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Show - 1 ' " ,-". A ' - - j I - " , - ; , , , ' ' 1 1 i . 'v ' " r 4 I 1 yxV-- v r !' f tv 4 r "s 1 ,,0 . s v y i , " V j A s 1 J' I " Faith Moves Mountains Boy choir School Rated Unique Youth and Educational Proiect WNV Features. Faith still moves mountains, provided it has as its motivating moti-vating force a person who refuses to recognize obstacles which to most people would seem insurmountable. Down in Columbus, Ohio, the unbounded faith of one man has proved the major factor in formation and development develop-ment of the Columbus Boychoir School, which in the short span of six years has been accorded national and international interna-tional acclaim in the realm of youth projects and educational V Second major opportunity for the choir came three years ago wher. the choir appeared in concert at th Radio institute's annual conventior at Ohio State university. Leading radio executives arranged to pre. sent the Boychoir in a six-month series of broadcasts. Radio appearances and concerts con-certs brought the work of the choir to the attention of music lovers throughout the nation, with subscriptions guaranteeing future of the school beginning to pour in. Two-thirds of the back salaries now have been paid. Huffman, who had received re-ceived nothing for his labors for the first five years, has started to draw his well-earned wages. The school, which started with faith and a $6,000 budget, has set its goal at $25,000 next year. Lack of housing and boarding fa cilities for out-of-town applicant: has prevented many deserving boyi from taking advantage of thi unique opportunities offered by thi school. To remedy this situation more than $100,000 of a $150,001 quota has been raised in an inten sive building campaign. Plan Major Tours. For the past six years, the Boy choir confined its choral activitie: to Columbus and its environs. Ex panding its activities, the choir con ducted its first organized tou' through the East last spring In response to requests from par ents in all parts of the country, thi Columbus Boychoir summer cam) at Chautauqua, N. Y., was estab lished to make the unique traininj of the school available to boys fron other communities. Supported at first by nothing bu an abounding faith, Columbus Boy choir School today ranks as one o the nation's major achievements u the artistic and educational world enterprises. The idea of a boy school choir was conceived by Herbert Huffman, musical director of the school, who for several years had been minister of music in a Columbus church. Founded on Faith. When the school opened its doors in September, 1940, its chief assets were Huffman's faith and the enthusiasm enthu-siasm of Harry C. Marshall, headmaster. head-master. Although books, blackboards and teachers' salaries were among the missing items, the lack of these usual essentials in the school was a minor factor. The men and boys worked together to-gether for the development of their ideal until their own enthusiasm en-thusiasm began to pay dividends. divi-dends. In launching the unique educational education-al project, the founders termed it a "venture into choral training using music as the means, not the end a motivation, not a goal." The directors di-rectors decided that choral training train-ing held untold possibilities for the educational and moral development of each boy. Actually, the choir had existed two years prior to founding of the school. The boys had rehearsed after their own schools let out, but time did not permit sufficient personal contact between teacher and boys. Form Unique School. The solution was the Columbus Boychoir School of four grades using the standard scholastic cur riculum with emphasis placed on choral training. Admission to the school then and now had two requisites, musical aptitude and the possibility of a good voice. Forty-eight Forty-eight boys attended the opening session, ses-sion, the enrollment increasing consistently con-sistently to reach the present total of 97. A non-profit, interdenominational institution, the school relies on returns re-turns from its own concerts and public subscriptions for support. Although the teachers in the early ear-ly days of the struggling school were given no assurance of a salary, they came anyway as a result of their faith in the genius of Huffman and the conviction that their ideal eventually would be realized. Make Town Hall Debut. In the third year of its existence, the unique, tuition-free organization got its long - awaited opportunity. Siegfried Hearst, representative of the National Concerts and Artists corporation, attended a rehearsal of the Boychoir in Columbus. Captivated Capti-vated by the group, he advised a Town Hall debut in New York. Ignoring Ig-noring the financial drain, the choir went to New York to score its first outstanding success. Reviewers were lavish in their praise. Only disappointment following the Town Hall debut was that the anticipated request from N.C.A.C. to manage the Boychoir failed to materialize. Now, however, the N.C.A.C. has full management of the choir's affairs. ' |