Church of Scotland Minister a Friend and Mentor to Local Musician

Eric Wall was in college when he first encountered Scottish hymn-writer and composer John L. Bell. It was not until later, however, as a teacher at The Asheville School in search of songs and music that would be meaningful to teenagers of diverse religious backgrounds – or none at all – that he picked up one of Bell’s books, Love from Below. From the book’s introduction, Bell says, “For the past century religious music has relied so much on organ or piano or guitar that the beauty and potential of the human voice has been forgotten and the joy of singing in harmony has become, in many places a long lost experience. We want to encourage people to redeem that loss. It can be done. All it needs is the willingness to learn…”


Love from Below soon became a trusted teaching tool for Wall, and when, as coordinator for the 2005 Worship and Music Conference at Montreat Conference Center, he needed a preacher, he turned immediately to Bell. “Anybody who can write like this,” Wall stated, “must be able to preach beautifully.”

John Bell’s visit to Montreat in 2005 was the start of a deepening friendship between Wall, who by then was the Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church in Asheville, NC, and the dynamic Church of Scotland minister. Following the conference, during a conversation over coffee, Wall mentioned an upcoming sabbatical, and Bell immediately invited him to spend the entire two months in Glasgow, Scotland. “He invited me to stay in his flat, observing and assisting with different worship and workshop-type events sponsored by Wild Goose.” Bell is based in Glasgow, where he works with the Wild Goose Resource Group, part of the Iona Community of which he is a member.

“John is a master at teaching,” said Wall. “His way of leading and what he writes are theologically deep and rich, so imaginative. The language of his songs is modern, precise, poetic – just right on.” Pausing to consider for a moment, Wall added with a grin, “It just zings!”

The two musicians have stayed in touch since Wall’s visit in the fall of 2006, and they are looking forward to reconnecting in Montreat again this October as leaders, along with the Rev. Dr. Byron Wade, for “Continuing Education for Commissioned Lay Pastors and Lay Preachers” (October 4-7). Bell has then agreed to stay an extra day (October 8) to conduct a day-long seminar for musicians, teachers, pastors, choir directors, choir members, and anyone in search of music for worship that is fresh, lively, and theologically rich.

“Everything John Bell writes has a wholeness musically, theologically, biblically, and pastorally,” explained Wall, who was also quick to add that Bell’s music is not the romanticized Celtic one might expect. “It can be challenging and even uncomfortable. For me,” he continued on a more personal note, “his reminder that music can take different forms opened up possibilities that didn’t replace traditional church music, but invited experimentation with new ideas alongside it. His teaching style gave permission to the organist to get up off the bench now and then.”

Eric Wall, who has been Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church in Asheville since 1998, is also the newly appointed Conference Center Musician at Montreat, a national conference center serving the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).