Tag: Saturday Club

The Saturday Club – the Musical Coterie of Wayne

/ Emma C. Patterson

The Book of Programs compiled by the Musical Coterie from its files covering a period of 15 years was a noteworthy achievement. Published in 1925 and copyrighted by Miss H. Velma Turner, the book received favorable comment from many sources, selling throughout the entire United States. Among those who enthusiastically endorsed it were George C. Gow, head of the department of music at Vassar College and Helen Pulaski Innes, conductor of the Matinee Musical Club Chorus of Philadelphia.

The book was most convenient in size and makeup. Measuring six by eight inches with table of contents and complete index, the 116 programs contained in it were arranged according to periods, nationalities and individual composers. There were more than 300 of these composers, and made up of all nationalities, its scope ranged from early Italian music to that of the ultra-modern French and Russian.

Of the general work of the Coterie at the time this book was published, Stanley Neuschamp, in a special feature article written for the Philadelphia Inquirer in June, 1925, says: “All of the good work in the case of music is not the result alone of the playing of the large orchestras, nor the singing of the great opera companies. It is well within the domains of the smaller organizations and the music clubs to foster a love for music and to cultivate it.

“The Musical Coterie of Wayne, our suburban neighbor, has been studying the master-musicians and their works for 15 years, during which time they have covered enormous areas of musical ground. The recording officer, Miss H. Velma Turner, has kept a record of their meetings. These records, consisting of programmes presented during the 15 years now ending, cover the subject of the nationalistic and racialistic in music; the classic, romantic and modern periods, and conclude with a series of programmes each devoted exclusively to the works of one composer.”

Another noteworthy achievement of the Musical Coterie was the establishment of a Memorial Library in 1929 to honor the deceased members of the organization. The books, chosen with much thought, included those of biography, of history of music, or symphonies; indeed all manner of musical literature. There were also bound volumes of vocal music and piano music. All these have been housed for some time in the Memorial Library of Radnor Township, where they are available not only to Coterie members, but to Library members as well. The Library also devotes several shelves to vocal scores.

Book plates for the books given in memory of deceased Coterie members were designed by Miss Lecian von Bernuth, of Strafford. The latter has made “an exquisite adaptation of the Melozza da Forte angel of the vatican collection,” an adaptation which “has conveyed in feeling manner the spirit of reverence so in keeping with a memorial of his kind.”

Each book plate bears the name of the Coterie member whose memory it has been given. Among these names are those of Mrs. Robert LeBoutillier, Mrs. Charles Walton, Mrs. Parke Schoch, Mrs. John Dunlap, Mrs. Joseph Clegy, Mrs. Spiers and Mrs. R. E. Hinkel. Miss Turner had much to do with the original selection of books, and served as Coterie Librarian for some time. Among others who have served in this capacity are Miss Alvira Echert and more recently, Mrs. G. Rishton Howell.

The chorus of the Coterie has always been one of the main features of programs given for the public. On several occasions the organization has also sponsored mixed choruses, one of the long remembered of these occasions being an evening party at the LeBoutillier home when the Euterpean joined forces with the Coterie. The Euterpean was for many years an outstanding men’s musical group in Wayne. The name of William Bentz is one always remembered by early Coterie chorus members. “Community Sings” at the High School were one of the means of offsetting the effects of “the depression” on the community.

The Junior Musical Coterie was established in 1926 as a means of developing and giving expression to the talents of youngsters of the community. Programs were given by the members ranging in age from six to sixteen years. On some of them from time to time great artists explained various musical instruments to their youthful listeners and then presented numbers in explanation. Mrs. Robert P. Elmer and Miss Turner had much to do with the early development of the Junior Musical Coterie, which today is a flourishing branch of the parent organization, giving concerts of its own at regular intervals.

Early in its career the Coterie joined the Pennsylvania Federation of Music Clibs, one of those presidents was said in writing to Miss Lillian Walter during her Coterie presidency, “Your club has been one of the outstanding clubs in the Federation, and its splendid achievements have been noted all over the state and nation . . . It is through contact with such club as yours that we grow in national work, generating new ideas.”

It was during the presidency of Mrs. Thomas Blackadder, which extended from 1935-1937 that the Coterie celebrated the 25th anniversary of its founding with a dinner held at the Aronimink Golf Glub, when guests included Coterie husbands.

Mrs. Humbert B. Powell was the Coterie’s first president, with an eight year term of office lasting from 1911 to 1919. She was followed by many noteworthy successors, including Mrs. Jessie Fulweller Spiers, Miss H. Velma Turner, Mrs. Charles H. Howson, Mrs. Winfield W. Crawford, Mrs. E. Bisbee Warner, Mrs. Thomas E. Walton, Miss Lillian A. Walter, Mrs. George P. Orr, Mrs. Thomas Blackadder, Miss Gladys Lawton, mrs. F. Ashby Wallace, Mrs. L. Wayne Arny, Mrs. G. Rushton Howell, Mrs. Spencer V. Smith, Mrs. Wesley P. Dunnington and Mrs. Esmond R. Long the incumbent.

Other officers in addition to Mrs. Long include Mrs. Alfred N. Watson, vice-president; Mrs. E. D. Ziegler, recording secretary; Mrs. George V. Woodrow, corresponding secretary, and Miss Margaret Howson, treasurer. Directors include Mrs. Richard H. Clare, Miss Gladys Lawton, Mrs. Roy Fuller and Mrs. A. B. Wheeler. Committee chairmen are Mrs. Dunnington, program; Mrs. Hugh H. Spencer, Junior Coterie; Mrs. Spencer V. Smith, Librarian; Mrs. Orrin C. Knudsen, String Ensemble; Mrs. Wheeler, Chorus; Mrs. Watson, membership; Mrs. Blackadder, publicity and Mrs. Wallace, Camp and Hospital.

Meetings are held on the third Monday afternoon of each month at the homes of various members. The Christmas Concert is always an evening affair, held in conjunction with the Saturday Club. The Spring Concert is another large affair while the annual meeting, followed by a musical program, closes the season.

A quotation from Elbert Hubbard heads the season’s printed program for the year:

“Art is not a thing separate and apart–art is only the beautiful way of doing things.”

(Conclusion)

A Happy New year to all the readers of this column from Mrs. Patterson!

The Saturday Club – original history and Christmas 1951

/ Emma C. Patterson

In the month of the Christ Child’s birth, our hearts turn with reverence tot he simple beauty of that far away scene, when in the lowly manger, “The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.” Now, almost 2000 years later, in times of such fears and forebodings as the world has never before known, the hearts of mankind turn to that scene in humble supplication, that there may yet be a time of “peace on earth, good will to men.”

Except in our churches, there are, perhaps, no times when groups of people can feel this unanimity of Christian hope so strongly as they do when they come together for a presentation of Christmas music. Many in the audience assembled in the Saturday Club on Tuesday evening of last week for the Musical Coterie Christmas Concert must have felt this, when at the close oft he program, all were asked to join in the singing of Christmas carols. As voices rose in the lovely strains of such old favorites as “Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful” and “O, Littls Town of Bethlehem”, all could feel the upsurging of hope for real peace on earth that to all Christians is symbolized by Christ’s Birth.

This Christmas concert is now an annual event to which the community is always welcomed. Started some years ago by the Musical Coterie, Wayne’s oldest extant musical organization, it is now a joint affair of the Coterie and the Saturday Club. This year’s program opened, as it usually does, with a group of Christmas songs, sung by the chorus. After several piano solos, a string ensemble number and one of vocal solos, the chorus again made its appearance to close the foremost program before the general singing of Christmas carols. The Concert is, in truth, a real contribution to the community.

On February 10 of the coming year, the Coterie will celebrate 41 years of continuous activity, having been organized in 1911 at the home of Mrs. Humbert Borton Powell, The Powells then lived in the large yellow house on the north side of the 200 block of Windermere avenue, which was their home for many years before they moved to Devon.

Mrs. Powell was the newly-formed organization’s first president, serving for the first eight years of its existence from 1911 to 1919. Other charter members were Mrs. Robert LeBoutillier, Mrs. Charles Walton, Mrs. Chlarles C. Shoemaker, Mrs. David Hoopes, Mrs. Frederick P. Ristine, Mrs. Sheldon Catlin, Miss H. Velma Turner, Mrs. W. H. Sayen, Miss Marguerite Elder, Mrs. Rufus Waples, Miss Grace C. Roberts and Mrs. Thomas E. Walton. Others among the community’s musically talented residents soon joined these original 13, until shortly thereafter some 50 women were in active membership.

In 1911, as in 1951, there were many women in Wayne and its general vicinity who had had extensive musical training. Many of them were married women with young children, who, without some direct incentive and objective, found it more than difficult to continue their musical activities. Among older women in the group Mrs. Walton and Mrs. LeBoutiller were, perhaps, especially inspirational in their leadership, and in planning ways and means by which all the members of the newly-formed Coterie should find expression for their talents. Or Mrs. LeBoutillier, one of the club’s charter members recently said to your columnist: “Her idea was to present a worthwhile musical number, no matter what the seeming difficulties were. If two hands were not enough, then get four hands, or even six . . . if one piano did not suffice, then get two.”

There was never any thought of exploiting the individual with talent. Rather, it was to benefit the group by presenting opportunity for all to take part in the presentation of programs and to participate in the study groups. At first, only women who were willing to take part in programs, either by performing or by writing papers, were asked to join.

Later, those who were to be listeners only were admitted, thus greatly enlarging the membership as well as altering the original character and purpose of this musical organization. As time passed, membership became more geographically extended. Largely local to Wayne in the beginning, it now embraces the entire Main Line, as well as a number of its neighboring suburbs. It is still essentially of Wayne, however, always retaining its original name of Wayne Musical Coterie.

Although primarily a woman’s organization, it has at times had men soloists on its programs and at other times has joined with men’s choruses. In 1926 the Junior Section of the Coterie was formed to further the mutual interest of talented children of the community.

Among notable achievements of the musical group was the publication in 1925 of a book of programs compiled from those presented during the first 15 years of the Coterie existence. In 1929 a Memorial Library was established, with each volume in it given in memory of a deceased member of the organization. Neither wars nor depressions have called a halt to its existence, which ahs now been one of more than 40 years’ continuity.

(To be Continued)

A Merry Christmas from Mrs. Patterson to all the readers of this column, whose interest is a great inspiration in preparing her material for presenting Wayne and its environs, both of the past and of the present. To these readers, an especial thanks for the almost daily expressions of their interest. Again, Merry Christmas. E. C. P.