Conductor mourns his husband, 41

Robert Moody, music director of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and of Arizona MusicFest, has posted the following eulogy:

James Robert Jones, 41, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday February 4, 2024, at his home in Memphis, TN. Jimmy and Robert Moody were deeply devoted spouses for nearly 18 years; now leaving a hole in Robert’s heart that cannot be filled. The same depth of loss exists for Jimmy’s father Robert Alford Jones, sister Susie Isenhour (husband Chris), Nephew Brandon Isenhour and great nephew Cason Isenhour (mother Mindy). Jimmy fiercely loved his mother, Judy Rose Jones, who preceded him in death. Jimmy is also mourned by numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins in a family deeply devoted to each other.

Born on December 23, 1982, Jimmy said it could be a little frustrating having his birthday so close to Christmas, so sometimes we held “half-birthday” parties for him in June. Growing up in North Carolina farm country, he quickly mastered four-wheeling, fishing, deer hunting, clay pigeon shooting, and many more outdoor endeavors. He loved and participated in all those activities through his entire life.
Jimmy’s immense gift for music – specifically playing organ and piano – was evident from an extremely young age. He held his first job playing organ for a church at age 11. By age 15 he was organist for Divine Street Methodist Church in Dunn, NC. Once he began his Bachelor’s Degree in Organ Performance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, he accepted a new job, as organist and choirmaster for Westminster Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, NC. He continued in that role for ten years, while also completing his Master’s Degree in Choral Conducting from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. The Senior Pastor at West. Pres once noted the immense growth of both choir membership and traditional service attendance by saying, “the only thing I did to accomplish this was to hire Jimmy Jones.”

In 2010 Jimmy became Director of Music and Organist for Myers Park United Methodist Church in Charlotte, NC. Under Jimmy’s decade of leadership, the music program at MPUMC became one of the most lauded and successful programs in the nation. Nearly 20 new works for chorus, brass, handbells, and other ensembles were commissioned and premiered, from major national/international composers such as Stephen Paulus, Dan Forrest, and Craig Hella-Johnson. The Chancel and Chamber Choirs went on three European tours, released two albums on compact disc, performed at Riverside Church in New York City and multiple times at Duke Chapel on the campus of Duke University. He saw the chancel choir grow to over 90 singers, raised the Walter Ball Music Endowment exponentially, and very proudly led the charge for a new pipe organ in the Myers Park Chapel.

Jimmy single-handedly created two legacy concert events from scratch for the church, which live and thrive to this day: The “Phantom of the Organ” Halloween concert for children and families, and the annual Christmas Concert. Those concerts, for full orchestra, combined MPUMC adult and children’s choirs, handbell choir and soloists, were held in double performances at Charlotte First Presbyterian Church to accommodate the mammoth crowds. These are just a few of the many musical/spiritual experiences he created, a true and lasting legacy of his own.

Jimmy and Robert relocated to Memphis, TN in 2021. Jimmy spent the last few years being of indispensable help to several great churches in the Memphis area, especially First Baptist Memphis. Jimmy also increased his number of performances with Memphis Symphony Orchestra, playing great organ concertos and other major works. He was a featured soloist with multiple top US orchestras, performer and recitalist on some of North America and Europe’s greatest pipe organs, and even made his debut with the Cape Town Philharmonic, South Africa, in 2022.

He also had a glorious tenor voice which could be heard singing everything from Handel arias, to “You Raise Me Up” of Josh Groban, to going for the very highest note in rousing group renditions of “Happy Birthday!”

A highlight of Jimmy’s life for the past decade was traveling each spring with a group of prominent organists, organ restoration experts and curators, who took a ten-day “rock star” bus trip, touring the great pipe organs of America. He was very proud of his status as a member of “The Organ Boys.”

Priceless memories were made on Jimmy and Robert’s boat at Lake Norman, NC, at the home they loved so much in Seven Lakes, NC, playing Rook with Jimmy’s father, aunt and uncle, and dominoes or cornhole with Robert’s mother. And no one loved their pets more than Jimmy! He is with our lab Bella and cat Cole now. Labs Presley and Ella are still here comforting Robert.

Jimmy changed lives through music, through his immense heart for God, and for the people in his musical care. He saw his role as church musician not as a job, but 100% as ministry and calling. As one of his choir members wrote this week: “Jimmy taught us to seek out the “thin places,” those moments where the veil between this world and the next is nearly imperceptible, and we found it, again and again.”
Jimmy was a most devoted spouse, son, brother, uncle and great uncle, cousin, and friend to countless people in both the United States and abroad. The outpouring of love and support from so many folks at this unexpected and shocking moment is what sustains those of us who are so proud to call him family.

The world’s loss is Heaven’s great gain. We imagine by now he has found a piano and is playing “Surely the Prescence of the Lord is in the Place” for his fellow great cloud of witnesses.