100 years of music

Note: A celebration about 100 years of music

Pittsburg State University celebrated a century of music Sunday with a day of special concerts.

Music has been a part of the school's history since the early years. Kansas State Manual Training Normal School was established on March 6, 1903, and the Normal School orchestra made its first public appearance at an all-school assembly program in 1905.

The Kansas Board of Regents officially recognized the PSU music program as a department in September 1908.

The day started with a PSU faculty recital, followed by a special tribute concert to Walter McCray, who became second music department chairman in September 1914. Southeast Kansas Symphony and PSU choirs performed portions of Handel's "The Messiah."

Note: They really like having shows.

Randy Roberts, PSU Special Collections curator, noted that one of the first things McCray did was suggest to William Brandenburg, president, that the school should have a week-long music festival with a performance of "The Messiah."

"Brandenburg said that it would be a fine thing, if it could be done," Roberts said. "McCray replied that there was talent enough here for it."

The music was started in 1915, and Roberts said the first "Messiah" was a huge success, with a choir of 150 voices and 1,500 in the audience.

Note: He handled a choir of 150 voices, that is pretty amazing.

"In 1917, they had 400 in the choir," Roberts said. "McCray especially enjoyed involving non-music majors and area citizens in these productions."

In 1920, McCray started an interstate music competition for high school students at the school. He also invited well-known musicians to perform at the school, including John Philip Sousa and numerous opera stars.

Note: To see opera stars perform is a very proud moment for me.

"The annual music festival and the interstate competition added to the prestige of the school," Roberts said.

He added that the Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce also urged merchants to appropriately decorate their businesses during the music festival to take advantage of the thousands of visitors the event brought to the community.

In 1929, a separate building was constructed for the music department. First called Music Hall, it was rededicated in 1961 as McCray Hall.

Note: To be a well-known teacher and your named be branded to a special place is a very proud feeling.

McCray resigned as music chairman in 1946, and retired from the school in 1947. He died in 1959 in Galveston, Texas.

Jack Overman, former longtime director of the Overman Student Center, said he knew McCray well.

"I sang under him during my junior and senior years of high school, and all four years of college," he said. "He was a great man and a fantastic director. McCray really is the one that made the music department what it is. We've had a lot of wonderful chairmen since that time, but he laid the foundation."

Overman said he enjoyed the centennial activities, which concluded with a special alumni reunion band concert at Pittsburg Memorial Auditorium.

"It's been a wonderful day, and a wonderful 100 years," Overman said.