A Tribute From My Good Friend Alan Salmela
A little over a year ago, a good friend of mine was going through a difficult time. The result was that he had both of his legs amputated below the knee and replaced with artificial legs. As I watched him navigate this process, his approach was beyond belief, and touched me in ways I can’t even describe. I saw no complaining, no feeling sorry for himself. Just moving forward. What an inspiration!
During this time, I discovered a beautiful arrangement of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from the Broadway musical Carousel written in 1945 by Rogers and Hammerstein. When I heard the song, I knew immediately that I wanted to sing it to my friend, who also happens to be in our chorus. When he became aware I was putting together a group to sing the song, he asked to join…it’s a favorite song of his. I agreed, but never shared with him the reason I wanted to sing it.
Today (tonight), I wish to dedicate this song sung by the YNWA Chorale, as a message to our friend, our inspiration, Mr. Peter Kwong.
Peter, we want you to know, “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”