Not long ago I posted this picture in connection with my 50th high school reunion in Burbank, California:

The photo, along with a short article, appeared in the Burbank Daily Review newspaper, and I saved both in a scrapbook. I believe it was in January of 2013 that I finally sat down to open our Christmas cards, and I came across one from Brian Hill, postmarked New York. I asked myself, do I know a Brian Hill? The only Brian Hill I could think of was a horn player with whom I had my picture taken 44 years before. He and cellist Roberleigh Barnhart, both of Burroughs High School, and I were music scholarship recipients of the Burbank Women’s Chorus in 1968.

But I hadn’t heard from nor had any contact with Brian Hill in 44 years. The card contained an email address, so I wrote, asking if he were the same Brian Hill from Burbank. A month went by, and finally he confirmed that he was the one and the same. Apparently we had many musical friends in common, especially since Brian had worked at Oxford University Press, a prominent music publisher. Since I had gone to graduate school on the East Coast, we had many of the same colleagues. It just so happened that I was in Southern California the previous Christmas and picked up a box of memorabilia from my mother’s house in Burbank. A copy of this photo was in the box so the timing of hearing from Brian was serendipitous, to say the least!

A month later, Brian sent me a copy of his mother’s obituary. I was very surprised and delighted to learn that his mother had been influential in church and civic affairs in Burbank — and that she had been an active member of Westminster Presbyterian Church. That was where I had my first church job at age fifteen!

Reading further, I learned that among her survivors was Brian’s brother, Eric Hill, founder and president of Honolulu Realty. That name was very familiar to us because Eric advertised his services on those divider rods you use in the checkout line at the local Safeway grocery store. And for years we had gotten promotional post cards from Honolulu Realty, with Eric’s name displayed prominently. Then I realized that OMG, Brian Hill’s brother lives in the same condominium that we do! Isn’t it amazing that two people from Burbank, CA would end up living in the same building?! and that we would have this connection to music?

In the meantime, I became Facebook friends with Brian, and learned that he still plays the French horn. Last week, Brian wrote to tell me he and his brother Jeff were coming to Honolulu to celebrate his brother Eric’s 70th birthday and we made plans to meet, fifty years from the time that old photo was taken.

I took him on a tour to the Nu’uanu Pali Lookout and Tantalus.

It so happens that Brian and I both attended the University of Southern California, but I lost track of him when he transferred to Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, after sophomore year. After Grinnell, he studied Historical Musicology at New York University. Brian recently retired from a position as the Manager of Copyrights and Promotion of the Music Department for Oxford University Press. He continues to play horn in the New York Repertory Orchestra which performs concerts at St. Mary the Virgin, the church where McNeil Robinson used to play—the organist who dedicated the Beckerath organ at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu and who played the organ for my wedding to Carl Crosier in 1977. Brian was formerly a parishioner at St. Mary the Virgin!

Another person we had in common was Edith Ho, the former musician of Church of the Advent in Boston where Carl spent his sabbatical and with whom we visited on numerous visits to Boston. Brian became acquainted with her through his position at Oxford University Press.

Brian has continued to be in contact with Roberleigh Barnhart, who is active as a cellist and music arranger in the San Luis Obispo, CA area.

Don’t you think that it is indeed amazing that the three persons pictured in that newspaper photo fifty years ago continue to work as musicians after receiving scholarship money from the Burbank Women’s Chorus!