The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1922-04-14
HIGH a. ORCHESTRA
PRAISES STILL SUNG
BY MUSIC ADMIRERS


and women who heard It. at Nashville.
Tenn. Here and there over the states
somes publication breaks forth yet
with declarations OF wonder and admir-
alton expressed by some man or wom-
an who as a elegate to the National
conference of music supervisors heard
the now much-heralded orchestra
which in the words of the delegates
was marvellous" and which by unam-
imous accord they proclaim "the best
high school orchestra in America" Re
ports sfroh the outside still pour into
this city, home of the famed orchestra.
T. P. Giddings OF Minneapolis, one
of the best known of American music
supervisors and author of many books
on musical subjects, is counted among
the most enthusiastic hearers who is
still telling about the orchestra. Fol-
lowing is an excerpt from the Mime
apolis Tribune, written by James Da-
Wis, which narrates the reasons for
which the orchestra has been crown
ed with so many enviable laurels:
Somewhere in the neighborhood of
fifteen hundred music supervisors from
practically every state in the country
met in Nashville, Tenn, two weeks ago
for their annual convention. AS might
be expected, where so many of the
musical guides of American youth met,
there was plenty of music, some of it
very good, but there was one organiza-
tion that made tremendous impress
sion on everybody present, and
strange as it may seem, it was COM
posed entirely of high school students.
Giddings Enthusiasm
pervisor, has been talking about this
! orchestra ever since his return. 1t
has become one of his enthusiasms,
and it could have no better advocate
than the man who has given to Min
neapolis the most thoroughly organ
lied music system for the schools to
be found in the country. But in spite
of all our school orchestras, Mr.. Gid
dings is frank to say we have nothing
comparable to that representing the
Richmond, Ind, high school.
Think of an orchestra exclusively
of high school pupils giving a program
of music like this: Opening number,
'Rienzr overture, followed by the An
dante from Tschaikowsky'S fifth SYM
phony; 'Valse Triste' (Sibelius); /;
'Praeludium' (Jarnefelt); closing with
the Hymn and Triumphal March
from Aida A knowing smile passed
over the faces of several musicians
when Mr.. Giddings gave the above
list
Yes | know, he remarked, it
seems like a piece of impertinence on
the part of the sponsors of the or
chestra,. but let>me tell you that it
was played with quite as much skill
as many professional orchestras I've
heard
"Richmond is a city of $4,000 and
supports one high school with about a
thousands pupils, and, as so very fire.
quently happens, the reason for the
existence of this orchestra is the en-
thusiasm, ability and pertinacity of a
single individual, J. E. Maddy, who
played in the Minneapolis orchestra at
one time A taste for orchestral mu'
sic had been cultivated by Mr.. Mad
dy's predecessor, Will Earhart, who
placed an orchestra in every grade
school and two in the high school dur
ing his engagement as supervisor OF
music, and from those who graduated
he organized town orchestra that
! gave concerts several times a year.
~ Maddy Rights Condition.
when Mr.. Earhart left to take a
similar position in Pittsburg dsintegra-
ton set in and there was consider
able hiatus before the coming of Mr.
Maddy and the re-establishment of the
orchestra upon the old basis. Two or
chestras, a first and second, were
formed, and instead of devoting their
time to innocuous performances OF in
nocuous music, as in too often the
case, Mr.. Maddy Immediately concen
"a l. t.. rerin fOtt- rd ms
them symphony organizations in the
strictest meaning of the term The
program is an indication of what has
been accomplished. The interpreta
tions excited the admiration, enthus
iastic approval and perhaps touch o.
envy from the men and women serv
ing as delegates at the convention.
"To quote Hr. Giddings" 4 can give
you no idea of the effect they had or
those supervisors, who sat with oper
mouths and paralysis written all ovel
their faces, to hear high school or
chestra do such things in such mu
sianly manner. lntonation, practical
ly perfect; all the light and shade, at
tack and release, musical values, al
in proportion and wonderfully mus
ical'
"The proportion Of instruments i:
neary as complete as in the great pro
fessional orchestras and every playe
is student, who is Obliged to have {
certain scholastic rank before he o.
she can be considered a candidate
Seventy-two young people who ap
proach the Interpretation of the bes
music with seriousness that is al
most reverentiai. AS Mr.. Giddings re
Unmarked: This orchestra and it
young leader did more for the cause
of good music than anything that eve
happened, for they sent us home to al
the states of this broad land with
new resolve to do bigger and bette
things musically.'
Raises Own Expenses
at is interesting to know that th
orchestra paid its own way from Rich
mond TO Nashville, raising the none.
partly by giving concerts and thel
made a record of their orchestra q
the Geunett record factory in Rich
mond. Mr.. Giddings was present a
their first trial and gives the informa
ton that it took from 1870 to p. N
before they had a record to suit them
and then they tried twice more durin
the next two days to get better one
Then they sold this record to CON