The Daily Times-News, B Section, Friday, October 19. 1951
Virgil Fox Draws Praise In Recital; Many Visitors Here
By HOWARD WHITE
The new four-manual Standaart organ in ‘Williams High School one of the finest instruments ever to be found in this area, could also be one of the most, difficult to play. But it met its master last night.
Virgil Fox, recognized as one of America’s leading concert organists, officially presented the organ to more than 2,300 people in his audience last night and to the people of Burlington and Alamance County in general, with a series of compositions that seemingly expressed most every mood and effect that can come from great music.
It was an appreciative audience, too, bringing together many of the state’s leading musicians and also the layman, whose lesser knowledge of music he forgot to .some extent as be marveled at the extent of the new organ and the man who was showing it off.
There wasn’t a person in the audience who did not agree with Dr. L. E. Spikes, city school superintendent, when he said: “To the music lovers, we want you to know that this organ is here for you to play. We want you to use it. After seeing Mr. Fox play it until late last night, again this afternoon and tonight, I’m sure you can’t hurt it.”
The man whose love of sports might be greater than his love of good music could have described Fox as having some of the best “footwork” he ever saw, qualifying him well for an appearance in a boxing match or as a fleet-footed triple-threat halfback on the football field. That’s because Fox literally danced as he sat at the console, his feet moving swiftly and with ease and accuracy over the bass notes, while his hands were on the keys or regulating the stops. Both his feet and hands had to operate independently and with certainty, but through it all his result was a pleasing, artistic program that left the audience with much enthusiasm and joy.
One of the features of his program came at the very end when it appeared that applause from the audience would not permit him to stop. Fox gave a direct, patriotic appeal to his listeners to join him in song. “We may not know all the words to this song, but I will not subscribe to the theory that a person cannot sing. All you have to do to sing in unison, is to breathe and let it out. I want you to raise your voices so that neighbors for miles around will know that you are here.” He then announced his song as “America, The Beautiful.”
The response of the audience was so great, so enthusiastic and of such tribute to his call that he was later moved to comment: “When I can get my church audience to sing like that, I will have considered myself a partial success.”
As the song was completed, the audience stood in silence, in prayer as Fox requested, as the musician left the organ and stage.
The recital actually was of threefold significance. The first included great music, that which has been appreciated through the ages and designed to not only please an audience but also to exercise to the fullest the qualifications of the organ and the abilities of the organist.
The second phase was in an informal understanding which Fox permitted his listeners to have. He explained many of his selections, giving a brief history of the time in which they were written. He then imagined the scene depicted by the needs that resulted. One called for a visit, alone, to the top of one of the Great Smokey Mountains, looking across the vast wonders of Mother Nature. Of Bach’s “Toccata in F Major,” he said “the music had lived because it was made of “stiffer, sterner stuff. A Bach toccata in the kind of music that can give you inspiration at 8 o’clock on a Monday morning,” he said.
This informality, and consideration, undoubtedly permitted his audience to be more appreciative.
The third phase was a great pride that the audience had in the instrument the artist played.
Many wondered if there could be an organ that would meet the demands of its master more completely than the one that is here in Burlington now for use and enjoyment. Many others wondered if there might be one key, one tonal effect left that was not heard during the night. What the organ will mean to this and future generations of local citizens certainly was the basis of much thought by many of the listeners.
As the key was turned on to move the console from its bed into an elevation above the stage level and in clear view of the audience, there was a great sigh to emanate from the audience.
The appreciation of the audience was clearly shown. When Dr. Spikes, from the stage, recognized Dr. Adrian Standaart of Suffolk, Va. as the builder, there was thunderous applause for him.
Next, when Dr. Spikes recognized Mr. and Mrs. Walter M. Williams as the donors, having them stand from their seats, there was a rising tribute and applause.
More than 30 employees of the Standaart plant in Suffolk were among the approximately 300 visitors from throughout the state who joined local residents for the concert.
Immediately following the program, the Burlington Music Club entertained at a reception in the school cafeteria for Mr. Fox, out-of-town visitors, and invited guests.
After the concert, Dr. Standaart said: “This auditorium is the most acoustically perfect I have ever seen in Europe and America, excepting none.”
Mr. Fox said: “It has been an uplift for me to come into a city like Burlington and to see the organ, as a concert instrument, in its proper setting in such a splendid hall. The people who live in this area and who will work in the school are extremely lucky to be able to practice and play the organ in an auditorium that is not wrecked by acoustical plaster. When the singer, as well, makes a sound from the stage, it will not be dampened but will be heard, and I believe you will find that it will become a favorite place for the artist to perform. The voice will be given a chance to bloom and not echo in the auditorium. As long as I live I will never forget the way the audience responded to the singing of that song.”
The program:
I
Concerto in F Major (Handel)
**Larghetto
**Vivace
**Alia siciliano
**Allegro
Come Sweet Death (Bach)
Toccata in F Major (Bach)
II
Dreams (McAmis)
Sonata in F Minor (Mendelssohn)
**Allegro maestoso
**Adagio
**Andante recit
**Finale
III
Roulade (Seth Bingham)
Perpetuum Mobile (Middleschulte)
**(Etude for Pedals alone)
Prelude and Fugue in G Minor (Dupre)