Gladewater Daily Mirror (Gladewater, Tex.), Vol. 5, No. 162, Ed. 1 Sunday, January 31, 1954 Page: 19 of 24
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Oladwwater Dally Mirror
January 31, 1954
Two members of this group, Misses Sarah Brown and Nina Reed, represented the group in the all- .
state orchestru which waa n part of the Texaa Muaic Educators association convention in Galveston
Gladewater High school'a atring orchestra of 37 atudenta participated in 1947 in the Highlander Music
Festival in Dallas, and six from the Gladewater group were in the massed orchestra in the grand concert «
which climaxed the two-day affair. * . . , , , , , . . .
As the Junior Maestros, the string ensemble was the first federated junior group in Gladewatar,
and they appeared at the convention, Texas Federation of Music Clubs, held in Kilgore.
After Miss Wade’s resignation in 1948, Miss Varina Powell was teacher of this department through
the school year 1948-1949, and she was succeeded by Miss Rosemary Bruce who was in charge of the
department until the end of the 1951 school term. Si nee that time Robert Collins has been strings teacher. J
“The aim of the department,” Collins stated, “is producing good musicians, and it takes time to do £
that. It is a five-year process before the student is'ready to participate on the orchestra level, therefore,
the program should be started in the elementary school for the best results.
After attending Yale University, Collins served two years in the United States Navy. He received
ter of music degree in composition from the Uni-versity of Texas. His professional experience includ £
both his bachelor of music degree in ’cello, and mases two vears with the National Symphony under
Hans Kindler. Collins is a member of Phi Mu Sinfonia, and Pi Kappa Lambda, honorary music organi- *,#
zations. ^ •
Outstanding graduates of the strings department include Mis. Lewis Pav Latch, the former Misa
Sara Lee Brown; Miss Nina Reed, Miss Katharine Morrison, James Hall, Janelle Croley, Tommy Coleman
and many others.,
STRING MUSIC came to Gladewater Elementary School in 1942 when children who could find an
instrument started in the classes, begun as a school ac livity by Miss May Wade, now Mrs. W. S. Gay, Jr.
The opening class numbered 17, with 25 mustered for the second year, and considerable progress was
made.
With the beginning of the 1944 school year, the field was opened even more. Previously the group
was made up exclusively of violin, save for a lone ’cello. Because parents were reluctant to purchase
other than violins, the school district financed ten new ’cellos, nine violas, 12 violins and one string bass,
and that year 84 pupils of the sixth grade took part in the string ensembles.
State-wide recognition for Gladewater’s outstAnding elementary school musical program came that
year when the group was invited by the Musical Education convention in Waco to present a program, be-
ginning at the very first lessons and progressing step by step as they have done in class work, thus
demonstrating problems and phases of development in teaching.
In 1945 a strings department, was added to the j unior-senior high school, and Miss Wade was trans-
ferred to this department. This group continued to grow and to gain widespread attention, making many
public appearances including out of state trips.
After making 35 appearances in 1947 at banquets, assembly programs, church services and with
Gladewater civic organizations, the Gladewater High School string ensemble left March 11 on their most
momentous trip to that date. They visited Oklahoma City, Norman, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, on a four day
tour, giyag concerts and a radio broadcast, and attending a rehearsal of the Oklahoma Symphony or-
chestra ”
While on this tour they gave a 40-minute program for the Oklahoma University demonstration
school and college string pupils, and broadcast over radio station WNAD as part of a series of programs
called “^hools Turn to Strings,” sponsored by the instrumental department of the college. In Tulsa they
served a£viQ official junior high school clinic string orchestra for the southwestern division of the
Music " " '
ators National conference,
We Applaud The Gladewater Schools
For A Group Few Schools Can Boast . .
The High School Strings Ensemble!
The Gladewater Strings Ensemble
1953-54 CONDUCTOR — ROBERT COLLINS
«I1
The Gladewater
This Presentation Sponsored
Strings Ensemble
1953-54
and Friends of
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Belk, Jeanne. Gladewater Daily Mirror (Gladewater, Tex.), Vol. 5, No. 162, Ed. 1 Sunday, January 31, 1954, newspaper, January 31, 1954; Gladewater, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1021314/m1/19/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Lee Public Library.