Ann was born at home on Ferguson Avenue in Burlington, Vt., to Walter and Beatrice (Bevins) Hazen.
She discovered her passion in life at an early age: music, and specifically the repertoire of sacred music. At age 6, she began taking piano lessons from Miss White at the Champlain School on Pine Street. Seeing an exceptional talent in the making, Miss White sent her to the very disciplined teacher, Mrs. Thurston of Burlington. Her mother bartered for lessons with baked goods such as bread, cinnamon rolls and cookies. Ann studied with Thurston through high school and graduated from the original Burlington High School located on South Union Street.
At age 11, Mrs. Thurston decided Ann should work on Mozart’s A Major Concerto for Two Pianos (No. 23-488). Besides being good practice, Mrs. Thurston secretly devised the goal for Ann to audition with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. Although not a fan of Mozart, by age 12 Ann had memorized all 47 pages of the work. Mrs. Thurston planned the audition with Alan Carter, the orchestra’s conductor, but it was 1941, and before the audition could happen, the orchestra disbanded as members were called into service.
Ann did audition for the University of Vermont’s music faculty, and Mrs. Thurston also set up an audition with Richard Stoehr, a composer who taught German and piano at Saint Michael’s College. In Ann’s words, “He appeared to me to be a gruff, stern, bearded man, and once again I was very nervous! We went through some of the concerto, with him on the second piano. He advised Mrs. Thurston to apply to the VSO when they returned. That was not to be, as it never took place.”
Ann grew up attending the First Baptist Church in Burlington, where she sang in the choir with her father, Walter. When she was 15, she took two years of organ lessons from Miss Marston, who was the organist at UVM’s Ira Allen Chapel. Her lessons were on the organs there and at the First Baptist Church. In Ann’s words, “In the meantime, I accompanied our High School Chorus’ rehearsals throughout my last two years, which was a tremendous experience for me in sight-reading, and overcoming my fears. Also piano-dueted with Mrs. Thurston at Memorial Auditorium for All-State-Chorus (junior and senior years, ’46 and ’47)… played flute throughout H.S. with our marching band and concerts.”
For three summers while Ann was in high school, she went to Hampton Beach with her sister Alice to waitress. During that time, they met the celebrated singer Royal Dadmun of Boston. At the end of the third year, he asked Ann to return to Boston with him to be his accompanist.
Ann met Wilmer (Wil or Bill) Hall her last year of high school. They were married in 1948 and over the next 15 years had six children: David, Karen, Gary, Bruce, Susan and Nanci. The young family first lived in an apartment house on the corner of Bank and Pine in Burlington. After moving to their first house on Proctor Avenue in South Burlington in 1953, Ann became the choir director at the First Baptist Church at age 25. In 1960 they built their “Lake House” on Hill’s Point Road in Charlotte, and she became choir director at the Charlotte Congregational Church, leading many musical celebrations and cantatas there.
In 1965 Ann accepted the position of director of music at the First Baptist Church (FBC) in Burlington, a position she held for some 30 years. Chancel choir director, handbell choir director and director for many special music cantatas during the holidays were but some of the roles she took on. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and she inspired many a lay person to stand up and sing their heart out. As a singer facing the congregation, one would see her in her swooping robe with hands in motion and face lit up during moving passages as she mimicked the words. She was all about quick nods and smiles as part of her direction.
In the early ’70s, Ann began working on a series of youth group folk musicals which were composed of youth groups from the Charlotte Congregational Church and FBC. For several years, up to 80 singers and helpers put on a major musical and took it on tour throughout Vermont and nearby states. They even wrote and recorded their own musical, titled “Acts Alive,” with pastor David Heim at the helm. In Ann’s words, “I had many volunteers, covering all aspects of the events — no one knows! Such great memories I have of this time in my life!”
The Charlotte “Lake House” was a great place for Ann and her family. There were many bridge parties, church gatherings for the choirs, musical birthday parties and family reunions. Activities at the lake included swimming, boating, water skiing, sailing, fishing and ice skating, just to name a few. The beautiful sunsets off the water were a constant inspiration for Ann. She had a small library of music and would spend late hours sorting out which piece to insert into a particular service to enhance the message and sermon of the day. She had perfect pitch and could change keys on the fly. Her sight-reading abilities were legendary — she could launch into a piece she had never heard before with technical prowess and feeling. Dawn Willis, director of the choral groups Solaris and Bella Voce, called her “Saint Ann” because she could step in and play at the last minute. One of Ann’s favorite pieces was Claire de Lune by Debussy; listen to this and you will get a sense of the feeling she put into all her playing.
Ann was predeceased by her husband, Wilmer (Bill) Hall, in 2009. She was also predeceased by her two sisters, Alice Willson and Kay Towne; brother Robert Hazen; as well as in-laws, Betty and Guy Hooper, Robert and Fran Hall, Bev and Babe Post, and Hank Willson and Randy Towne. She was the last of her generation in our family.
Ann leaves her children, David and wife Diana Hall, Karen Hall, Gary Hall, Bruce and wife Francine Hall, Susan Lambert, and Nanci and husband Jim Martin; and grandchildren, Megan Pelchat, Tyler Hall, Matthew Hall, Erin Galinus and husband Justin, Jordan Clayton and wife Abby, Zach Clayton and wife Stephanie, Keenan Clayton-Hall, Jennie Descoteau and husband Matt, and Benjamin Lambert and wife Katie. She also leaves her great-grandchildren, Ellie Descoteau; Harris, Rocko and Avonlea Clayton; Theo and Willa Clayton; Logan and Riley Pelchat; and Wynne, John and Beau Galinus; as well as many nieces and nephews.
Special thanks to Dr. Hannah Rabin of Richmond Family Medicine, the BAYADA Home Healthcare Team and health aide Joanne, for the care and support for Ann and the entire family.
Donations should be sent to First Baptist Church, 81 St. Paul St., Burlington, VT 05401.
A memorial service will be held on July 26, 2025, 11 a.m., at the First Baptist Church. A reception will be held downstairs following the service.
This article appears in Jul 2-8, 2025.