The Winslow mail., 1925-07-31
THE WHITNEY
BOYS CHORUS
IN W|NSLOW
SUNDAY NIGHT

Winslow is in great luck again
1t has been lucky in the past in
some of the fine musical entertain
ments brought here, but this week
end it will be particularly fortu-
nate in having an opportunity to
hear the Whitney Boys Chorus, of
Los Angeles.
Rev. Frank r. Speck, of the
Methodist, church received word
Wednesday that Mr.. Whitney, with
three Pullman coaches full of his
boys, were on the way to Philadel-
phia for a series of concerts and
that they would like to remain in
WinSlOw from Sunday afternoon to
Monday morning to rest and give
a concert here, if arrangements
could be made for their entertain
ment and place provided for their
concert. Rev. Speck Immediately
assured the manager that all ar
rangements could and would be
made, and that Winslow would be
very much flattered to be host to
the boys over night.
The concert will be given at
Washington school auditorium, and
will take the place of the regular
Sunday evening union service.
The Whitney Boys Chorus, of
Los Angeles, is one of the most
famous choruses in America. It
has been elaborately written up in
many of the leading publications of
the United States, including the
Ladies Home Journal and the New
York Times. Four times moving
pictures have been taken of this
Juvenile organization. They have
assembled as many as 1000 boys
in one chorus. They have travelled
about 10000 miles in concert work
and have sung to more than 2,000,-
900 people. Their picture has en-
tered more than 100000 homes
The remarkable growth and al
most unbelievable achievement. of
the Whitney Boys Chorus, is one
of the most amazing incidents of
the northwest. u5suGs
In February, 1915, Mr. Whitney,
who was pastor of the First Con-
gregational church of Hillyard, a
suburb of Spokane, and at the
same time, superintendent of the
Y. NJ. c. AS boys department, was
arranging for a banquet for this de-
partment. In planning the pro-
gram it, occurred to him that some
singing by boys would be appropri-
ate and interesting. Consequently
he commenced asking every boy
he met if he could sing. and was
invariably answered by the sar-
castle question: do L look like
a girlg' This idea that it was
sissyfied for a boy to sing seemed
to permeate every youth, but final
ly he secured two boys who had
enough of the western spirit to try
anything once. They agreed to
practice and let him know after
ward After the first rehearsal
with these boys they solemnly rem
dered their verdict, declaring they
would sing if two more boys were
secured. Mr. Whitney had spent
three weeks landing these first two
victims and Immediately told them
that they might select any two
boys they chose. They secured two
others with almost unbelievable
speed. This quartet made its first
appearance at the banquet, after
which fifty-six boys came up and
applied for membership in that
quartet. This was the beginning
of the first big chorus.
In August of the same year Mr..
Whitney took eighty-three boys and
enough adults to look after the
aggregation, to San Francisco,
where they sang several times at
the Panama exposition. They were
splendidly received and given a
great many honors.
Upon their return to Spokane the
boys of that city had come to the
conclusion that it wasn't so sissy
fled after all for a boy to sing, if
wealthy men would contribute
enough to send them to a worlds
fair, just because they could sing
a little. Consequently at the first
rehearsal, after the return. the
church auditorium, choir loft. pull
pit platform and Sunday school
room were filled with prospective
members of this interesting chorus.
Then Mr. Whitney concluded there
wasn't much use in having q choir
in his church so big that it took
up all the room, leaving none for
anyone to come and hear it, Goa
sequently he resigned and since
then has devoted all of his time
to chorus work. The chorus in
Spokane grew by leaps and bounds
until in February. 1916, Just one
year after the first two boys had
met. they had a rehearsal and by
actual count there were 2.053 boys
present. In March of the same
gear they gave their first public
concert The late Governor Lister
was present as the guest of honor
and for the first and only time dur
ing his administration assembled
his military stand
At this concert by the 1000-boy
chorus, was read a congratulatorv
message from the late President
Woodrow Wilson over his own sig
f1crIIr.p