Nunc Dimittis

Jeffrey Paul Radford died on August 12 at St. Francis Hospital, Blue Island, Illinois. He was 48. Mr. Radford was music director of Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago, where he had served for 30 years and conducted the church's 75-voice choir. Born and raised in Chicago, he studied at Quigley Seminary, Governors State University, and Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University. His choirs sang throughout Chicago, and traveled to nearly a dozen U.S. cities. They sang  three times in Switzerland, and also in Germany, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. Radford was a member of the United Church of Christ New Century Hymnal advisory committee, with 12 arrangements in the hymnal, as well as choral music for the New Century Anthem Series; a member of the advisory committee for The African Heritage Hymnal (GIA Publications); musical coordinator and choir director for "Faith Odyssey," an ecumenical church educators event in Chicago; a member of the UCC Musicians Network planning committee for its national conferences in Chicago, Illinois and Tiffin, Ohio; and musical coordinator and choir director for Urban Ministries national conferences. He received a posthumous doctor of divinity degree from the Chicago Theological Seminary, where he was an adjunct faculty member.