In the choir loft with Jean Bredin. BF staff. 675 voices participated this year.
According to attendees, the Choir Festival was a huge success. Charles and Marcy, from New York City, attended and told us that they felt elated after being present for the event. Others commended the variety of music including a lively gospel piece led by a jazz pianist, soprano Monica Ziegler and Mezzo Martha Bartz.
Gordon Turk commanded the Hope-Jones organ, and Jason Tramm presided over the chorus, orchestra and soloists.
The event concluded with a large caravan of automobiles moving slowly westward on Main Avenue. My goodness, where did they all park? Somehow it works out every year. —-PG
JOSLIN GROVE CHORAL SOCIETY:
Today, the Auditorium organ is ten times as large as it was when built by Robert Hope-Jones. The original organ was actually a rather small affair with 1,215 pipes that were loudly voiced. It was sold to the OGCMA, supposedly at half price, with the understanding it could be used for advertising events for his company. The base of the pipes in the central section was emblazoned with, “Hope-Jones Organ Co., Elmira, N. Y.” in gold. The company went bankrupt in 1910 and the lettering removed in the early 1920s.