Title: Morning Musicale House Concerts
Joy Pratt Markham and others in Fayetteville loved and supported the University-Fayetteville Symphony (under its various names). Those who supported the symphony were invited to become members of Morning Musicale, a group who gathered in different members’ homes to listen to live classical music of various kinds. Below is a sampling of newspaper articles describing the Morning Musicale house concerts from 1954 to 1980. I found no articles on the Morning Musicales after 1980. If you knew faculty or students in the Music Department at the University of Arkansas any time between 1954 and 1980, this may be a walk down memory lane.
Northwest Arkansas Times, Feb 13, 1954
“Morning Musicale Is Organized, To Meet Monthly. A group of women were invited to the home of Mrs. Alfred Hathcock yesterday morning for the purpose of organizing the Morning Musicale, a branch of the UA Symphony Society. The function of the organization is to promote the development of the UA Symphony. Meetings are planned for the second Friday of each month. Marx Pales, director of the UA Symphony, met with the group.”
Fayetteville Northwest Arkansas Times, Feb 22, 1954
“In order to enlarge and to improve further the orchestra, it has become necessary to gain financial support beyond the capabilities of the University budget. Dr. Marx J. Pales, conductor of the orchestra, has announced, and the Symphony Society has been formed. “
“Three types of memberships are available in the Symphony Society. Persons contributing a minimum of $15 (unreadable); business sponsors will contribute a minimum of $10, and patrons, $3.”
“A group of sponsors has been formed, to be known as the Morning Musicale of the Symphony Society, who will receive the benefit of a musicale once each month during the school year. Mrs. Herbert Lewis may be contacted by persons interested in musicale membership.”
Fayetteville Northwest Arkansas Times, Mar 16, 1954
“The Morning Musicale Group of the Symphony Society held its first meeting at the home of Mrs. Herbert Lewis Friday morning. Dr. Bruce Benward, chairman of the music department, U. of A., gave a lecture on ‘Let’s Compose’.”
Fayetteville Northwest Arkansas Times, Apr 13, 1954
“The Morning Musicale of the Fayetteville Symphony Society met last Friday at the home of Mrs. William F. Knowles. Mrs. Herbert Butler, cellist, was the performing artist. She was assisted by Robert B. Smith, pianist, and Herbert Butler, cellist, both members of the University music faculty.”
Fayetteville Northwest Arkansas Times, Feb 14, 1955
“The Morning Musicale of the Fayetteville Symphony Society met Friday at the home of Mrs. Emil Sonneman. A musical program was given by Barbara Seagrave, violinist, and William Gant, pianist.”
Fayetteville Northwest Arkansas Times, March 5, 1955
“The Morning Musicale of the Fayetteville Symphony Society will have as guest soloist on March 11 William Moffat, cellist, of the University music faculty. He will be assisted by William Gant, pianist, and Marx Pales, violinist, also of the music faculty. The musicale members will meet at 9:30 am at the home of Mrs. Marius Lindloff. Mrs. Joe Bates will be co-hostess. All members of the society are invited to attend.”
Fayetteville Northwest Arkansas Times, Apr 12, 1955
“Mrs. L. G. Burrell was hostess Friday for the Morning Musicale of the Symphony Society. Musical entertainment was provided by the Woodwind Ensemble of the University, under the direction of Roger Widder, of the music department faculty.”
Fayetteville Northwest Arkansas Times, May 11, 1955
“Eight members of the University Opera Workshop will present an informal program of Lieder and operatic operas for the Friday Morning Musicale at the home of Mrs. Guy Brown, Mt. Sequoyah. Those taking part will be Neva Cram, Mary Puckett, Donna Yoe, Michael Davis, Sarah Grace Martin, Charles Anderson, Carolyn Sager, and William Orton. Accompanists will be Neva Cram, Carolyn Frith, and Signa Shoffner.”
Fayetteville Northwest Arkansas Times, Nov 11, 1957
“Roger Widder, oboeist, was the featured soloist for the Morning Musicale program held Friday morning at the home of Mrs. John T. Caldwell. He was assisted by Bruce Benward, pianist, Marx Pales, violinist, Mrs. Widder, violist, and Herbert Butler, cellist. Mr. Widder also discussed the origin and other aspects of the oboe.”
Fayetteville Northwest Arkansas Times, Feb 18, 1960
“Morning Musicale for sponsors of Fayetteville Symphony Society will be held Friday at 9:30 a.m. in the home of Mrs. John D. Askew. Violinists John Cluff, Barbara Heinen, and Travis Cox, University students of Dr. Marx Pales, will present the program.”
Northwest Arkansas Times, Apr 17, 1962
“The University Faculty String Quartet performed last Friday morning at the home of Mrs. G. D. Nichols for the sponsors of the Fayetteville Symphony Society. They performed The American Quartet by Dvorak, The Prayer of a Bullfighter by Joaquin Turina, and the Scherzo Movement from Quartet Number Two by Mendelssohn.”
Northwest Arkansas Times, Apr 25, 1963
“The Morning Musicale of the Symphony Society will meet at 9:30 a.m. Friday at the home of Mrs. Joy Pratt Markham. The program will be given by Jeanne Pachaly, contralto and Marjorie Brewer, pianist.”
Northwest Arkansas Times, Oct 19, 1964
“Cody Garner, a new member of the voice faculty at the University, was soloist at the first Morning Musicale [of the season] of the Fayetteville Symphony Society Friday in the home of Mrs. Joy Pratt Markham. During the business session, Dr. Marx Pales, conductor of the University-Civic Orchestra, told of the orchestra’s program for the year. “The excellent support given the orchestra by the subscribers to the society,” he said, “has provided enough scholarships to attract a wide range of music students.” Miss Elizabeth Ellis, retiring society president, thanked the members for their cooperation during her six years in office. She introduced Mrs. Heyden Lewis as the new president. Mr. and Mrs. Beldon Wigglesworth were out-of-town guests.”
Northwest Arkansas Times, Apr 25, 1966
“Miss Beatriz Pilapil presented a program of Spanish music at the Fayetteville Symphony Society’s Morning Musicale Friday in the home of Mr. and Mrs. William F. Knowles. The pianist, who has recently returned from a period of music study in Spain, performed three sonatas by Soler, a group entitled “Iberia” by Albeniz, and three compositions by Granados entitled “Goyescas,”, which were inspired by the paintings of Goya. Mr. Marx Pales, conductor of the University Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, announced that the society’s membership drive would enable the group to continue to offer scholarships to maintain the high standards of the orchestra.”
Northwest Arkansas Times, Apr 22, 1968
“The University String Quartet presented the program for the Morning Musicale of the University-Fayetteville Symphony Society at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Parette on Friday morning. The quartet is composed of Joseph McSpadden and Barbara Seagrave, violinists; Roy Nastasi, viola; and Jean Adams, cello; all are faculty members at the University of Arkansas. They played two movements from the Fifth Quartet by Haydn and the Quartet No. 2 by Prokofiev. Mr. McSpadden gave interesting program notes on the second number, telling how Prokofiev was influenced in its composition by folk tunes of the Caucasus region.”
Northwest Arkansas Times, Nov 18, 1970
“Mrs. Joy Pratt Markham will be hostess to the Morning Musicale at her home on Markham Road Friday at 10:00 a.m. Dale Higginbotham, tenor, and Stephan Vann, violist, will present the program.”
Northwest Arkansas Times, Apr 19, 1972
“Mrs. Joy Pratt Markham will be hostess to the Symphony Society’s Morning Musicale at her home on Markham Road, Friday, April 21 at 10:00 a.m. The program, which is the last one for this season, will be presented by Beverly Myer of Springfield, Mo., and Teresa Fream of Muskogee, Okla., freshmen string majors who are recipients of Symphony Society scholarships at the University of Arkansas.”
Northwest Arkansas Times, Apr 24, 1974
“The final Morning Musicale [of the season] for members of the North Arkansas Symphony Society will be Friday at 10 a.m. in the home of Mrs. Joy Pratt Markham on Markham Road. Hostesses will be Mrs. Theodor Avilahl and Mrs. Heydon Lewis. Todd Gordon, baritone and student of Maxwell Worthley, Margaret Holcombe, pianist and student of Carolyn Hickson, and Lyndall Coffield, pianist and student of John Cowell, all University of Arkansas students, will present the program.”
Northwest Arkansas Times, Oct 21, 1974
“The home of Mrs. Cyrus Sutherland was the scene of the Morning Musicale of North Arkansas Symphony Society on Friday. Mrs. Lester Howick was co-hostess. Miss Elaine Cencel, mezzo soprano, assistant professor of voice, accompanied by Dale Millen, piano, assistant professor of piano, of the University of Arkansas faculty, presented the program. Selections heard were “Amour viens aider ma faiblesse!” by Saint-Saens; “Wie Sollten wir Geheim Sie Halten,” R. Strauss; “Von ewiger Liege,” Brahms; “Traume,” Wagner; and selections by Mahler. Guests were Dr. Campbell Johnson, the orchestra’s new conductor, and Mrs. Johnson, Miss Elizabeth Ellis, Mrs. Charles E. Bishop, Mrs. Joy Pratt Markham, Mrs. Victor Watts, Mrs. Roy Rom, Mrs. O. E. Foldvary, Mrs. Louise Bonner, Mrs. Heydon Lewis, president of the Society, Laird Archer, Dr. Wilma C. Sacks, Mrs. Aubrey Harvey, Mrs. Stephen Gates, Roy Nastasi, vice president; and Mrs. Robert Leflar, who presided at the coffee service.”
Northwest Arkansas Times, Nov 24, 1974
“The home of Miss Beatriz Pilapil was the scene of the Morning Musicale Friday when co-hostesses were Mrs. O. E. Toldvary and Mrs. Belden Wigglesworth. Miss Pilapil, pianist, also presented the program “Concerto for Piano No. 2 in G Minor,” by Camille Saint-Saens. She was accompanied at the second piano by Charles Faulk, her graduate piano student in the University of Arkansas Music Department. Mrs. Charles E. Bishop presided at the coffee table following the program which was decorated in an Oriental motif featuring yellow chrysanthemums. Others present were Mrs. Roy James K. Patrick, Mrs. Jerome McRoy, Mrs. George R. Kernodle, Mrs. Roger Widder, Mrs. William Meldrum, Mrs. Aubrey Thomas Hayser, Roy Nastasi, Campbell Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Kerr, Laird W. Archer, Mrs. Joy Pratt Markham, Mrs. Heydon Lewis, Mrs. Lester C. Howick, Mrs. Henry E. Hallin, Mrs. Frances Fish, and Mrs. Neva White.”
Northwest Arkansas Times, Mar 23, 1975
“The North Arkansas Symphony Society presented a Morning Musicale Friday in the home of Mrs. George R. Kernodle. Co-hostesses were Mrs. Jerome McRoy and Mrs. William Bonner. Easter eggs and Easter rabbits decorated the tables where guests were served coffee, Hot Cross Buns, sandwiches, and fruit. Forsythia and daffodils were placed throughout the house. Mrs. Rita Knight Savage, accompanied at the piano by Don Dulzen, presented a program of vocal music, “Alelluia,” by Mozart; “I Shall Go Quietly,” by Donecker; “Shy One,” by Clark; “Aprs Uh Rive,” “Der Musensohn,” and “Fruhlings Glaube,” by Schubert; “Zueignun,” by Strauss; and “Uiss, d’arte,” by Puccini. Guests were Dr. and Mrs. Jacob Sacks, Mrs. O. E. Foldvary, Mrs. Joy Pratt Markham, Mrs. J. D. Eagle, Mrs. Heydon Lewis, Mrs. Carl Lang, Mrs. Roy Rom, Mrs. Robert Clack, Mrs. C. T. Smith, Mrs. Charles E. Bishop, Mrs. W. C. Morton, Mrs. Roy Brumfield, Miss Elizabeth Ellis, Dr. and Mrs. Campbell Johnson, David Savage, and Roy J. Nastasi.”
Northwest Arkansas Times, Oct 4, 1978
“The first Morning Musicale of the season was an event of last Friday at the home of Drs. Andy and Mae Nettleship which was attended by approximately 80 persons, the largest attendance ever for a Morning Musicale. Members of North Arkansas Symphony Society, Guilds and guests heard a program, “Rhapsodie on a Theme of Paganini” by Rachmaninoff played on two pianos by Beatriz Pilapil of the University of Arkansas music faculty, and Campbell Johnson, director of the North Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. They also played an encore “Deep Purple.” The next Morning Musicale is scheduled for Nov. 17 in the home of Mrs. David Newbern. Stephen Gates, cellist, will present the program.”
Northwest Arkansas Times, Apr 13, 1980
“Students from the String School of Arkansas, under the direction of Martha Shackford, will be guest soloists at the final Morning Musicale of the season., sponsored by North Arkansas Symphony Society, Inc., Friday. The event will begin with a coffee hour at 9:30 a.m., the program will start at 10 a.m. in the new portion of Wesley Hall at Central United Methodist Church. Assisting in coordinating plans will be members of the North Arkansas Symphony Guild of Fayetteville. Ms. Shackford acquired special training in the Suzuki method of instruction in New York from Louise Behrend of the Juilliard Faculty and the American Suzuki Institute at Stevens Point, Wisconsin. She opened the String School as a preparatory program in 1978 and now has an enrollment of 62 students, ages 3 years and older.”
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