JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL ORCHESTRA AND MIXED
CHORUS
Walter L. Elden, P.E. (Ret)
When I entered William Jennings Bryan Junior High School, I became a
member of the orchestra
and joined the mixed chorus, along with playing on the basketball team.
I had advanced enough in my study of the violin, that for all of the 7,
8 and 9th grades, I sat in the first violin seat (concertmaster).
Willian Jennings Bryan Junior High
School Orchestra, 1946
Walter Elden, Concertmaster
Our
orchestra and music leader was a woman, Mrs.Ayres, who herself played
the violin,
so we related well together. Our opportunity to perform was when
Assemblies were held in the auditorium. There we would perform before
the entire student body. From time to time I would play a solo for
my home room class, on days we had "show and tell" activities. On one
occasion, the high school band from Miami Edison Senior High, the
school I was destined to advance to after Junior High, came to our
school and performed a concert. That music and that band really hooked
me.
On one occasion, I was invited to perform a violin solo over one of the
local Miami radio stations, WIOD. This occurred around 1947, when I was
in the 9th grade in Junior High School.
Performing A Solo over Miami Radio
Station WIOD in 1947
I remember one particular stirring concert in which I sang in the mixed
chorus. We were part of a Christmas program and we sang
triditional carols. But there was one particular piece, which at one
point had a real good bass part. It was the kind which you would never
forget. Today, when that particular piece is performed, my feelings go
back to that performance event, back in 1947.
As a footnote, all during Junior High Schoool, while I was engaging in
these musical organizations, I managed also to play on the varsity
basketball team, first string all three years, for each grade level. In
addition, I ran for
and was elected President of the Student Body of William Jennings Bryan
Junior High School, during my 9th grade. Some of my classmates, on
their own came up with the combination "musical-sports"
political campaign slogan "Brahms,
Beethoven and Blackie", (I was nicknamed Blackie for being so
tanned from playing sports out in the sun during those days). Finally,
there was a contest for choosing the school's pep song. I submitted
one, and it was selected. We were called the Yellow Jackets.
In
Addition to Music, Walter Elden
Played Basketball, 1944-1947
Main
Entrance to W.J. Bryan Jr. High
School
Interior Patio of W.J. Bryan Jr. High School
(This is where the Miami Edison High Band Performed)
