The clip is a touching tribute by the Saltillo High School band in memory of Shelby Brown, daughter of band director Susan Brown, during the Saltillo Christmas parade Dec. 11. Shelby, 12, died that morning from injuries suffered while riding her horse two days earlier.
The 103-member band performs “You’ll Never Walk Alone” – the Rodgers and Hammerstein tune from “Carousel.” Leading the performance is Tim Ferguson, assistant band director. Kayla Parker, a Saltillo senior and drum major, said the song is special to the band, and the bandmembers wanted to perform it in the parade to remember Shelby and to show their support to the Brown family.
Jared Burleson, a Saltillo High School senior, filmed the performance and posted the clip on YouTube. I want to thank Jared for making the clip available for us to post on the Neighbors blog and djournal.com
Lyrics to “You’ll Never Walk Alone”:
When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm
Is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of the lark
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on walk on with hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone
When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm
Is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of the lark
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on walk on with hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk
You’ll never walk
You’ll never walk alone.
Bobby Pepper
December 19, 2007 at 5:16 am
Nicely done Bobby and Jared. Moving performance.
December 20, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Saltillo HS Band has always been in my heart since my wife, Nellie and Vicki Gault Farmer moved to Saltillo in 1963, when it was laid on my heart by our LORD and SAVIOR as a mission from HIM to start a high school band with help for the principal Travis Cartwright, Supt. of Education, and many many fine parents involved with Saltillo School, including the Elementary. So you can see, and I can say that Saltillo HS Band has always been ready to meet any challenge given them since the very beginning of this gift from GOD. I am glad I accepted the mission, am greatly pleased that my successors carried this MISSION forward. I will be successful in the future!
In closing, I personally want thank the SHS Band for honoring Shelby, Mrs. Susan Brown, Mr. Brown, and the rest of her family including the fine parents, educators, and the Saltillo School, as a great honor to you all. For it was definitely the right and honorable thing do. The performance was very moving and appropriate for Evan Gault, my granddaughter Grace Gault (a horseriding friend),and my wife, Nellie and me.
May GOD bless,and heal all the family and friends.
Friends in Christ,
Jimmy and Nellie Gault
December 22, 2007 at 2:52 pm
I am a member of the SHS band, and when I saw this video, I cried. That night was, in my mind, one of the most moving and emotional nights for the band. I am a new member of the band, being a freshman and all, but this has effected each and everyone of us greatly. When a tragedy such as this hits us, we have to be there, not just for each other, but for our fearless leaders. Why? Because, as Mr. Ferguson and Mrs. Brown say, we are a famiy. Our family is strong, and we will get through this, not alone, but together, because we have learned that we will never walk alone…
December 22, 2007 at 6:51 pm
It was indeed an honor to be with the band that night. It has been tough on all band members from grades 6-12. The students of the band really stepped up, like I knew that they could, and played probably their best performance in my 7 years with the band. Thank you Bobby for the wonderful article and thank you Jared for the wonderful video. We will indeed never walk alone!
December 26, 2007 at 7:30 am
Thank you for your comments. It was a very moving performance by the band. I had a hard time holding back my tears while taking photos of their performance.
December 28, 2007 at 7:14 pm
hi im grace gault I am one of shelby’s friends and very close to there family. I rode with her family in may on there horses and I miss her very much. I saw her family about a week ago and I think they are doing GREAT.
February 17, 2008 at 9:34 pm
I MISS U SHELBY I cry everyday when I see her pictures in MISS. BROWN’S OFFICE
WE MISS U SHELBY
October 8, 2008 at 10:32 am
I did not know Shelby Brown, but i know that everytime we play “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, it touches me to see my friends and how muh they care.
October 17, 2008 at 7:35 am
I am a member of the Saltillo band, seeing the way everyone reacted during december really opened my eyes.. i realized the emotional bonds we have.. that we are truly a family.. it still brings tears to my eyes when i think of that night we played “you’ll never walk alone.” It was indeed one of the most emotional preformances in my 5 years of playing.. and i will never forget it.