Robert (Bob) Delmar Walters:
Arranger

Robert (Bob) Delmar Walters (Deceased) January 7, 1937 Bethlehem, PA to May 7, 2014 VA.

Mr. Walters, as part of Phase I, wrote arrangements for a number of the hymns and songs, ranging from intimate to rather expansive orchestral accompaniments. All credits cited for Brass, Flute, and Strings on this recording were arranged and conducted by Mr. Walters.

After high school, Mr. Walters left home to attend college in Chicago with the intention to become an Engineer. Like a number of previous musical personalities who started college training for various professions (often for law or medicine), he instead graduated with honors in 1958 with a degree in Christian Education, with an emphasis on music from The Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.  He then went on to Wheaton College, Illinois, where he earned a Bachelor of Music as a member of the Class of 1960. 

After graduation from Wheaton College, Mr. Walters joined the Air Force. He was stationed at what was then called Bolling Air Force Base, Washington D.C., where he was assigned to be the Chaplin's assistant. (As of 2010 it became known as Joint Base Anacostia–Bolling.) He very quickly met some members of the Air Force Band (which is stationed at that base) at church/Chapel.  They suggested he try out for the Singing Sergeants, the choral group that sings with the Air Force Band, to which he was accepted.

Mr. Walters eventually became an orchestrator for the Air Force Band, and the Air Force White House music groups (Singing Sergeants and Strolling Strings.) After he retired from the Air Force, he applied his many talents to writing orchestral arrangements for publication to be used in church worship services. (Along with the growth in use of things like “Praise Bands,” some churches are also using orchestrated instrumentation as a creative part of their worship services.)

That is part of the trend away from using pipe organ as the "standard" church accompanying instrument.

With the Hope Publishing Company, Mr. Walters published two keyboard collections: Bob Walters Sacred Piano Solos (1983) Code No. 358; and Concert Piano Solos (1985) Code No. 381.

A 1976 publication of hymn orchestrations by Mr. Walters is: Hymns of Glorious Praise Orchestrations by Robert Walters & John Shows. It is available at https://www.amazon.com/Glorious-Praise-Orchestrations-Robert-Walters/dp/B000JEFI5O.  

Mr. Walters provided orchestrations and conducted for a number of albums produced in the Washington, DC area, including a number of the hymns on this album of Hymns and Songs of My Mother.

Mr. Walters’ help on this album is a further reflection of his beliefs expressed in Psalm 100:2 –

"Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing." 

His obituary gave honor to his musical arranging for a variety of callings, by saying:

“most likely to write an arrangement for a million harps.”

His obituary can be accessed at https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/washingtonpost/obituary.aspx?n=robert-d-walters&pid=173058078

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