Mental images of Dad and family sitting proudly in the stands while I sang on the field with the chorus for halftime bring me joy.
By Norma Adams-Wade
Don’t tell anyone, but I’m not a big sports fan. My entire family, however, is a die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan.
So they sat in front of the TV, cheering and flinching as the Cowboys defeated the Giants 28-20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Thanksgiving Day.
I’m one of those slackers who leans forward at halftime. As the Jonas Brothers performed this year, I was reminded of a pre-game article I read by WFAA-TV digital journalist Paul Livengood. He examined more than two decades of Cowboy halftime entertainment to see if the performances had any effect on whether Dallas won or lost.
That’s when I remembered the late Dr. Lloyd Pfautsch and the Dallas Civic Chorus, with whom I sang for several years during the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving halftime show.
Huh? Not Beyoncé or Justin Bieber, but the Civic Chorus?
Yes. Dr. Pfautsch was a well-known, well-liked, and well-published composer, arranger, choral director, vocalist, author, ordained Church of Christ minister, and professor at six universities, the longest of which was at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. During his 34-year tenure, he held the positions of Professor of Sacred Music, Director of Choral Music Emeritus, Meadows School of the Arts’ first associate dean, and director of various campus choral groups. Dr. Pfautsch died in 2003 in Dallas at the age of 82. Meadows of SMU bestows the Lloyd Pfautsch Award in his honor.
Kenneth W. Hart, a fellow SMU sacred music conductor and friend, chronicled Dr. Pfautsch’s life and works in the 2014 book A Day for Dancing: The Life and Music of Lloyd Pfautsch. According to the author, his friend was “one of the most influential American choral musicians of the twentieth century.” Dr. Pfautsch’s works are housed in the libraries of SMU and the University of North Texas.
So how did this learned man, who was such a genuine and likeable creature, end up in the unlikely, but enjoyable, position of directing a chorus during a football halftime? And how did I end up singing with his chorus for years and enjoying the heady experience of being part of the Thanksgiving Day halftime with my family in the stands? Allow me to continue the story.
The native of Washington, Missouri, founded and directed the Dallas Civic Chorus for 25 years. Dr. Pfautsch started directing the Civic Chorus as the halftime show for the first Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game in 1966, which later became a tradition.
Journalist Livengood reported that, in addition to the Jonas Brothers, future halftime performers would include Kelly Clarkson, Keith Urban, Destiny’s Child, Randy Travis, and Selena Gomez. Some of you may recall those early halftime shows, before big-name celebrities added glamour and increased TV ratings. According to Livengood, country singer Reba McEntire was the Cowboys’ first Thanksgiving halftime performer in 1997.
Much of what I remember about Civic Chorus halftimes has faded with the passage of time. I believe there were other performers who filled the game break before or after we sang, but my memory is failing me. I got involved because as a longtime choir soloist at school and church, I saw the chorus as a perfect opportunity to keep the chops oiled and do something that I truly enjoyed. My membership year has also faded from memory. Chorus documents, somewhere in my many pack-rat storage boxes, will most likely show that I joined in the 1960s or 1970s.
What I do remember vividly is my late father, Frank M. Adams – a mail carrier, youth sandlot baseball umpire and coach, and ardent Cowboys fan – sitting proudly with the family in the stands, where only the free tickets provided to me allowed that costly privilege.
I was encouraged when I came across references to the Dallas Civic Chorus from Bill Melton, a Dallas native who chose to stay in his hometown like myself. Melton has previously served as Dallas County treasurer, Oak Cliff Chamber assistant general manager and president, Wynnewood Shopping Center general manager, and Dallas County Commissioners Count executive assistant.
Melton’s accomplishments as a veteran game announcer for the Cowboys, Texas Rangers, and various college games were highlighted in the Oak Cliff Advocate. He made his announcements at prestigious events such as President George W. Bush’s Inaugural Parade and Ceremonies in 2005, the 1994 World Cup, the 1996 Olympic Games, three Super Bowls, the State Fair Classic Games, and Republican National Conventions. He is a former University of Texas at Austin cheerleader and a long-time member of the Oak Cliff Lions Club, where he has a Humanitarian Award named after him. When Dr. Pfautsch died in 2003, Melton wrote a brief tribute that should be remembered by those who admired the music legend who wrote and directed classics as well as entertained football fans.
“He annually directed the Thanksgiving Halftime Show at Dallas Cowboys games as director of the Dallas Civic Chorus,” Melton wrote. “He was a gifted individual who will be missed by his many communities.”