Our Orchestra

Nowadays we have our fine Brockport Symphony Orchestra, but many years ago there was another orchestra here, that of the Brockport Normal School. In the June commencement issue of the Stylus in 1925 there was the accompanying photo and text as follows:

"Has B.N.S. an orchestra? You just bet it has and it's a real one, too. Not a musical club, but a real, live, wide-awake orchestra of twenty members as follows: violins, Louise Kuppinger, Field Akeley, Philip D'Agostino, Marion Boyle, Francis Vanda, Marguerite Beadle, Marcus Carls; mandolins, Iona Axtell, Gertrude Simmonds, Winifred Smith, Eugene Stull, Almeda Rudman; cornets, Harold Davis, Elsie Northway; saxophones, Stanley Smith, George Smith, Faylista Holland; cello, Helene Gillette; drum, Elmer O'Dell, and piano, Ethel Jones.

   The orchestra began its work by playing in assembly every Friday morning. This had its advantages. That is it treated the assembly to some very good (or should I say rare) music and it  managed to cut short the third period by about five or ten minutes. Music was also given by request at the time of the visit of a committee from the New York State Educational Association.

   The orchestra has added much to the enjoyment of many occasions during this school year. At the Christmas Entertainment and Training School Play marches were played while the children came in and took their places. The orchestra played between acts of the Senior Play, thus preventing any dull moments. The greatest success however was on Color day. 'Did you miss that?' 'What a shame!' 'Did they do well?' Nothing else but!'

   The orchestra has had a most successful year and the members are sorry it is nearly at a close. However, they will play once more..., namely for graduation. At this time they are planning to win even a better reputation for themselves.

-- Iona Axtell"

Class of '64 in the archives

The Class of 1964 had a successful 50th reunion recently, with the class being inducted into the Hartwell Society, many memories shared and just generally a good time. They aren't done though, members of the class were in the archives today searching out images to use in the memory book they are preparing.

Back to 1842

Just a random post here, to share an image of the school from a very long time ago. This illustration is of the school as it looked in 1842, from a catalog of that year. This Medina stone building stood approximately where the Normal school would be, and then later Hartwell Hall. In 1842 the school was just a few years old. It had started in 1835 as a private academy, but that early start faltered and then failed in the financial crises of the late 1830s. In 1841 a group of concerned citizens in Brockport organized and restarted the school, calling it the Brockport Collegiate Institute.