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

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T.D.H.S. ORCHESTRA Standing: J. Louch, L. Louch, D. Hutchison, R. Cattell, J. Popham, W. Popham. Seated: W. Hilliker, N. Mason, J. Jones, J. Hustler. Absent: E. Gibson, D. Sherman, L. Claringbolcl. tion were I found an empty chair. I had just made myself comfortable when Mr. Harden rapped sharply on his desk with his baton for attention. Immediately, all gum and peanuts disappeared. All conversation stopped, students sat erect, and frantically searched through their music for the right place. The room was hushed. The baton was raised. The pianist was tense. All eyes were fixed on Mr. Harden. XYith a downward sweep of the baton, music suddenly swelled forth, and the Senior Glee Club was once more off to a good start. Kerene Kelly, XIII3. llc-1 Our New Piano XVe finally have a real piano. It is nothing like the one we always used to THE TATLER pound in the gym. of the old school, hoping to wring a few feeble notes from its re- luctant keys. That old girl has seen her day, and is used only for square dancing, etc., now! Our new piano is called a studio grand, which is larger than a baby grand but not as large as a concert grand. The piano is to be used only for concert purposes, and it is not allowed for just anyone to fiddle on it. The school has learned from experience that you cannot keep a piano in good condi- tion if everyone and his dog plays on it. The piano has been completely rebuilt, with many new parts, and all the old parts cleaned up. The keys have been thoroughly overhauled, to the point where they actually glisten! The piano is jointly owned by the High School and the Tillsonburg Concert Associ- ation. The purchase of this instrument was due mostly to the efforts of the School Board, and the Concert Association. Mr. I-Iarden and Mrs. l'Valter Gibson went to 39

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ui Edited by GERALD WEBSTER, XIIB SENIOR AND JUNIOR GLEE CLUBS , T. D.H. S. Revue Enthusiastic students presented a varied musical programme, under the capable direction of Mr. Harden, to an appreciative, capacity audience on the evening of March Oth, 1951. For the opening part of the programme, the junior and Senior Glee Clubs presented, in typical costumes, well-known Gay Nine- ties numbers. Highlights of Strolling Through the Park , Bicycle Built For Twon, and No, No, A Thousand Times No , were pantomimed by Shirley jones, Dick Gregson, Vickie Vance, Steve Mayorcsak, Lois Law, Russ Mannell, George Gyulveszi, Kathleen Sandor, and Gerald XVebster, as- sisted by part of the junior Glee Club. A spirited version of the Can-Can Dance to the music of Ta, Rah, Rah, Boom, Dee- Aye , was performed by Vicki Vance, Edith Moon, Lois Butcher, Maxine Sanderson, jean Anderson, Marian Jean Pearce, Mary Elizabeth McLeod, and VVinnifred Collings. After a hectic few minutes of rapid cos- tume changes, the Senior Glee Club present- ed a number of sacred hymns. The remainder of the programme was taken over by the 'fBlack-Faced Mar- auders , who presented a minstrel show. 38 I Current hits, such as So Long, lt's Been Good to Know You , The Thingn, and The Roving Kind , negro spirituals, such as Swing Low, Sweet Chariot , and old-time songs were enacted. Comedy was supplied by Mr. Beans , Charles Baldwin, Mr. Bones , Mr. Reid, and Mr, Interlocutoru, Steve Mayorcsak. Margaret Cooper, XHA. ..h..0l...g Glee Club Practice While wandering down the spacious upper halls of T.D.H.S., one Tuesday afternoon at three-twenty, 1 suddenly stopped, and, lured by angelic singing, made my way to room thirty-three, half expecting Saint Peter to greet me at the door. Alas, instead of meet- ing that worthy gentleman with his halo, I was confronted by Mr. Harden, with his baton, and was ushered into the room post- haste. Thirty or forty senior students, relaxing after their first effort, were reclining' in various weird positions. Tripping over the feet of one relaxed alto , I picked myself up and made my way to the soprano sec- THE TATLER

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Anthony's Music Store in St. Thomas a number of times to see about a piano, and finally they came to the conclusion that this piano would be the best buy. Thus, for i p975.00, this instrument was purchased to enhance the cultural functions of the school. A special set of rollers for the moving of the piano are attached, and there is also a special cover to keep the finish in good con- dition. Since the piano has found-its home in T.D.H.S., it has been used on several occa- sions. Joyce Hustler played it at one of our first assemblies, and, at the assembly fourth form presented, the piano was used for the memorable performance of Chopsticks, by Bond Truefitt and Clifton Ronson. It is hoped that the piano will have an easier life than the old one, but it is also hoped that the school and the community as a whole, will reap great benefit from this fine instrument, as well as real enjoyment. Let's see if this new addition to our school's cultural equipment wonlt prompt some person with hidden talent to unveil his prowess by the temptation of being allowed to perform on our wonderful new piano. ' Gerald VVebster, XIIB. Z.,0..?.. Concert Culture According to an old saying, Music soothes the savage breast. If this saying be true, there have been many savages soothed in Tillsonburg by the concerts put on by the Tillsonburg Concert Association this season. I am sure that those who attended the last season's concerts and have done so again this season will agree that this asso- ciation has continued to put on concerts that have appealed to the tastes of their varied audiences. High School students were urged by their teachers to purchase tickets and a larger number of students were found in the audience this year. Concert-goers were very enthusiastic over the first concert of November the first. The performers, Mary Alice Rodgers, sopranog Mary McDonald, pianist, Mario De Soto, violinistg and Arthur Scloter, bari- tone, put on a brilliant programme. The Leslie Bell Singers, the artists of the second concert, needed no introduction, as most of the audience was familiar with their 40 beautifully blending voices through their Sunday night broadcasts. The concert scheduled for February the twenty-first brought two well-known and accomplished pianists to Tillsonburg, Mar- garet Parsons and Clifford, Poole. This husband and wife team gave an outstanding performance. On March the fourteenth, the Four Gentlemeny' from Studio A, with Miss Mary Syme as accompanist, were brought into the limelight. I am sure that those of us who had heard them over the radio had our anticipations filled beyond any of our ex- pectations. Last, but certainly not least, was the con- cert scheduled for April the nineteenth. This concert featured the London Civic Symphony under the leadership of Martin Boundy. Their programme last year was an outstanding success, and the large audi- ence welcoming them again this year would seem to indicate a similar triumph. Kerene Kelly, XIIB. X -df 'ix X Xl 4 f fs' S-Qw1'Q,,:v i i i? it 3 f f ra. Doing Hiamewov-kg-gl. beg-J' Betty Grey, XIIC Musical Milestones of '50, and '51 VVill these years be remembered as pro- gressive or regressive in musical composi- tion, or will they be known for their famous revival songs? Only future readers will be able to decide this issue. Looking over last year's hit tunes, cer- tain songs stand out in my mind. All types of music are popular now, and no one can afford to be prejudiced in favour of any one particular class of music. There are jazz, classical, dixieland, western, dance, and children's songs, all to be found at the nearest record shop. There are also songs THE TATLER I