Under Guy Fraser Harrison's baton-Symphony full of Sooners

A DESIRE to provide the best in sym-phonic music for the state of Oklaho-

ma has created a long-standing tie betweenthe Oklahoma City Symphony Orchestraand the University of Oklahoma.The original impetus for symphonic mu-

sic in Oklahoma came largely from Fred-erick Holmberg, late dean of the O.U.College of Fine Arts . Through subsequentyears the University's opportunities forteaching and advanced study have attractedserious musicians from all over the country,providing the Symphony with a recruitingground rich in talent and training.Today's Symphony numbers 45 contract

players, over 20% of whom have studiedat O.U.

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Symphonic SoonersBy Patty Flood, '60

The young state's first efforts for goodclassical music were fostered by the LadiesMusic Club of Oklahoma City . DeanHolmberg conducted its first string con-certs in 1921 . By 1924 the group had blos-somed into an orchestra with 50 musicians,all recruited from local talent . The firstconcert on October 28 of that year drew anaudience of 1,500 to hear the dean conductMozart .

Local businessmen campaigned for abudget of $12,000 for the second season .For several seasons the orchestra flourishedbut eventually folded under the weight ofthe depression .

Renewed interest in Oklahoma musicsprang up in 1937 . An orchestra was be-

gun in Tulsa by the federal government as aunit of the Federal Music Project . WhenTulsa audiences did not prove large enoughto continue the symphony, the WPA proj-ect was moved to Oklahoma City .Four months of rehearsal preceded the

first concert of the reorganized orchestra onJanuary 3, 1938 . Ralph Rose was conduc-tor for the first season. Several concertswere held in the old Shrine auditorium,and the orchestra even toured in townswhere symphonic music had never beenplayed before. In May the Oklahoma CitySociety was organized as co-sponsor . Earlyaudiences were small, 200 to 300 at first .The second season brought two changes

to the orchestra-a new home in the Mu-

nicipal Auditorium and a new conductorin Texan Victor Alessandro . The seasonwas lengthened, and children's concertswere begun. During the war effort, theSymphony gave a series of starlight con-certs, free to service men.The third season brought a uniform for

the players, white tie and tails for the menand black skirts and white blouses for thewomen. Opening night attracted the largestcrowd yet-1,800. The orchestra was nowplaying in 18 state cities, 4 colleges, and to3,500 children .But it was not only in appearance that the

Symphony was growing up. At the close ofthe season 200 men and women started toraise the $53,650 necessary to make the or-ganization independent of government aid.The Oklahoma City Symphony Society be-came responsible for all the obligations ofthe orchestra.Through the '40s audiences and dates in-

creased but also did financial problems . Fi-nally the board of directors voted to liquid-ate the interests of the Symphony . But atthe same time a small group of supportersmet and organized a city-wide "Save theSymphony" campaign . The drive was suc-cessful and the Symphony was solvent.Thirteen weekly 30-minute radio broad-

casts sponsored by the Chamber of Com-merce were scheduled over a nationalbroadcasting system during the 1949-50 sea-son. The next year the concerts were ex-tended to an hour for 20 weeks. Thesebroadcasts continue this year also beingcarried by the Armed Forces, the Canadian,and the Voice of America networks . They

are taped weekly on Sunday in the Okla-homa City University auditorium and areopen to the public . The broadcasts regu-larly feature the works of a contemporaryAmerican composer .

In 1951 Alessandro accepted an invitationfrom the San Antonio Symphony . GuyFraser Harrison, then conductor of theRochester (New York) Civic Symphonyand associate conductor of the RochesterPhilharmonic Orchestra, took over the po-dium in Oklahoma City .

Popular among the orchestra's civic en-terprises are the young people's concertsheld in touring cities and in OklahomaCity . In Oklahoma City, planned with theboard of education and representatives ofthe Symphony's women's committee in thespring, seven pairs of programs are sched-uled for children from the third throughthe twelfth grades .

Teachers' manuals and advance programnotes prepare the children for the concert,and Dr . Harrison plays the double role ofcommentator-conductor . In about 10 citiesa season the orchestra precedes the eveningperformance with an afternoon children'sprogram. More than 45,000 young peoplehear the Symphony in a season .The 1959 season brought a two-week in-

crease in the Symphony's season for a 24-week run with 80 concerts. Twelve of theseare subscription concerts with a full orches-tra of 78 . The subscription membership of4,000 is one of the highest per capita in thenation .The Oklahoma City Symphony is one of

six chosen nationally by the American Mu-

sic Center for a Ford Foundation grantproject involving the commissioning andperformance of compositions by Americancomposers.The project extends over a three-year

period . The 1958 selection in OklahomaCity was by Edmund Haines . His "Con-certino for Seven Solo Instruments and Or-chestra" had its premiere in Oklahoma Citywith seven first chair players .of the orches-tra featured .

Spencer Norton, '28ba, professor of mu-sic at O.U ., was commissioned for the sec-ond work, a composition for two pianos andorchestra . Presentation of the work isscheduled for the 1959-60 season .

President of the Symphony Society forthe fourth year is Dr . Stewart G. Wolf, di-rector of the O.U . medical school . Theboard of directors meets five times a year tomake policies for the Symphony and to hireconductor and manager. Members are se-lected for three-year terms with ten ap-pointed by the president for one-year terms.

Financing the Symphony can be compli-cated. In the last five years the budget hasincreased from $153,400 to $175,000 . Ticketsales account for about half of the budget .Other financing comes from donations.

Efforts of the 300-member women's com-mittee are responsible for balancing thebudget for the last three years. Specialevents such as the Maria Tallchief pro-gram this year and profits of the Great Art-ists series augment the budget . Last yearthe winter and spring balls raised $14,000.Program advertising adds $4,000 to $5,000to the treasury annually .

Three trombones in a row and all are for-mer students at O.U . John Pennington(left) received a BA in music educationin 1959 . He is now band director at Okla-homa City's Central High School . StanleyEaster (center) attended O.U . in 1958-59.He teaches brass in elementary schools inOklahoma City . Reginald Fink, principaltrombonist, has a '57 master's in music edand teaches at Oklahoma City University.

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FEBRUARY 1960

PACE

Symphonic Sooners--

Opportunities at O. U. AttractCountry's Promising Musicians

/Vat White serves as first chair flute . Heholds a master's in music education fromO.U . White is now band director forNortheast High School in Oklahoma City .

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Elizabeth Johnson teaches at O.U . as aspecial instructor. Now principal bas-soon, she has been with the Symphonysince the WPA reorganized it in 1937.

Harvey Garber, first chair French horn,augments the O .U . School of Music facul-ty as special instructor. Mr . Garber alsois assistant conductor of the Symphony .

Arthur Johnson, bass clarinet, joined theSymphony in its second season . Mr . John.son, who did graduate work at O.U . in '49,acts as the orchestra's personnel manager .

Only Symphony member who teaches fulltime at O.U . is David Vanderkooi . Mr .Vanderkooi, principal of the 8-man cellosection, is an instructor in music school .

University's Dean HolmbergSymphony's First Conductor

John Williams is a future alumnus ofO.U. While a member of the bass sectionof the Symphony, he is continuing studyat O.U. on requirements for his doctorate .

A new recruit for Oklahoma this year isThomas Gauger . He holds first chair inthe percussion section, is one of the spe-cial instructors in the O.U . music school .

Catherine Dufford Paulu, principal obo-ist, is serving as a special instructorin O.U .'s music school . She is married toNorman Paulu, Symphony concertmaster .

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FEBRUARY, 1960

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Symphonic Sooners--Lawrence Fisher (above) is assistant concertmaster of the Symphony . He

also plays with the Symphony's String Quartet. Fisher's study at O.U . wasin the School of Journalism in the professional writing sequences. Hecame to the campus in 1954 and studied under William Foster-Harris . Atpresent he is working on a suspense novel and some crime stories .

Colata Frey (right) has been a member of the Symphony since govern-ment sponsorship days . She attended O.U . in 1929-30 on a scholarship andstudied violin . In addition to Symphony work, Mrs. Frey is director of theDale Rogers School for Retarded Children in Oklahoma City . Mrs. Freyuses her musical background as one type of therapy along with a basic aca-demic program.Marion Unger received a bachelor of music degree from O.U . in 1924,

completing requirements for the degree in three years . She was a memberof the original Symphony group formed in 1937. She is a traveling teacherin the Oklahoma City elementary schools in violin, viola, cello and bass .She also has a weekly educational television show .

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