About the Southeast Kansas Symphony Orchestra
"The Southeast Kansas Symphony
Orchestra has developed from humble beginnings.
Originally organized in 1915, establishing the "College Orchestra" was Professor Walter McCray's
first project.
"Miss Winona McLatchey directed the orchestra for the first two years with
aproximatley twelve musicians under her direction. Miss McLatchey
was a graduate of the Washburn music department and had continued her studies at
Columbia university.
"The next two years saw the orchestra double in size under the direction of
Miss Gabriella Campbell, a music graduate from the Teachers college at Cape Girardeau,
Missouri.
"Professor McCray began directing the Orchestra in 1920 and by March
1929 (when McCray Hall was dedicated) the number of musicians had risen to 35. The
Orchestra played at college assemblies and special events and a number of the players
also took part in the 'Festival Orchestra'. Rehearsals were held twice a week."
The Collegio, March 28, 1929.
"McCray Organizes College Orchestra"
"The first public appearance of the Normal School orchestra was on April 28,
1905. The men's glee club was organized in the Fall of 1905. The band was organized
in October 1909. Bawden also notes the first school song was adopted January 23,
1904. Not "Gold and Crimson," but probably a fight song for athletics.
"The following is a photo of what is identified as the first school
orchestra, 1905. The faculty leader is Edwin A. Shepardson, one of the
original five members of the faculty. Shepardson had charge of the
"academic" subjects in 1903. Later, he became head of the mathematics
department.
"C. Guy Hoover, the first director of the music department, came to the
school in September 1908."
A History of the Kansas
State Teachers College of Pittsburg, 1903-1941, by William T. Bawden
"The Festival Orchestra was organized in the fall of 1914 to accompany the
Festival Chorus in the first presentation of Handel's
Messiah. This organization now has a complete symphony
instrumentation and the past year has appeared in all the leading cities of southeastern
Kansas in a symphony program. It serves not only as a laboratory for our conducting
and orchestration classes but gives the students an opportunity to play and study the
best in music."
The Kanza,
1930. p. 186
"The Festival Chorus was organized in October, 1914,
and has appeared as a part of the Spring Music Festival every year, singing the choral works of the great
masters. In the fifteen years of existence of the chorus more than twenty of the
great choral works have been sung. This organization has been a great factor
in developing and bringing to the student body the best in music, and not only the
student body has profited by this organization but its influence has extended over
this state and surrounding states."
The Kanza,
1930. p. 187
[note from back of photograph]
"The 1925 Elijah chorus. Conducting is Dr. Walter McCray.
Other participants in the Festival presentation include John
J. Richards (first trumpet at extreme right of photograph), who
was band master for Ringling Bros. Circus for many years; Rhetia
Hesselberg (the University's violin teacher and concert mistress);
and Gabriella Campbell (ninth from left in second row of women)
who taught chorus at the University for many years. Marjorie
Jackson is at the organ, lower left."
We hope to make your experience on the Symphony
web site as enjoyable as possible. An effort has been made to separate content from
style, so future updates will be smoother. Several new features have been adopted to ensure
that the site is accessible, as well as interesting:
- Extensive use of Cascading Style Sheets
(CSS).
- An alternate Style Sheet that is a simpler, black on white approach.
- Printed versions of each page are less complex, and uses the full width of the page.
Not only do we try to inform our visitors about upcoming concerts, we also like to present
our them with a full range of educational Web resources. New music students, instructors, and
seasoned musicians alike will find links to information supporting their interests.
Our companion blog site is designed
primarily for our musicians, with up to the minute rehearsal schedules and tidbits
targeted at players on a performance level. We do try to sneak in a bit of humor from
time to time to see if anyone is paying attention. You may find something of interest there as well.
If you use browser toolbars, such as the Google Toolbar, you may be interested in
downloading our Southeast
Kansas Symphony Orchestra Toolbar. There
are some standard links, such as our Current Season page, Musicians, Resources, and Archives.
Another interesting feature is a RSS feed from the blog, and an online radio built in, so
you could listen to a variety of classical music stations while you browse. Please give
it a try and let us know what you think!
And, as always, if there are other suggestions you would like to make, please
feel free to contact us using one of the methods at the bottom of this page.
The Friends of the SEK Symphony was
founded in the Spring of 1983 as a support
group whose main function was to raise funds to augment those supplied by the State,
and to attract attention to the orchestra in various venues. The primary movers and
shakers were Carolann Martin, director of the Orchestra from 1977 to 2001, and
Becky (Leota) Schwenke, who had joined the Orchestra (cello) upon
coming to the area with her husband, the Rev. John Schwenke. Becky had been one
of the founders and leaders of a similar group in the Chicago area where she and
John lived prior to coming to Pittsburg in 1970.
By June of that year, a set of by-laws (approved by the membership and the University
administration) had been adopted and the first slate of officers were put forward.
Those nominated (and subsequently elected) were:
- Rev. John Schwenke - President
- Mrs. Eric Palo - Vice-President and Membership Chairperson
- Dr. Milliard Laing - Treasurer
- Linda Vollen - Secretary
Mrs. Allen Apier and Mrs. David Lane, co-chairpersons of the advertising campaign,
were reported in a June 9, 1983 letter to the membership, as already busy working.
In the invitation to join the Friends of the Southeast Kansas Symphony (Summer,
1983), the founders listed the purpose and goals of the group:
- To provide more outstanding and varied soloists to play with the symphony.
- To attract more member players from other communities by offering remuneration
for their transportation.
- To provide more attractive programs.
- To stimulate interest by the distribution of a brochure giving information
about the concert season and sustaining memberships.
- To provide more attractive posters to advertise concerts.
- To support the Mid-America Youth Symphony so that young musicians who are
advancing in the string program of our public schools will have another
outlet for their talents.
This list was expanded as it was transformed into the official PURPOSES set
forth in the ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION (By-laws). Article II, Paragraph 5, Line 3:
- To facilitate and enhance the performance and enjoyment of symphonic music
as an integral part of the cultural environment of this geographical region.
- To promote knowledge of, and interest in, the Symphony among the residents
of the Pittsburg community and the larger Southeast Kansas-Southwest
Missouri-Northwest Oklahoma area - to the end that an increasing number of
community residents will participate in the life of the Symphony's listening
audience, playing members, and members of this Association.
- To serve as a channel of communication between:
- The Community and the Symphony -in matters that will enhance the
appeal of the Symphony to the Community, and the response of the
Community to the Symphony - such as programming, time and place
of the concerts, new activities to be undertaken, etc.
- The Community and the University -in matters that will enhance
their mutual efforts in behalf of the Symphony, its growth and
development and excellence.
- To assist with the details of management of the Symphony's operation in
consultation with the Director of the Symphony.
- To join with the University in mutual efforts to provide funding for the
Symphony that will enable it to grow and develop, and enhance the richness
and excellence of its musical offerings to the community and the musical
experience of its playing members...
In the nearly 25 years since its founding, the Friends have consistently worked
toward these goals through various fund raising projects, by creating scholarships,
providing mileage to out-of-town playing members, creating advertisement, recruiting
players, etc. For a list of current
Friends board members, see our current Concert Season page.
