.JPG)
Questions arose on a previous post regarding the Orofino High School band in the 1920s. This article from the 1924 edition of “The Prospector,” the Orofino High School annual, explains that the high school band did work with the community band. The article was written by a freshman, and I’m posting it in its entirety because I think it’s charming. (It was 100 years ago, you know.)
A few days before school started last September, the good news was received that we were to have a band leader. As this was the first time we had ever had one in high school it fill most of the students hearts with joy.
On September the eighteenth we were introduced to our new band master, Mr. A. D. Plumb, whom we liked very much from the beginning. His actions told us that he was a jolly good fellow and that he was a master of music.
On September the twenty-fifth we held our first practice in the science room. At the start we had the following instruments enrolled: six cornets, four saxophones, four clarinets, four altos, three trombones, one baritone, two basses, three snare drums, and one bass drum.
The first month was spent in scale practice and getting acquainted with our instruments. In two months’ time we were playing pieces from the beginners’ band books. In a short time we could play these pieces and were starting on more difficult ones.
Within three months the saxophone section and part of the cornet section were promoted to the city band. The city band gave a concert on the seventeenth of December in which the saxophone quartet played three selections. They put it across in fine shape and the people were very much pleased with their playing.
After the new year began we were able to play regular band pieces. A little later we started working on a few pieces for a concert which the high school and city bands were to give on April the fifteenth. The pieces were worked up in fine shape and when the concert was given the people were amazed at the fine playing and rapid progress.
We want to give special praise to Mr. Plumb for teaching the boys and helping them to accomplish so much in their work. We hope he will be with us next year. – L. G. H. ‘27
The above photo, which accompanied the article, was not identified, but I think the bespectacled lad holding a clarinet in the center of the photo was likely my uncle, Francis (Porkie) Portfors. And note – it’s an “all man” band. I'm reminded of The Music Man. KW
8 comments:
I sure would like to know what happened to the poor fella in front with the great big black eye and fat lip.
If this was an all male band, how do you suppose Grandma made it in for that other photo?
I’m quite impressed at big turnout for such a small community, but it looks like a pretty wide age span. I can only imagine how exciting this was both for the kids getting an opportunity to learn an instrument and for the parents and community watching the musicians succeed.
If you're talking about the kid who's third from the left, Hallie, I think that's an anomaly of the photo. He seems to wear glasses.
I don't know why Mother and the other girl were included in the 1927 band. Obviously, there were fewer participants, and maybe the girls were recruited to play the drums. And it's also clear that the 1924 photo, which was billed as the OHS band in the yearbook, is really a photo of the community band. Also, Mr. Plumb is not pictured on the faculty page, which would suggest that musical training was an extra-curricular activity.
Mother told me that when she was a senior, she had taken most all the classes and had time on her hands until graduation, so they put her in manual arts. I think she enjoyed it.
Yes, it was a small, remote community, and I'm sure the people looked forward to the activities of the school -- concerts, plays, graduation, etc. -- for entertainment. Very little else was available for diversion. Even radio was in infancy at that time.
None of my family members were ever in the band that I know of, until John played the drums back in his day. I agree that in small communities, bands consisted of anyone who was willing to join and practice. I agree that such groups helped towns to give people something to looks forward to and enjoy together.
I had been thinking that maybe it was still true when we were in school, Chris, but then I remembered that we had to sell tickets to the concerts, so maybe not. (I didn't like selling the tickets.)
Wow! I don't remember that there were ticket sales. I was in junior high chorus but didn't sign up in high school. Mr. Schenck didn't like me and I decided that I didn't need him glaring at me any more. Apparently I had a vibrato (sp?) in my voice and he told me to "mouth it." Sigh.
If teachers knew we would remember those things for the rest of our lives, would it make a difference? I don't know. I was really frustrated with the junior high music program in Lewiston when my children were involved. I could tell stories about unfairness. And when the students got to high school, they could hardly fit band into their schedules, especially if they were college-bound.
I'm glad it's just the photo and that little boy wasn't beaten.
I think it's terrible that a choir teacher would tell someone not to sing. Even if a person doesn't have a good singing voice, it's a joyful thing to sing.
That's right, Hallie. We take all comers, and every student deserves music education, and that should be the focus.
Post a Comment