They’re of One Voice: Hall Is a Great, If Balding, Guy

William Hall, dean of the Chapman University School of Music and director of the Master Chorale of Orange County, heard a recital of the highs and lows of his career at a roast celebrating his harmonious 30-year history with Chapman.

About 300 well-wishers gathered at the Argyros Forum on the campus in Orange Thursday for the “This Is Your Life” tribute, which featured voices from his past singing his praises and mercilessly abusing his person.

High Notes

George Argyros, master of ceremonies and a Chapman trustee, got things started when he asked the audience to stand and solemnly swear they would not joke about “Bill’s ever-widening good-looking bald spot.”

From then on, the bald spot was fair game for everyone.

University trustee Roger Schnapp joked that Paul McCartney has filed a lawsuit against Hall for cutting a couple of measures out of his “Liverpool Oratorio,” which the chorale performed last year. The name of the group that will defend against McCartney’s campaign to repossess the boat Hall lives on: “Beatle Aid Liverpool Defense Society to Prevent Oratorio Trauma” or BALD SPOT.

Florence Agcawili, a Master Chorale member for 24 seasons, offered a top 10 list of frequently heard rehearsal statements from Hall. Among them: “I talked to Stravinsky last night and he said it was OK to cut those two measures,” and “This is my favorite work. Really, it is.”

She was joined by chorale members who sang a song about touring with Hall “from the opera house in Sydney to the strip joint in Beijing.”

Susan Taylor-Mills, an alum from the school of music, led a game of “Chapman Jeopardy.” Sample answer from the tour bus category: “It burned to the ground.” The question: “What happened to the last bus Bill Hall bought for Chapman?”

Master Chorale member Lee Ditkowsky described a new system of fines that would be levied against members for various infractions, among them: “Pretending to understand Bill’s absurd metaphors” and “mouthing Bill’s stories on stage while he’s telling them.”

Rams Attack

Midway through the roast, Los Angeles Rams owner Georgia Frontiere, a member of Chapman’s advisory board, donned a wig and peasant’s shawl and came out wailing for her lost son who had joined the chorale and become a victim of Hall’s many long practice sessions.

“He doesn’t write!” she cried. “He doesn’t even fax.”

The wickedest barbs came from Marshall Klein, Rams vice president.

“My ego doesn’t require me to do these things,” he told Hall, “but yours does.”

Klein did not even spare the sleek interiors of the Argyros Forum, making fun of the fact that guests were eating their filet mignon in a student cafeteria.

For his part, Hall took the abuse in good humor. He walked to the podium with one hand over his bald spot.

“The members of the roast committee have enormous gifts,” he told the gathering. “I am going to get even.”

To be fair, the evening was full of accolades for the conductor from friends and past students. Argyros described Hall as “a rare commodity--a masterful and inspiring teacher.”

Yet the most poignant moment was unrehearsed. Hall’s mother, Bany King, walked up to the podium to recall her child prodigy:

“Bill started playing the piano before he was 5,” she said. “He could play anything he heard, so Dad and I had to give him music lessons. And here he is.”

At that, Hall blushed to the top of his ever-widening good-looking bald spot.

Among those attending were James Doti, Chapman University president; Steve Ostrin, event chairman; Robert Guyett, chorale board president, and his wife, Diane; Philip Winsor, chorale board chairman; George and Donna Schulz; Rams Coach Chuck Knox; Hall’s daughter Erin; Earl Fields, Paul Pew, Sandy McDaniel and Tak Ishida.