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14 Jun 01 - 06:48 AM (#483164) Subject: Another story From: Auxiris I'd like to tell you yet another story, if I may. . . a true one, though that is certainly not to say that the others I've told in the past are not true, my dear friends. Once upon a time, not so very long ago, though at times it might seem to be, there was a high school choir director whose name was Mr Bay. Not a stuffy, old-fashioned, crumpled suit, dandruffy sort of choir director, but a young, lively, snappy-dressing, imaginative Afro-American one. He had just replaced a choir director of the stuffy, old-fashioned, dandruffy type at the beginning of the term and had spent all the first part of the school year shaking up his various vocal music classes and alternately either coaxing, sweet-talking, bullying or harrassing his students into singing their very best in class. Suddenly all those boring breathing exercises and warm-up scales started to make sense and everyone began to sing much, much better than ever before. Anthony, the class clown who hadn't ever sung with much enthusiam before—let's just say he mumbled his way through most classes— began to enjoy vocal music classes and he even began to practice at home, learning to breathe properly and so on and discovered that his true voice was in the counter-tenor range, even though he was in the tenor section in class. Not even his younger brother's teasing about "Tony sings like a girl" bothered him and more than one of his neighbours stopped to listen when they were passing by if he happened to be singing.
Now, it was the end of October, dear friends and Mr Bay was busy selecting music for the Christmas concert and deciding who would have the solo parts. He announced in class that auditions would be held all week long and the results posted on the main bulletin board the following Monday. Amongst the solos selected for the concert was a piece that Anthony thought he'd like to try out for and signed up on the audition list. He thought he had a good chance to be given the solo, as the song was not only for counter-tenor but the lyrics were in Italian and Anthony had grown up speaking Italian as well as English, thanks to his grandmother. He auditioned for the solo along with others in his class and felt he'd sung the best, as the others were tenors and all the rest of them had to use falsetto to reach the highest notes and he hadn't, being the only true counter-tenor to audition. Indeed, Mr. Bay was rather surprised that Anthony had the least interest in singing a solo, let alone that one—as it was quite difficult—since he'd been warned about this particular student's laziness in class by the previous choir director. Also, Mr Bay had a preference for Alvin, another of his students and finally awarded the solo to him, even though Alvin's voice wasn't nearly as suitable as Anthony's soaring, pure counter-tenor. "I'll just change the key", thought Mr. Bay, "No one will be able to tell the difference and after all, I'm the choir director! Who would dare question my decision?" The following Monday, Anthony went straight to the bullentin board to check the audition results and was shocked to see that the solo had been given to Alvin when he knew he'd sung better and waited until the end of the day to have a word with Mr. Bay. However, Mr. Bay just told Anthony that his decision was final and that he'd have to wait until next year's concert. "But, Mr. Bay, please give me another chance! I've worked so hard and I know the song already. . . I promise you won't be sorry!" pleaded Anthony, only to be told once more that the selection for the concert was final. Struggling to keep back bitter, angry tears, he started for the door and Mr Bay said quietly, almost to himself, "Besides, you didn't really think I'd give you the solo when I've got Afro-Ameri |
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14 Jun 01 - 06:50 AM (#483166) Subject: RE: Another story From: Auxiris can students to choose from, did you?" Aux P.S. I guess maybe that'll teach me to cut and paste. |
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14 Jun 01 - 05:48 PM (#483597) Subject: RE: Another story From: Jeri I'm left wondering what happened next. It's a hell of a place to end the story! Did Anthony keep singing? It seems ironic that a choir director who could so inspire a student would then discourage him so. I hope Anthony didn't give up and eventually found one or more mentors who deserved to share in and nurture his newly found love of music. |
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15 Jun 01 - 01:31 PM (#484312) Subject: RE: Another story From: katlaughing I, too, wonder the same thing, Jeri. Aux, can you please tell us more of this story, if you know how it turned out? Thanks, kat |
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15 Jun 01 - 01:40 PM (#484320) Subject: RE: Another story From: MMario hmmmm- Aux - where did you find this? I've received it in e-mail a couple times over the last two years - and never been able to find it anywhere on the "hoax" or "urban legend" sites. |
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15 Jun 01 - 04:31 PM (#484485) Subject: RE: Another story From: Suffet It has many, but not all, of the hallmarks of an urban legend. I did a search on www.snopes.com and couldn't find anything. Maybe someone like like to post an inquiry to alt.folklore.urban? --- Steve |
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16 Jun 01 - 01:48 AM (#484860) Subject: RE: Another story From: wysiwyg To hell with all that-- Aux, I missed these, and you! Thanks. ~S~ |
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16 Jun 01 - 05:11 AM (#484903) Subject: RE: Another story From: Auxiris Hello, everyone. . . first off, I've been gone for the last six weeks or so to central France to take care of my hybrid irises, but am back now (at least temporarily, till they need me again!).
As to the story. . . yes, it is a hell of a place to leave off, but I cannot really tell you more, except that Anthony-last I knew-has run off to Canada to excape the draft during that mass slaughter known as the Vietnam war. Always did have lots of good sense, Tony. . . uh, Anthony. He didn't like to be called Tony, you see. I do hope he continued to sing, though I may never know, as I have tried to find him from time to time over the years without success.
As far as Mr Bay's (changed name) somewhat contradictory behaviour goes, it's always good to remember that racism is, like many other things, not a one-way street. We were all quite shocked at the time as well.
Now, as to other "urban legend" stories like this one circulating, perhaps there are others out there who remember Anthony and have told this story in their own words. I'm sure he would be more than pleased to have become an urban legend! However, this version (if you like) is one written by yours truly, inspired last year by a thread about discriminating choir directors. . . cheers, Aux
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16 Jun 01 - 07:37 PM (#485172) Subject: RE: Another story From: Irish sergeant If nothing else it teaches the paion racism can cause in even "trivial" things. Very poignant story keep 'em coming Auxiris! Kindest reguards, Neil |
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17 Jun 01 - 03:16 AM (#485322) Subject: RE: Another story From: Auxiris Hi, Neil; at the moment, I am in the process of translating a few African stories found in a French language collection that I purchased in a jumble sale this year. Might take me a while to offer them at the 'Cat. . . depends a lot on how much rain we have here in eastern France and thus how much time I spend in the garden! cheers, Aux
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