Douglas Shambo II

Douglas C. Shambo II, composer, performer, conductor and director of sacred music, died suddenly of a heart attack July 22, 2024. His death, at age 67, leaves a bottomless hole in the hearts of many and in the world of music.
Douglas was the eldest of eight children raised by his mother, Lyda Shockley, in Watertown, N.Y. Even in high school, Douglas showed great promise, and teachers encouraged him to study music. He enrolled at Hartt School of Music in West Hartford, CT, where he was forced to choose between two majors: clarinet or vocal performance and composition. He chose the latter, and his list of accomplishments is long and varied. His solo performance credits included three seasons with the American Music/Theater Group and seven seasons with Ensemble for Early Music New York, appearing at major festivals in Europe, Asia and Australia. Locally, he appeared as a soloist with Ex Machina Baroque Opera, Concentus Musicus, VocalEssence, Twin Cities Youth Symphonies and with the combined choirs of St. Thomas and St. Catherine universities.  
Douglas composed commissioned works for many churches, synagogues and choral and school groups. While precentor and composer-in-residence at the Church of St. Louis, King of France, St. Paul, he composed more than 30 works for liturgy and concert. His anthem “The Shepherd” was premiered in London at Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral by the Choir of the Church of St. Michael and St. George, St. Louis, MO, and sung by the Choir of St. Clement's Episcopal Church, St. Paul, at Durham Cathedral. His hymn descants are published in the collection “The Crowning Glory: New Descants for Church Choirs” (Church Publishing).
Douglas was music director at St. Clement’s for 10 years, from 1998 to 2008, conducting the choir during its week in residence at Westminster Abbey in 2001 and at the 2003 General Convention of the Episcopal Church. He made two recordings with the choir: “I Love All Beauteous Things: Music from St. Clement’s” (2001) and “Hail, Redemption’s Happy Dawn: Music for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany” (2005).
Like many musicians, Douglas supplemented his income with a variety of jobs – everything from ticket manager at Carnegie Hall to quality control specialist for eFunds Corp., a job that landed him in India for a month. For the past 17 years, he worked at Children’s Hospitals in St. Paul and Minneapolis, most recently as a support specialist in the pathology department, where he is credited with designing and writing the department’s quality-control manual. Colleagues there remember him as “kind, stoic, knowledgeable and musical.” After grieving the death of his first wife, Debra Shambo (nee Mueller), Douglas opened his heart and mind to life’s next adventure. He met and married the Rev. Zoe Kuester, pastor at Spirit of Peace Church in Minnetonka and a former opera singer, dancer and director, and the two embraced not only one another but all that life had to offer. Their mind-heart meld took them on international travels, especially to Spain, where they reveled in the gardens of artist Juan Sorolla; vegan cannelloni with pumpkin, sage, hazelnut creme and black garlic; grandchildren, and a puppet show at the Parque de Arganzuela. Their short marriage was filled with laughter, dancing in the kitchen and deep, rich, satisfying conversation. 
Douglas, a true polymath, was known by all for his fearless and boundless intellect. He happily wrestled with the mysterious and unfathomable forces of the universe: “I'm interested in how to realize in musical terms such phenomena as the gravitational resonance among bodies orbiting around a common object or axis, a trip through a planetary system, or the musical equivalent of a journey through a wormhole,” he wrote on his web site. “Lest you think that all of this stuff is cold, calculating, and devoid of feeling, consider the inspiration that comes from gazing at the Milky Way on a dark, clear night. …”
He was deeply respectful of expressions of faith, and a spiritual explorer himself, describing himself as a “slightly unorthodox Judeo-Christian.” As loved ones, colleagues and fellow musicians grieve this unexpected and tragic loss, only one thing seems certain: that choirs of angels are singing Douglas to his rest.
Besides his wife Zoe and mother Lyda, Douglas is survived by two stepchildren and two step-grandchildren; siblings Dale J. of Watertown, David E. of Florida, Stephen E. of Watertown, Robert (Les) of Sackets Harbor, Kimberly Cone of Kentucky and Lyda A. of Sackets Harbor; and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by brother Daniel L. and Robert Shockley. 
A memorial service is planned for 10:30 a.m. Aug. 10, at Spirit of Peace Church in the Mills Church Building sanctuary, 13231 Minnetonka Drive, Minnetonka, MN 55305. A lunch will follow. Arrangements by Mueller Memorial Funeral and Cremation.
In the past few years, Douglas had become extremely distressed by the homelessness in our city. In his retirement, he was eager to volunteer his service to help address the problem. For that reason, if you would like to offer a memorial in Douglas’ name, we would suggest Beacon

Interfaith Housing Collaborative, https://www.beaconinterfaith.org/