Recently, I was going through some of my old music files on my computer and came upon a number of songs that were recorded in 1971-72 by the Wagner High School chorus and Small Group. While I had always known they were there, I had not listened to them in years, probably decades. It brought back a lot of memories. (Links to some of the songs are below)
Now, if any have any doubts about about the power of music on people, I want you to know that as I listened to these songs, I could remember about 80% of my parts including the cut-offs at the end of a line even after 46 years! They just came out as I sang along. (Okay, it is a 45 minute commute alone in my car to work each day, so I can crank it up and sing along if I feel like it!)
Chorus
I have already talked a little about chorus in my previous blog. My senior year the chorus had grown by about 10 people. More importantly we doubled the number of male voices. We now had greater choices for music to be learned. Miss Bischke brought back some challenges during her summer vacation back in the states. (Since I am reliving 1972, I am going to use names as they there were back then. See the "Where Are They Now" section at the end of this blog for updates on names.) |
| 1971-72 Chorus (Yearbook photo) Obviously some of the men didn't get the memo about wearing concert dress |
Small Group
Chorus was great, but the most fun I had was in Small Group. It was voluntary, after school. ( I think we met on Tuesday evenings.) The people in Small Group were there because they wanted to be there and we had a blast. There was some turnover during the year. I think Sheryl Hatfield ('73) was in it until Christmas then dropped out of the group. Bob Levoy was also no longer with the group at the Spring Concert. Allen Septon ('74) came on board in the spring of 1972. Sallie Short ('72) was our accompanist.
I am not sure how we rehearsed in the spring when the school was putting on the musical "Oklahoma!" Ken had the part of Curly, Pam M was Aunt Eller, I was Old Man Carnes, Mike was Ike Skidmore, Jim was Will Parker, and Pam G did one of the best Ado Annie's I have seen. Most of the others in the group were in the chorus. Maybe we just lived at the school.
Riu Riu Chiu
"[With a cry of] Ríu, ríu, chíu, the kingfisher, God kept the wolf from our Lamb."
"The raging wolf sought to bite her,
But God Almighty knew to defend her;
He chose to make her so that she could not sin;
No original sin was found in that virgin."
"This one that is born is the Great King,
Christ the Patriarch clothed in flesh.
He redeemed us when He made himself small,
though He was Infinite He would make himself finite."
"I saw a thousand boys (angels) go singing,
Here making a thousand voices while flying,
Telling the shepherds of glory in the heavens,
And peace to the world since Jesus has been born"
Coventry Carol (Small Group) English melody (1591) arranged Edwin Russell Fissinger. ©1965. SATB*
One of my favorite arrangements - but the recording is one of the worst of the group. Not sure where it was recorded. We also sang "Here We Come a-Caroling" from this collection but I don't have a recording of it.
In the Merry Month of May Henry Youll (1603) Edited and adapted by Arnold Freed ©1969. SAB* English madrigal for three voices.
Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit arranged William L. Dawson ©1946. SATB*. Solo Ken Estep
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence A Gustav Holst arrangement with a tune dating back to the 17th century, and text going back to before 300 AD. ©1921 SATB*
Take deep breaths - Long phrases - no breaks at all on third verse.
Windmills of Your Mind (WHS Chorus women)
Michel Legrand and Marilyn and Alan Bergman.© 1968 SSA*
When Johnny Comes Marching Home Kent Newbury ©1970 SATB*. Jim Hall and I sing the opening verse. Valerie Sellers on flute
We've Only Just Begun Roger Nichols and Paul Williams (1970). Originally a two line song for a bank commercial that was expanded into a hit for the Carpenters.
Love Story Francis Lai and Carl Sigman ©1971. Theme from movie Love Story SATB*. Quartet: Jim Hall, Pam Groce, Pam Montgomery, Gary Turek Solo Gary Turek
This is my first and only recording I know of with me singing a solo in a formal concert. Except I think I had a short solo on Maria in West Side Story Medley below. Forgot about that.
Ain't a That Good News William L. Dawson ©1937 SATB*
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Small Group (Yearbook photo)
Front Row: Pam Groce ('73), Tim Culbreth ('72) , Pam Montgomery ('72), Gary Turek ('72), Mary Parton ('74), Mike Turek ('73)
Back row: Cindy Scriffin ('72), Jim Hall ('73) , Susan Dibartolo ('73), Ken Estep ('73) , Belinda Ellsworth ('74), Bob Levoy ('72), Shawn Houghton ('74)
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The Recordings
Here are some of the recordings I found. They were recorded at the two concerts held during the 1971-72 school year. The Christmas concert was held at 7:00 pm December 13, 1971 at Chapel #1 at Clark. The spring concert was at 1900, May 22, 1972, again at chapel #1. I don't recall when I transferred them from tape to mp3 files, probably around 1997. The songs were recorded on a reel-to-reel tape recorder sitting a pew at the base chapel, where our concerts were held. As a result there is some "environmental" sounds from people bumping the pew. Also, I used the cheap mics that came with the recorder so the sound is a little thin sounding and was not real friendly to those singing the higher notes. But it is what it is. Click on the song title to connect to the mp3 file for playback. I will put any thoughts about songs in italics when appropriate. All songs are Wagner High School Chorus from 1971-72 school year unless otherwise indicated. Songs are now arranged in concert order.
Christmas Concert
December 13, 1971
December 13, 1971
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| Christmas Concert Program |
Spanish carol dating back to 16th century. Solos by Jim Hall, Pam Groce, and Mike Turek. (Sorry, Pam G, program says you sang the second verse! 🙂)
Translation according to Wikipedia
"The raging wolf sought to bite her,
But God Almighty knew to defend her;
He chose to make her so that she could not sin;
No original sin was found in that virgin."
"This one that is born is the Great King,
Christ the Patriarch clothed in flesh.
He redeemed us when He made himself small,
though He was Infinite He would make himself finite."
"I saw a thousand boys (angels) go singing,
Here making a thousand voices while flying,
Telling the shepherds of glory in the heavens,
And peace to the world since Jesus has been born"
Coventry Carol (Small Group) English melody (1591) arranged Edwin Russell Fissinger. ©1965. SATB*
One of my favorite arrangements - but the recording is one of the worst of the group. Not sure where it was recorded. We also sang "Here We Come a-Caroling" from this collection but I don't have a recording of it.
Deck the Halls and All That Jazz (Small Group) Harold Barnett.
Medley Christmas Ron Howard
Little Drummer Boy
Medley Christmas Ron Howard
Little Drummer Boy
Katherine Kennicott Davis (1941) SAB. Based on traditional Czech carol. First recorded by the Trapp Family Singers. I included it because I just like this song.
Sing Noel Edwin Russell Fissinger SATB. Tamborine: Marc Long, Triangle: Allen Septon
Dissonant harmonies and intricate rhythms made this one tough.
Spring Concert
22 May 1972
In the Merry Month of May Henry Youll (1603) Edited and adapted by Arnold Freed ©1969. SAB* English madrigal for three voices.
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| Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit |
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| Sallie heading to the piano |
Take deep breaths - Long phrases - no breaks at all on third verse.
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| Men sing Love Is Blue (no recording) |
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| Sextet sings The Wooing of a Girl (no recording) Belinda Ellsworth, Diane Halversen (hidden), Sheryl Hatfield (partially hidden) Leeann Rowland, Gina James, Susan Dibartolo |
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| Ken Estep The Bird Song (no recording) |
Windmills of Your Mind (WHS Chorus women)
Michel Legrand and Marilyn and Alan Bergman.© 1968 SSA*
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| When Johnny Comes Marching Home |
This is three separate songs the we performed without a break to make a medley.
I'll Never Fall in Love Again from musical Promises, Promises by Burt Bacharach and Hal David ©1968; arranged by Pete King SATB*
Side note: Small Group went down to Manila to see Promises Promises at the National Theater.
This is my first and only recording I know of with me singing a solo in a formal concert. Except I think I had a short solo on Maria in West Side Story Medley below. Forgot about that.
West Side Story Medley (Small Group) Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim. Solos: Pam Groce (One Hand, One Heart), Gary Turek and Jim Hall (Maria)
We had a lot of fun adding the "choral movement" to this. Some of it must have worked. I can hear audience laughter in the background
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| West Side Story I Feel Pretty |
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| West Side Story Maria |
Sicut Cervus Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525 - 1594) ©1946 SATB*. Psalm 42:1 in Latin. "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God."
Sounds pretty cool in an empty gymnasium:-)
This last selection along with Sing Noel from the Christmas concert are the toughest ones we sang.
Sing a New Song Robert Kreutz text from Psalm 96 ©1962 SSAATTBB.*
I have somewhat of an attachment to this song. This was the last song in the spring concert so would be the last song we sang together as the Wagner High School Chorus. Dissonant harmonies that would suddenly resolve themselves, dynamic changes, and no less than 10 time signature changes made it a challenge. I love the soprano/alto section in the middle. If the last "Amen" sounds triumphant, it may be because me managed to get through the song successfully. There are a whole lot of places it could have gone bad (and over the course of learning it we found most of those places!)
Where Are They Now?
As I was preparing this, I got to wondering what happened to everyone, particularly in Small Group. I spent an hour or two seeing what I could find online (mainly Facebook) and here is what I found. Some entries have question marks after them. that means I am not sure how accurate the information is. The more question marks, the more unsure. (All came from public sources, but if any want their info removed just let me know.)
Susan (Bischke) Brandt: Only Yankee in the lot 😊 now lives in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. (FB page)
Tim and Sallie (Short) Culbreath: Hot Springs, Arkansas (FB page)
Tim and Sallie (Short) Culbreath: Hot Springs, Arkansas (FB page)
Susan Dibartolo: Florida????
Belinda "Bennie" (Ellsworth) Craig: Gulfport, Mississippi ???
Ken Estep: Texas (San Angelo?) (FB Page)
Pam (Groce) Ferguson: Just down the road in Columbia, South Carolina (FB Page)
Jim Hall: MIA - Any idea how many Jim Hall's there are? I have no idea where he is.
Sheryl (Hatfield) Gunning: Marietta Georgia (FB Page)
Shawn Houghton: (Updated 25 May 2018) France (FB page.)
Shawn Houghton: (Updated 25 May 2018) France (FB page.)
Bob "Zappa"Levoy: Tennessee ? - I think this is the right one. Looks like him (FB page)
Pam (Montgomery) Ciliberti: Frederick, Maryland. (FB Page)
Mary Parton: MIA - Haven't found her anywhere yet
Cindy (Scriffin) O'Brien: Dallas, Texas (FB page)
Cindy (Scriffin) O'Brien: Dallas, Texas (FB page)
Allen Septon: Orem, Utah ??
Gary Turek: Rock Hill, South Carolina (FB Page)
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