sense of peace to know that the person you loved definitely made a difference and left this world a better place, contributing great beauty and the desire to aim higher to the lives of countless people all over the planet. That legacy will continue to grow on Earth, even now.

Wishing you God's Peace and Blessing,
Alison Wood,Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Carmel Daveson

March 3, 2011

Carmel T Daveson AM; President, Handbell Society of Australasia.

On behalf of the members of the Handbell Society of Australasia (HSA) I honour a great man “Donald Allured”. Throughout the years, Don has inspired many members of HSA even though very few of us ever met him. His written material has reached almost every nook and crook of the two countries of HSA: New Zealand and Australia.

Although I did not have the privilege of meeting Don an icon of the Handbell world, I will never forget him. I trace my handbell life back to Don’s book. My little story will tell you why!
When I had no real knowledge of handbells I discovered one of his books and it became my “handbell bible”. Many years later in 2004 my late husband and I were touring Canada. To my excitement one of the tourists on the bus lived near one of Don’s children. I raved about how Don had influenced me across the thousands and thousands of miles between our two countries. Through that contact I emailed Don’s son who forwarded my email onto Don. To my amazement I received a reply from Don. The email was not only very warm and supportive but very humble. He simply said that he was so happy to learn that someone so far away had found this little booklet useful.
On behalf of the Handbell Society of Australasia, I write to offer our thoughts and memories of a man who enriched many people’s lives through the art of handbell ringing. Don has demonstrated to us all that a truly great and gifted person is also a humble one.

Martyn Croft

March 3, 2011

"At the beginning of my association with handbells, I discovered Don Allured's writings and compositions and as then a raw beginner in the world of ringing, I looked to his wisdom, skill and advice to guide my own thinking and approach. One of the key phrases in Don's book that I pondered and that became a mainspring for my own endeavours, both as a ringer and as a Musical Director of other ringers, ran something to the effect that: "In handbell ringing, ringing the right note at the right time is only the beginning, not the end."

In his passing we mourn the departure from this world of a major figure in the history of handbell ringing. At the same time, we rejoice in the inspiration that his writings, his music and, supremely, Donald himself have become for so many, throughout the world of handbell ringing.
Martyn Croft, Tasmanian State Representative, Australia, Handbell Society of Australasia

Oonah Caldwell

March 3, 2011

"Dear Don , A Gentleman - a Great man. - Kind, gentle and understanding, yet the very essence of a professional musician. He knew exactly what was needed in bellringing, organ and composition to say the least. His belief was great in the goodness of God who gave him so many wonderful talents. He used these gifts with a thankful heart, helping so many people.
We can celebrate his life remembering his love of people and music. It was a great privilege to meet him in 2000 with his wonderful Bayview WOH ringers. A memory we will always cherish.
This is a sad time for his family and friends. We feel for them all. Our sincere and loving thoughts and prayers are particularly with all his dear family. Oonah and David Caldwell New Zealand." Member of the Handbell Society of Australasia

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