The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-09-26
TEST 500 VOICES
Music Supervisor of High
School Has Big Task.
Members of T. H. S. GIee Club
Are Being Selected.

Testing of SOC voices in high school
to see how many can be found good
enough to make the high school boys
glee club is a large undertaking for a
music supervisor who has many other
things to do. But that is just what
Miss Grace V. Wilson. supervisor of
music in the Topeka schools, has I'M
dertaken.
1t is believed to be the first time in
the state that such a. thing has been
undertaken, IL not in the United States.
Miss Wilson lost a large number
of her good singers last year by grad
uation, and she realized if the boys
glee club was to have any chance to
win at the state contest at Emporia
this year some plan must be used to
find who are the best singers in the
high school. So she hit upon this plan
of testing all the boys to ascertain
their singing ability.
Testing by Rooms.
Miss Wilson is taking the boys by
rooms, the instructor in each room
excusing the boys for a few minutes
during the fifth hour. This way she
singers in the school, and thereby have
some basis for choosing voices for the
boys glee club this year.
One hundred and fifty of the 500
boys in Topeka high school already
have been tried out, and the work is
going on daily.
Out of this $50, she has found one
boy with a good baritone voice and
good low bass. The baritone singer
is Alfoons Ramsquist and the bass is
Sidney Finley.
Music at Topeka high this year will
be quite extensive. The girls glee
club probably will be better than it
was last year, Miss Wilson believes.
She has thirty-seven now working on
the glee club work, and she expects
to got forty this year. Among these
are some good sopranos. She has room
for few more altos yet. she said, but
she expects to pick with care in all
departments, for she expects TO take
the musical organizations to Enpor1a
again this year, and she wants the best
she can find.
Boys Like 1t Now.
At first the boys in the high SCHOOL,
did not take we'll to the idea of hav-
ing to try out for singing, but now 1t
has become funny for them, and they
seem to like it. Miss Wilson said. She
expects to find twenty-four voices out
of the 500 which she will choose to
make up the Boys Glee club. Altho
Miss Wilson's musical organizations
have suffered as a result OF gradua-
ton. she thinks the Boys Glee club
proba bly-was the worst hit of all. All
the basses low were graduated
Besides the Boys and Girls Glee
clubs, the high school has an or
chestra and a band. The orchestra
this year will have sixty-one or sixty
two pieces, Miss Wilson said. The
band is to be about thirty-five pieces.
Nearly half of the band is made up
of new students and a large part OF
the orchestra players are taking their
first years work.
Almost Symphony.
Three new instruments have been
added to the orchestra. They are
bassoon, French horn and tuba.
Thomas johnson is playing the bas-
soon; John Schwartz, the French
horn; and Gerald McClosky the tuba.
But three more instruments are
needed to make the orchestra COM
Dlete symphony. Miss Wilson said.
Those needed are tuba, viola and Eng
E:;h horn. S++ Jf
IS The musical organizations of To-
peka7high school have won first prizes
at the state music contest at Emporia
for the last two years in succession,
and if the way Miss Wilson is going at
the work this year Is any indication,
they will win again next spring.