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Del Delker

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Ardella V. Delker (October 21, 1924 – January 31, 2018) was an American contralto sacred music female vocalist who sang on the Voice of Prophecy radio ministry beginning in 1947.

Biography

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Delker was born in Java, South Dakota, in 1924. She started singing informally at a young age, such as an incident when she was three years old, when she became separated from her parents and started singing in front of the local bank; people passing by offered her money for her performance. When she was seven, her mother, by now separated from her father, moved to California with Del and her brother. Her mother was a Seventh-day Adventist, and sent Del to an Adventist school for grades 5 through 8, but Del was not interested in the church, preferring to sing popular music, and volunteering to sing to the armed forces.[1][2][3]

After attending a series of meetings held by The Quiet Hour in March 1947, she joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and immediately began singing for The Quiet Hour. That summer she was invited to join the Voice of Prophecy, as a secretary and a singer for their radio broadcasts. She said no three times, because she had no formal musical training and could not read music; and also because she intended to attend college that fall. However, the fourth time she was asked, she accepted.[1][2][3][4][5]

In 1951, she was recorded for the first time, on a record that featured the King's Heralds male quartet. At the Voice of Prophecy she also had the opportunity to work with famous Seventh-day Adventist composer Wayne Hooper, who wrote many arrangements for her. In 1953, she finally made it to college, at first attending Emmanuel Missionary College, and later transferring to La Sierra College in order to continue singing with the Voice of Prophecy. She graduated in 1958 with a degree in religion with an emphasis in counselling.[1][2][3][5]

Delker recorded over forty albums for Chapel Records since the early 1950s. Among the songs she is best known for are "The Love of God", "Ten Thousand Angels", and "The Night Watch". In addition to her scores of recordings in English, she has also recorded several gospel albums in Spanish and Portuguese, recording songs in 15 languages in total, as well as religious music for children.[1][2][5][6]

Delker toured the world with Voice of Prophecy revivals and performed in many nations, often singing Christian hymns in the native languages. She sang frequently with the King's Heralds, and at meetings led by H.M.S. Richards. She also sang frequently for the Voice of Prophecy radio broadcasts. Due to her involvement with Adventist radio and television ministries, Del Delker became one of the most well-known musicians with the Seventh-day Adventist church. After the Voice of Prophecy music department was disbanded in 1982, she continued to sing for their broadcasts, and also sang for the Faith for Today television broadcast. She officially retired in 1990, but continued to sing and record albums in her retirement.[1][2][7]

She was a good friend of composer Hugh Martin who she collaborated with in the 1980s and the 1990s, and who served as her accompanist, and he later penned a new version of his Christmas song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" entitled "Have Yourself A Blessed Little Christmas", which Delker recorded in 1999. In 2002, she released her autobiography, Del Delker: Her Story, co-written by Ken Wade and published by Pacific Press.[1][2][3][8]

Delker's last performance was in 2007, at the age of 82, for the funeral of her long-time collaborator Wayne Hooper. She died on January 31, 2018, in Porterville, California. Upon her death, Ted Wilson, President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, released the following statement: "When we get to heaven, we will meet many people who were not only blessed by Del's voice but were influenced by her Christ-centered singing to make a decision to follow Jesus."[1][9]

Selected discography

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Del Delker released music almost exclusively through Chapel Records, the official music label of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.[5][6][10]

Year Album Chapel Records Catalog No.
c. 1951 Del Delker
c. 1952 Del Delker Sings LP 603
c. 1953 The La Sierra University Album
c. 1954 Del Delker and Bob Seamount
c. 1954 Del Delker and the King's Heralds
c. 1955 Del Delker Sings in The Temple Trio
c. 1956 It Took a Miracle
c. 1960 God Understands
c. 1961 Day By Day LP 5011
c. 1962 Our Prayer
c. 1963 The Love of God LP 5043
c. 1963 The Lord's Prayer LP 5065
c. 1964 It Took a Miracle (different album than 1956)
c. 1965 Ten Thousand Angels LP 5093
c. 1966 What Will it Be to See Jesus LP 5104
c. 1967 My God is a Real God LP 5118
c. 1968 Joyful LP 5125
c. 1969 The Night Watch LP 5145
c. 1969 Del Delker Sings the Good Old Songs S 5168
c. 1970 He Touched Me S5184
c. 1970 He Touched Me (Spanish-language version of album)
c. 1972 Migrating Birds S 5201
c. 1974 Hallelujah, Home at Last! S 5243
c. 1975 Never Give Up! S 5266
1976 Come on Down S 5291
1977 Quiet Time with Del S 5313
1979 Reflections S 5356
1980 Being Me (Songs for Children)[11] C 7014
c. 1980 All About Love
c. 1981 Songs for Happy Children S 7007
c. 1981 On His Mind
c. 1983 Worship Time: Hymns and Classics
c. 1985 Most Requested Songs
c. 1990 His Love
1993 Heaven on My Mind[12]
c. 1995 Forever Grateful
c. 1997 40th Anniversary Album
c. 1999 There's No One Quite Like You
2001 Have Yourself A Blessed Christmas

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Shultz, Dan (2012). "Ardella V. Delker, 1924-". International Adventist Musicians Association. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Kovacs, Debbonnaire (29 October 2015). "Del Delker - Ninety-One Years of Song (so far!)". Adventist Today. Adventist Today Foundation. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d Chavez, Stephen (16 April 2009). "I Know He Watches Me". Adventist Review. Review and Herald Publishing Association. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  4. ^ Land, Gary (2009). The A to Z of the Seventh-Day Adventists. Scarecrow Press. p. 80. ISBN 9780810863422.
  5. ^ a b c d "Author: Del Delker". Adventist Book Center. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Del Delker". Morning Song eStore. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  7. ^ Schwarz, Richard W.; Greenleaf, Floyd (1979). "Chapter 33: Evangelism and Global Mission". Light Bearers: A History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (Revised ed.). Nampa, Idaho: Pacific Press. p. 568. ISBN 0-8163-1795-X.
  8. ^ Delker, Del; Wade, Kenneth R. (2002). Amazon: Del Delker: Her Story. Pacific Press. ISBN 0816319510.
  9. ^ Stotz, Michele (February 2018). "Voice of Prophecy Soloist Del Delker Passes To Her Rest". Adventist Review. Review and Herald Publishing Association. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  10. ^ "Discogs: Del Delker". Discogs. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  11. ^ Shultz, Dan (29 January 2020). "Delker, Ardella Vernell (Del) (1924–2018)". ESDA Encyclopedia of Seventh-Day Adventists. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  12. ^ "Heaven on My Mind - Del Delker - Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
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