MUSIC STAFF

David S. Kunkel, Music Director

David studied piano from age five thru high school. His piano teacher told him he would not make it as a concert pianist and that he should switch to organ since he had such long legs, arms, and fingers. Trouble was, there was no organ within reach so he stuck with piano out of necessity. After graduation David joined the Navy and his first duty station was as a piano player for thirteen months in frigid Iceland. For the rest of his twenty-two years in the service he was the Navy Chapel Organist. In 1981 David joined the staff of First Presbyterian Church in February as the organist. In 1987 he took on the additional role of Choirmaster and in 1991 became the Music Director. In addition to his work at First Presbyterian he is also the Music Director and Conductor of "Symphonicity", the Symphony Orchestra of Virginia Beach.

Belinda Valet, Director of Handbell & Children's Choirs

Belinda has served at several churches as and organist and choir director since 1972 and has been directing handbells since 1989. In 1996 she became Director of Handbells at First Presbyterian Church and Director of Children’s Choirs in1999. Belinda is a member of The American Guild of English Handbell Ringers and has attended numerous AGEHR conferences to master handbells. In 2004, she received a certificate of Church Music from Virginia Wesleyan College. She is married and has two wonderful children.

 

Henry Faivre, Organist

Henry Faivre has returned to First Presbyterian Church of Virginia Beach after a seven-year tenure as Associate Organist at Christ & St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Norfolk. He earned degrees from Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music (now Shenandoah University), and from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. At Shenandoah, Faivre studied organ with Dr. Steven Cooksey, and continues study with Dr. James Kosnik of Old Dominion University. Henry served as organist for the choir of Christ & St. Luke’s during its tour of Scotland and England in 2002, and for its summer choral residency at Worcester Cathedral in 2006. He can be heard on the CDs "Faith to Sing Always" and "Ave Rex" on the Pro Organo label. In 2005, Faivre accompanied the CSL choir in a Sunday morning Eucharist at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in New York City. In July 2007, Faivre served as organist and accompanist for the inaugural Three Choirs Festival in Norfolk which included the choirs of Christ & St. Luke’s, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of Norfolk, and Trinity Episcopal Church of Portsmouth under the direction of Michael McCarthy of the National Cathedral. As organist for the Center for Sacred Music of Virginia Wesleyan College, he has performed concerts under Weston Noble (Luther College), Donald Neuen (UCLA and Crystal Cathedral), Anton Armstrong (St. Olaf College), Judith Clurman (The Julliard School, Judith Clurman Chorale, and the New York Concert Singers), and Craig Jessop (The Mormon Tabernacle Choir). In addition to his work at First Presbyterian, Henry is a Registered Piano Technician, with Old Dominion University, Virginia Wesleyan College, Norfolk State University, and the Sandler Center among his corporate clients. Faivre shares a home in Chesapeake with his wife Connie, and their three children – Noel, BooBoo, and April.

info@firstpresvb.org