SAHS Music Department: Opus 1964
St. Albans High School, St. Albans, West Virginia — the “Red Dragons”
- Director, Band and Choruses: Joseph R. Ervin
June 13, 2023: About the recording
Dad’s collection contained one LP for Opus 64. This appears to have been the only disc. Total time for both sides came to about 44 minutes and runs from the Grand Opening to the concluding “Song from Exodus.”
Opus 64 was hosted by Robert Entley, general manager of WKLC radio in St. Albans, who acted as master of ceremonies. Given his introductions and the attenuated amount of recording space, much of the program was omitted from the LP.
As I have noted elsewhere, the LP was subjected to a heat source, causing it to warp severely. Aggressive application of a notch filter to the low end has reduced some of the resulting distortion. Band numbers are not too bad, but chorus numbers are excessively bright and “shrill.” I plan to continue to do what I can to improve sound presence, stereo image, and bandwidth. Once I’ve done as much as I can, the selections will posted here as MP3s for download.
LP 1, Side 1 (21:38):
For each selection, the embedded player appears below the description. For best results when downloading, right-click (Windows) or Control + click (Macintosh) and select the option to Save link as … .
Nine performances omitted: most of Small Group singing excerpts from West Side Story; “With a Little Bit of Luck” (Junior and Senior Girls); Warsaw Concerto (Danny Cain, Jack Pierce, the band); “Funiculi, Fanicula” (band); “Blue Moon”, “Night Train,” “Ruby” (Jesters), “Introduction and Invention” (band, competition piece), “Amparito Roca” (band).
1. “Another Opening, Another Show” – Full Company, 01:08
2. Welcome by Mr. Entley, 00:38
3. Selections from My Fair Lady – Band, 06:32
4. “Tonight” from West Side Story – Small Group, 01:34. This was to have been “selections,” but only “Tonight” was recorded.
5. “I Could have Danced all Night” – Sophomore Girls, 02:20
6. Intro by MC and “I’m Gonna Wash that Man Right Outta My Hair” – Combined Girls Choruses, 03:30
7. Mr. Entley vamps while the Jesters get set up, 01:19
8. “Darktown Strutters’ Ball”1 – Jesters and Majorettes, 01:56
9. “The Birth of the Blues” – Mixed Chorus, 02:41
LP 1 , Side 2 (22:58):
Eight performances omitted: “Hootenanny” (band); the Jolly Minstrels; “Where Have all the Flowers Gone?” (Sophomore Girls); the Spruce Tops; “Band of Mexico,” “Black Rode the Wind” (Mixed Chorus); “The Green Leaves of Summer” (Small Group); “Them Basses” (band).
10. “Autumn Leaves” – Mixed Chorus, 03:25
11. “My Funny Valentine” – Junior and Senior Girls Chorus, 04:36
12. “Over the Rainbow” – Combined Girls Choruses, 05:19
13. Finale of “William Tell Overture” – Band, 03:21
14. Mr. Ervin’s impromptu thanks, 02:03, 2.8 MB MP3 – Download File
15. Finale: “The Exodus Song” – Full Cast, 03:26
15. Concluding Remarks from Mr. Entley, 00:48
NOTES:
All files:
1 I concede that some titles have aged very poorly in the decades since Opus 64 was recorded. Nowhere is this more evident than in music in the Dixieland genre. It is what it is and the times were what they were, however much they have changed since.
Joseph Ervin Jr: Synthesizer Fan 