Girard College - Corinthian Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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At the Turn of the Road Under the Baton D ID YOU ever stop to think what we would do without music? In its ability to create a spirit of agitation or peacefulness, happiness or sorrow, and love or hatred, lies the secret of why we desire and enjoy music. Whenever we are joyous and happy, we naturally give way to singing or whist¬ ling. If we are sad and downcast, there is a kind of music to express that mood. Every feeling of man has been put into a tune or melody of some sort. Even a savage expresses his emotions through music, no matter how crude the form. Thus one can see that the imitative powers of music are indispensable to civilized man and savage alike. In Girard we have been given the opportunity to build a strong foundation for appreciating the pleasures of this art. From the very first day that we entered the College, we have been in constant contact with singing. In the class¬ room we learned that “Every Good Boy Does Fine,” and then applied this and other fundamentals to the songs used in the assemblies or in the Chapel. As we advanced in years, we joined that wonderful “catch club” called the Junior Hundred. There will forever remain in our memories the awe-inspiring Christmas Concerts in which we participated under the “ivy covered tower.” Then, too, we thoroughly enjoyed those annual trips to Woodside Park. Shortly after our class left the Junior Choir, the beloved old Chapel was torn

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January 1935 9 The big play of the season drew heavily from a group of our actors once again. We never fail to see Alexander Davit where a play is being presented. He is a good actor, and will make the most of his abilities. The big play, “The Merchant of Venice,” also starred William Hinkel who took the part of the rich Jew’s daughter, Jessica. Once again Ralph Price came forth taking the part of Gratiano who constantly found pleasure in ridiculing the old Jew. We now present another newcomer to the Girard stage: Christopher Wheeler doing a marvelous piece of work in portraying to us a Duke of Venice. Bruce Allen also played again in this play. Bruce is also gifted as an actor, and we hope he will capitalize his abilities. The last of our series of plays was “Jean Valjean.” In this presentation Alexander Davit, Christopher Wheeler, William Hinkel, and Daniel Shirk played their parts in an excellent manner. Public Speaking also falls in this category of public appearances. Here again, the class was well represented. In the main contest of public speech, the Declamation Contest, Ralph Price won first place, and was awarded the honor of Class Speaker. Pop has worked hard for this, and it was one of his ambitions. In the contest, Alexander Davit and William Hinkel also spoke. The speeches were well delivered and much credit is due the writers. A high calibre of Sunday evening report was established during the past term. The members who carried this difficult job were William Gillen, William Hinkel, Albert Rodgers, John Banning, Arthur S. Englebach, Ralph L. Price, Philip Cohen, Alfred Schmidt, Robert Franey, Robert Andrew’s, and Alexander J. Davit. Our class has made fine progress in the field of public speaking. We ex¬ tend our most sincere thanks to Mr. Andrews, who never ceased to correct and urge good public appearance on the stage and behind the desk. We also voice our appreciation to Miss North for her splendid cooperation in making the plays in which we have played a great success. We also thank those who worked in our debates and informal meetings.

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January 1935 II down, to be replaced by a beautiful and larger House of Worship. During this period of construction, some of our class overcame the usual snags confronting young musicians and became vital members of the Band and Orchestra. Then after we had become accustomed to seeing the majestic form of the new Chapel, and the musical organizations had come back into their own, o ur class broke into the ranks of the great Girard College Glee Club. Each term since then more of us became members so that at graduation we have twenty- seven singers in the C hoir who have the ability to “get their nose over it.” The excellent work of Bruce Allen, Robert Franey, Joseph Abaldo, Daniel Granato, Arthur Hedden, Calvin Morgan, Alfred Schmidt, and William Starr in the first tenor division will long be remembered. Rivaling the firsts in the singing of the thin tenor register we find William Hinkel, Roy Jones, Daniel Shirk, Albert Rodgers, and Arthur Englebach as second tenors. And who can forget the rich mellow tone of our baritones, namely, Vincent Mareletto, Fred Fiala, Ralph Price, Harold Farrington, Joseph Kane, Guy Di- Cenza, Irving Richards, and Edward Westman? On the bottom of the musical scale (lost but not forgotten among the deep bass notes) Samuel Place, William Kirkpatrick, Christopher Wheeler, John Banning, Philip Cohen, Johnny Fuller, and John Steen have added a great deal of strength to the second bass section. By hard work some of our representatives in the instrumental music organi¬ zations rose to be officers in their last term. Fred Fiala, Captain; William Kirk¬ patrick, First Lieutenant; John Banning and Vincent Mareletto, Second Lieu¬ tenants ; and Alphonso Rucinski served in the Band. In the Orchestra, Arthur Englebach acted as Student Leader, Antonio Nelli as Assistant Student Leader, and Albert Rodgers as Third Officer. Robert Fra¬ ney and Edward Westman, members until the end of S-l, were missed considerably when they left. There was one boy, Robert Andrews, who made a fine showing in the piano class. As the singing of Good Night and Christmas Prayer brought to a close the nineteenth Christmas Concert, our participation in Girard musical life was prac¬ tically over. To our directors in these activities, we extend our thanks for their patience and untiring efforts to give to us the best that they could, which to us was unsur¬ passable. We are bound to forget many of our classroom lessons in geometry and history, but the music in our souls will live with us forever. To express it in the simplest words, we appreciate the chance which Girard has given us to enjoy the satisfaction that music creates.