1958 Senior Band
1958 Varsity Flagtwirlers
Carol,
It was nice seeing the note from Chuck Anspach ('60). Many of your readers might
not know that
Chuck was one of the best if not the best trumpet player to grace the halls of
NNHS.
Guys like me and Van Rowell ('65 - of NC) were decent, but Chuck was
off-the-charts fabulous. We were no where close to him.
Chuck, do you still play?
- Craig Miller ('63) of FL - 04/13/05
Hi Carol -- the
comments by Craig Miller ('63) of FL about great trumpet players at NNHS brought
back a memory that I
enjoy recalling from time to time. Craig most likely wouldn't have had the
pleasure of witnessing Senior Assembly 1958.
Julius Benton ('58), John Nickey ('59) and Chuck Anspach ('60) performed
"Bugler's Holiday", and brought the house down.
There was not one sour note between the three. To this day I still consider it
the most incredible musical performance
I have ever witnessed at any level -- including professional performers -- and I
have seen some great ones.
It still brings chills recalling it.
Julius continued performing professionally with local bands for many years. Of
course, Renee Helterbran Benton ('59)
would be most willing to talk your ears off about that subject. ;-)
- Ron Miller ('59) of NC - 04/15/05
BUGLER'S
HOLIDAY! That's it! I, of course, didn't see the Senior Assembly in '58 either.
(They tended not to invite the fifth
graders from Magruder to those events.) But I remember watching them perform
that in concert - I assume it was the spring concert.
WOWZERONI!!! The chills you experienced must have been universal! Their notes
still ring in my mind after all these years.
Thanks so much, Ron! What a great memory to share with us!
Carol
The trumpet section in the '58 Anchor, p. 86 were from left to right:
Donald Tugwell, Julius Benton, Dan Rouse, Jimmy Grubbs, Wayne Johnson, Bill
Prillaman,
Chuck Anspach, Norman Dick.
A special thanks to Ronnie Miller ('59 - of NC) for all his kind words about
Julius, Johnny, and Chuck playing Bugler's Holiday.
I never tired of hearing it and only wished someone had recorded them. They
were true showstoppers!
- Renee Helterbran Benton ('59) of VA - 04/21/05
TA-DAH! Thanks, Renee!
Hi Carol -- just
one last comment about the performance of "Bugler's Holiday".
You put into words what I was trying to say in my initial comments about their
performance:
"And of course, a special everlasting thanks to Julius Benton ('58), Johnny
Nickey ('59) and Chuck Anspach ('60) for sharing
their tremendous talent with us all and leaving us to forever recall something
that astoundingly beautiful and magical."
For anyone who has an appreciation of music and how difficult it is to achieve
such perfection,
their performance was an astoundingly beautiful and magical moment, suspended
forever in time.
That may sound overly dramatic to some, but -- you just had to be there to fully
appreciate it.
Many thanks to those three fabulous trumpet players for giving me (and I'm sure
countless others)
a moment that brings pleasure whenever it is recalled.
- Ron Miller ('59) of NC - 04/25/05
Thanks, Ronnie!
I will admit that in my childlike wonder of practically everything,
I am sometimes prone to overuse of superlatives - but not this time. The words
all seem inadequate.
I have been thru
the Class of 65 website many times and always find something new each time I go
-
if not new just something that I did not see the last time. One small
correction needed that I saw tonight.
1958 Band Page. You have a picture of trumpet players. All of the names are
correct except mine. Billy
Prillaman was a trombone player from my class of 1960. My name, Albert Simms,
should replace his.
You will also note that I signed the yearbook from which this photo was scanned
and that there is a faint
arrow pointing to the top of my flattop haircut. Who's ever yearbook this was
is apparently some girl
who I thought was real cute.................... Was that you????????
- Al Simms ('60)
of VA - 12/13/05
No, Sweetie, that was my sister (Eleanor Buckley Nowitzky - '59 - of NC). And of
course, she's real cute.
She's my sister!!! WILDEST GIGGLES!!! You have no idea how I agonized over
that photograph -
and your inscription, for that matter! Thanks for finally correcting it!
Bugler's Holliday
- Leroy Anderson
"Bugler's
Holliday" midi - courtesy of
http://www.trumpetstudio.com/midi.html - added
on 11/20/08,
in honor of Julius Benton ('58) who passed away this morning.