A voice that could ring and echo praising God in a church choir has been stilled.
Daniel Moshi, 17, of Franklin Park, Illinois, died suddenly during a choir event at nearby Naperville North High School on Friday, according to WMAQ-TV in Chicago.
The DuPage County coroner’s office said it was investigating Moshi’s death. Naperville fire officials said they went to the school at 6:18 p.m. after receiving a report of an unconscious 17-year-old, the station reported.
Moshi had been among 48 students from the state elected for the Honors Show Choir of the Illinois chapter of the American Choral Directors Association, chapter President Laura Coster said, according to the Daily Herald, a suburban Chicago newspaper.
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Moshi had been seated during a rehearsal when he collapsed, Coster told the newspaper. Two teachers and another person performed CPR in vain, she said.
Moshi was later taken to nearby Edwards Medical Center, where he died. No cause of death has been released.
According to a post on the Facebook page of St. Andrew’s Assyrian Church of Glenview, Illinois, Moshi had been lead singer for the alto section of its choir.
“For a community of believers to lose a faithful member is difficult and a test of faith; for believing parents to lose a faithful child is beyond comprehension and stretches our limited senses of understanding,” the post stated.
“Daniel may not be with us on earth any more and no ‘word’ can totally ease the pain of the loss, but the loss of Daniel on earth is assured to us to be singing to the ‘Word’ in Paradise.”
The church posted two Bible verses as well: “Luke 23:43: Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise’ and John 1:1 ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’”
Others also noted how his voice will be missed.
“[H]e was a choir member and singing to Lord he will be missed from all who have chance to know him he was humble, active and loved by all,” relative Sarhadoon Ibrahim posted on Facebook
“Last night we lost one of the best members of our church’s youth Daniel Moshi,” church member Hani Khiziran posted on Facebook.
“It’s very hard losing such a smart educated polite young person. Daniel had an angelic voice and I enjoyed every time hearing him while he was performing at St. Andrew’s Church.”
Khiziran added that “heaven gained an angel today. You will be missed dearly. My deepest condolences to his parents Carolyn & Loden Moshi. Keep singing with angels Dany! Rest in heaven.”
Moshi was a student at Leyden High School in Franklin Park, according to WMAQ.
“This loss impacts our entire Leyden community,” a representative of the school said, according to station. “Our students and staff are grieving and our focus is on their well-being. We encourage anyone who is struggling to reach out to a trusted adult and our Student Services department is available to provide support. We are also asking everyone to look after each other during this difficult time.”
