Tillsonburg District High School - Tatler Yearbook (Tillsonburg, Ontario Canada)

Page 44 text:

K3 BACK: J. Culp, R. Mason, W. Popham, R. McCurdy, R. Laur, W. Eichenberg, R. Gibson, R. Mannell, D. Murr, R. Lucas. FRONT: H. Weise, K. Ross, C. Kefchebaw, R. Claringbold. T. H. S. CADET BAND As time flies by and everything turns to the new modern designs, the T.D.H.S. Cadet Band has decided to advance too. The Band this year is planning to improve itself to the point where the Tillsonburg District residents will swell with pride at the sight of it. Under the supervision of Mr. Sinclair and Mr. Hay the band will undoubtedly be a worthy organization. The school has enlisted new instruments to the cause by the purchase of a bass horn and new snare drum and these, along with the orchestra's drums, allow the band a greater number of musicians and greater depth to its music. The band is also under a new director this year in the person of Horace Capp Watts, a well known local bandsman. Mr. Watts took over the band in the fall of '48 and has been tutoring the crew once 42 a week and has been instructing beginners twice weekly. Under Capp's direction in this year's line-up are: Trumpet-Bill Popham, Bob Laur, Ron McCurdy, and Russ Mannellg trombones - Dalton Murr and Richard Lucas, altos-Bob Claringbold and Harold Weiseg bass - Bill Eichenbergg reeds - Bob Mason and Jack Culp. The drums are: Snare, Bill Smith, Bud Keachabaw, Ken Rossg and Cymbals, Dick Gibsong under the bass drum is Charlie Swatridge. , A l 1, .v . 'ff' i - in THE TATLER

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GLEE CLUB GLEE CLUB T.D.H.S. has done it again with a Glee Club that makes your heart sing right along with the members. Every Wednes- day after four o'clock Cand often other daysl, the deserted halls are filled with sweet and vibrant music. The audience for these practices is the regular detention squad and an occasional teacher whose curiosity Finally propels him or her to the Junior Lab. in quest of the angelic voices. A patient figure stands on the stool behind the piano and before we begin singing we all breathe silent prayers that the stool will stay put and not topple out from under our guiding hand , the celebrated Miss Field. Outstanding in the solo department are Don Currie, tenor, and Eleanor Collings, soprano. Strangely enough, it seems that the majority of sopranos are from the lower grades. It seems the big kids have outgrown the Glee Club. THE TATLER This club, comprising about thirty-five members, has been used to fill gaps at school functions during which Cgaps, that ish the audience would usually politely stifie a yawn or three behind a hand. This not only makes us feel that they are com- pletely bored, but makes us realize what a large number of hands the audience has and what loud applause could be incited. The main duty of the Glee Club is to thrill the Commencement audience, but we have also sung at Oratorical Contests, Puppet Shows, and wherever we are ap- preciated. Gerald Webster plays the piano for us, and more than competently. He can beat out The Galway Piper or caress his instrument to produce Ave Maria and A-Wearyin' For You. If anyone is interested in helpful vocal guidance and an exciting time, we can always use more members! Music hath charms to soothe the savage . . . beast , so come, savage beast, and be soothed. M. Stilwell. XII. 41

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Mr. Hay has announced some innovations in cadet uniforms. Cadet buglers will wear bugles and drum- mers will weor drums. Did someone say something about lyres? :FIT ll B 53 by Richard Rokeby, XII T H E T A T l E R NOW AND THEN - THE T. D. H. S. ORCHESTRA Everyone knows the school orchestra of today, that group of noble musicians who won such redounding praise after the 1948 Commencement. I feel that few of us could recount the history of the fore runners of today's acclaimed group of musicians, consequently I shall endeavour to enlighten all those interested. The first school orchestra of which we mn find a trace consisted of three pieces. At the piano was Russell Gerow. He is still at it, ranking as one of Canada's finest musicians and musical directors. You have, doubtless, heard his musical arrangements on the C. B. C. show, Allan and Me , or his playing on other C. B. C. programmes. Handling the traps in this first orchestra was Lansing Rogers, who later played in the Air Force Bugle Band. Hector Munro was the violinist and he has since played with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. The next orchestra added a violinist, Leo Stilwell, and a saxaphonist, Ian Crosby, who later played with Dick Park's Band from Jacksonville, Florida. He also played with the following orchestras: Herman Kentner's, Karl Gunther's, and Mever Davis's. The late Merlin fBaldyJ Colborne was a valuable addition with his cornet. Baldy subsequently played in many parts of the world: in Detroit, at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, at Albu- querque, and on the S.S. Cleveland, plying between Los Angeles, Hawaii, China and the Philippines. For a period of time it seems that the orchestra did not exist or was unchronicled in the Tatlers or school records. However, in later years the orchestra came back into prominence annually for the Com- mencement Exercises due to the untiring efforts of Miss Howitt. In 1947 the orchestra, under the direction of Miss Field and with the support of their leader, cornetist Pat Turner, the Tillsonburg High School had its first year-round orchestra, playing for Friday Morning Assemblies throughout the term. This is the background of our present seventeen-piece orchestra, led by Steve Choma. It will endeavour to bring to the school honour and to future orchestras a record to equal and surpass. Jack Culp, XII. 43