- Title
- Music: a resource bulletin, grade one-twelve
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-
- Date
- 1955
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-
- Place
- ["North Carolina, United States"]
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- Series
- Publication (North Carolina. Department of Public Instruction) ;no. 295.
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-
Music: a resource bulletin, grade one-twelve
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Symphony and Opera in North Carolina
233
SYMPHONY AND OPERA IN NORTH CAROLINA
THE NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
A symphony orchestra that actually belongs to the people of
its State has grown to have an important place in its culture.
The first grant-in-aid to an orchestra by a state government was
given to the North Carolina Symphony in 1943; and legislatures
since then have increased this original appropriation.
Our State orchestra was first organized in 1932 under the
sponsorship of the North Carolina Symphony Society, a private¬
ly-owned, non-profit organization headed by Joseph Hyde Pratt.
Lamar Stringfield was the first conductor and the musicians
were collected from all sections of North Carolina. The first
performance was on May 14, 1932 in Hill Music Hall, Chapel
Hill. In 1939 the Symphony Society was reorganized and Dr.
Benjamin Swalin was chosen as conductor.
In 1942 each community was encouraged to form its own
Symphony Committee with as many members as possible. When
a certain membership goal was attained, sufficient funds were
available to pay for one free children’s concert, as well as a
concert for the community. This was a successful plan and in
1945, the orchestra was put on a professional basis.
The educational policy was also developed in 1942, with a
music education teacher being named director of the Children’s
Concert Division. Her “Symphony Stories” — booklets containing
brief background stories for the coming concert numbers and
biographical sketches of the composers’ lives; seating arrange¬
ment for the orchestra ; melodic notation for some of the sym¬
phonic themes; music for the songs they sing with the orches¬
tral accompaniment; and quiz games based on the program
notes — are purchased by the pupils at a minimum charge. The
director also compiles notes for classroom teachers which in¬
clude a list of books, records, pictures, and films helpful in
teaching a deeper appreciation for the coming program and
symphony orchestras in general. These notes also help teachers
to use rhythm, finger painting, dance movements, and study
plans to help youngsters toward a better understanding of music.
In 1954, the first in a series of two annual workshop meetings
for grade and music teachers, sponsored jointly by the Uni-
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