Fairbury High School - Trail Yearbook (Fairbury, NE)

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fl lt was that tirst hot week in Septemberg early morning classes, struggling against the lethargy induced by the unseasonal heat, were suddenly aware ol just a Song at Twilight, coming from Room 300. Upper classrnen looked at each other, grinning through the perspiration. Heat or no heat, school had otticially started, and Miss Hen- rietta Kuska, vocal music instructor, was grimly holding tryouts tor glee club. The girls learned immediately that glee club was not an organization where you just hummed around. lt you did not sing a part right, then that part was gone over again and again until it was learned. The group of songs enjoyed by the glee club was mostly religious and classical. The music varied from Holy, Lord God, to Keep Your Lamps Trimmed. The glee club, a capella and Iunior College choir joined lorces to present Handels Messiah on December 19. The vocal music clinic was held at the high school on March 31, under the direction of Pro- iffi LTL on in 5fV c7l7Z.scL'zf lessor David B. Foltz ot the University ol Nc- braska. Rehearsals were conducted during the day, then all clinic entrants joined in a choir tor an evening concert. Other towns attending this clinic were: Beatrice, Deshler, Nelson, Steele City, Endicott, Daykin and Diller. This clinic was held for criticisms, not for awards. The Spring Musicale was presented in April. Otticers for the glee club were: Marjorie Huss, president, Kathleen Luby, secretary-Y treasurer. Miss Kuska not only taught singing but also good posture and gave good advice tor better breathing habits when singing. Everyone has a voice, but unless you learn how to breathe and stand correctly, you will never be a singer. When learning a song in glee club, you don't just learn the melody but the words and what they mean. Glee club lett a melody floating in the halls ot FHS as well as in the hearts ot those in glee club. BACK ROW llelt to rightl: Carlene Meyer, Marlene Gates, Marian Zwei'el. Iecm Vigen, Ioan Wilkinson, Kathryn Fitch, Betty DeBoer, leannette Hayes, Helen Eilts, Bertha Katz, Lois Zabel, Mary Louise Thompson. Merlene Iordening. Ardith Iones. THIRD HOW: Kathleen Napier, Kay Riley, Donna McCord, Kathleen Luby. Betty McKay, Dorothea Brandhorst, Nyla Vinsonhaler, Patty Foust, Georgeanne Bambauer, Carolyn Cox, Vivian Koop, Verneeda Pleis, Marilyn Pleis, SECOND ROW: Dorothy Law, Ioan Heidelk, Patty Cobb, Loretta Culp, Vonnie Smart, Mariel Lenahan, Marjorie Naiman, Shirley Ham- mond, Shirley Snyder. Betty Hohllinq, lean Harlan, Norma Hock, Marian Rossmiller. FIRST ROW: Virlene Mohling, Doris lean Henkel, Donna Wilson, Gwen Miller, Marian Shultz, Sylvia Speir. Iollnn Corbin, Marlys Hummel, Ruth Cunningham, ldonna Burkhart, Marjorie Huss, Marion Campbell. Dorothy Watson. Doris Washburn tat pianoj. PM F10 if

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Un ings of 5012 BACK ROW Cleft to rightl: Betty McKay. Ioan Wilkinson. Betty DeBoer. Gene McDonald. Everett Stone. Dick Sleigh. Richard Dykmann. Bob Lilcens. Ronald Lind. Dick McKenzie. Ieannette Hayes. Helen Eilts. lean Vigen. SECOND ROW: Nyla Vinsonhaler. Marian Zweifel. Kathryn Fitch. Marlene Gates. Ioe Lesher. lim Preston. Pete Kcxrczbatsos. Bob Cul- well. LeVern Iensen. Bertha Katz. Carolyn Cox, Patty Foust. Marion Campbell. FIRST ROW: Donna McCord. Kathleen Luby, Doris lean Washburn. Shirley Snyder. Shirley Hammond. Sylvia Speir. Marjorie Huss. lean Harlan. Betty Rohliing. Dorothy Watson. Carlene Meyer tat pianol. Do you know how to breathe? Chances are you dont, although you do it every minute at your lite. This tine art was unknown to many new a cappella members last tall. However, they soon began to master it, along with the other fine arts, such as enunciation, relaxation and watching-the-director, that turn a few mod- erately good singers into a wellftrained choir. During the early tall a wide variety oi songs was used. Negro spirituals were perennial ta- vorites, but more rollicking numbers, like 'Louisi- ana l-layride, were also sung with gusto. Cctober became November, and the Christ- mas vesper service loomed up. This year, in- stead ot the usual program ot carols, the high school and college choirs combined in singing the Christmas Messiah. When practice first started, the choir mem- bers blundered along like clumsy dancers un- Page 36 certain ot the step. But Miss Henrietta Kuska, director, worked over the rough spots with patience and skill, and on December l8 the choruses sang to a tull house and received many appreciative comments. At the beginning ot the new year Ioe Lesher and Bertha Katz were elected president and sec- retaryftreasurer, respectively. ln Ianuary the choir began to look ahead to the clinic, March 31, and to the Spring Musi- cale, April 20. This combination band and vocal concert is an annual attair. Day by day, rehearsal went forward. The vigor of Country Style contrasted with the tranquillity ot There ls a Balm in Gilead. The singers also contrasted with their former selves. ln the tall they had entered SOO as individual- ists. Now they had become an individual- -'-A a cappella.

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5051 Klfwfgouf cz on loe Iesher, lim Preston, Betty McKay, Nyla Vinsonhaler, Iean Harlan, Marge Huss, Dick McKenzie and LeVern Iensen waited eagerly lor their accompanist, Miss Kuslca, to give the signal to start singing. They sang tor two ol the Pre-Easter convocations and many other special occasions. The mixed octet practiced every Wednesday morning in room 300. Every Wednesday morning at nine o'c1ock, sunshine or rain or snow . . or snow . . or snow . . the only mixed small group in FHS could be heard rendering pretty little ditties which were on the agenda for future presen- tation. But one snowy morning the mixed octet, which is composed of five seniors: Ioe Lesher, Iim Preston, Nyla Vinsonhaler, LeVern Iensen and Marjorie Hussg two juniors: Betty McKay and Dick 'tMert McKenzie, and one freshman: Patty Foust, was a little delayed in starting practice. When they reported to Room 300 that morning, Miss Kuska was hunting her glasses. The whole octet started looking for them. Fi- nally they gave up the search and proceeded Page 353 to sing. Later that day one of the members of the octet noticed Miss Kuska wearing the afore- mentioned glasses. ft seemed she left them in Room 2105 that morning, so one of the faculty put them in his pocket to give to her, but he for- got and carried them in his pocket for most of the day. Since the mixed octet met only once a week, it was a hard practice, but a lot of fun, too. They accomplished a lot of work when LeVern and lim weren't trying to get their English. The music they sang varied from such ditties as Nursery Rhymes and I Know What You Know to some popular tunes, Serenade of the Bells, and 'ilrish Lullaby. Their favorite sacred numbers were 'iThe Lords Prayer and 'iWere You There. Mixed octet was very active this year. The group sang for various women's clubs, for sev- eral church organizations and at the first of the series of Pre-Easter convocations annually ob- served by the high school. The mixed octet and four other small groups from neighboring towns participating in the Fair- bury Music Clinic, March 31, were chosen by Mr. David Foltz, guest conductor and critic from the University of Nebraska, to sing at the mass concert presented that evening in the high school auditorium.