1956 Rich East Singing Rockets Choir Trip Summary

RICH TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL
Park Forest, Ill.
SUMMARY OF EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
EASTERN TOUR OF THE 1956 SINGING ROCKETS
Thanks to Michael Clearman for saving this summary for over 56 years!

Rich East 1956 Singing Rockets, Washington DC

THURSDAY - first day - May 3, 1956

An estimated 70 automobiles ushered the 2 buses of Choir members from Rich High to the Matteson I.C. Station, along with the Park Forest Police escort and the Matteson fire truck. Two air-conditioned, reclining chair, stream-lined, light weight coaches were "home" from Matteson to Washington DC and return. Into these two cars, each seating 45, went 76 Choir members (43 girls and 33 boys), 4 school chaperones and Mrs. Coen, 81 large suit cases, 33 train cases (girls only), 1 large trunk of performance materials (music, programs, sailor hats, extra sweaters and slacks, pitch pipes, drums and rhythm instruments, etc.), 1 trouble box (complete first-aid materials, plus spot remover, shoe polish, needles and thread, safety pins, etc.), 1 movie camera case, one large briefcase and three 3'x3'x6' wardrobe cases for the Choir robes, formal dresses and tuxes (for the B'nai B'rith Banquet). The C & O tour representative who accompanied the group throughout the tour was Mr. Lloyd Messmore, He very ably handled many details and on-the-spot prob¬lems. A fine lunch (chicken a la king) was served on the train in a separate, private dining car. Menus were printed "Rich High Singing Rockets". At Cincinnati, the group sang in the large, beautiful terminal and sounded like 300 voices in a cathedral, The short 10 minute performance in the center of the terminal stopped practically all movement! The evening meal in our private dining car was equally delicious, Mr. Coen and Mr* Hoel ate with the C & O General Passenger Agent who happened to be on the train. The group in¬vited him back to their cars and promptly serenaded him for half an hour!

He was tremendously impressed and promised to get many friends to watch the Sunday TV Show. About 9:00 PM, 80 Cokes were brought to the two cars for a brief Coke party.

FRIDAY - second day - May 4, 1956

The conductor and two brakemen commented that the group was the most courteous and polite high school group they had ever seen on the road in 20 years. Another very fine meal in our dining car - breakfast, choice of eggs and toast or cooked or dry cereal with all the trimmings! Arriving in Washington 30 minutes late, the group hastened across town to Cal-Coolidge Senior High School, reported to be the largest and finest in the city. (1400 students greeted the group and were, without a doubt, the most appreciative audience of the entire tour.) Soloists Joy Parducci and Ann Perez both captivated the audience as did the "Dames" song and twirler, Gloria Benson. The group sang well as the audience's warmly expressed appreciation increased and increased. The school's Principal commented that it was the finest program the school had ever had (they have assembly programs each week throughout the school year). Wonderful weather throughout the trip, the group went directly to the Capitol steps, met and were photographed with Congressman William E. McVey, and heard read the descriptive statement which appeared in the Congressional Record (May 3, 1956, page A3545). Copies of both the Record and the Capitol steps photo,were obtained for each Choir member, The actual Capitol steps performance (30 minutes long) stopped all traffic and delighted more than 14,000 people who either were there, passing by or heard the group and came several blocks to hear and see better. Lunch followed (instead of before the performance as originally planned) at the outstanding Scholl's Restaurant . the best of the three cafeterias in which the group ate. Sightseeing included the very symbolic Supreme Court Building, the ornate but impressive Capitol Building and the Library of Congress. Especially interested students also visited the nearby Shakespearean Library. Another good meal (food cost about $1.00 - $1.50 per meal) - a short walk back to the hotel and a swimming party was gotten together. This was especially attractive since the group was in Choir sweaters all day long and the temperature was a very humid 74 degrees.

SATURDAY - third day - May 5, 1956

Up early to breakfast and back to check out to catch the 8:00 AM train (Pennsy electric - again two streamlined, light weight cars). Three buses to the train station, 30,000 safety patrol boys were descending upon Washing¬ton for the annual parade - hundreds of buses were waiting at the terminal for them. The first of the three Choir buses got to the station ahead - the 28 aboard quickly boarded the train. Buses 2 and 3 were delayed due to the traffic jam - delayed enough to result in the rest of the Choir missing the 8:00 AM train by 4 minutes. After a brief wait, the Station Master (who knew we were split before we did because the C & O tour representative had explained the problem before he accompanied the 28 earlybirds), arranged for two extra coach cars on the 9:00 AM train. The 28 earlybirds detrained in Baltimore (an hour or so out) and waited for the rest of the group coming on the 9:00 AM train. As a result, the entire group was together again and was also host to the U. S. Naval Academy baseball team who were en route to play the U. of Pennsylvania. They requested some music - promptly they were serenaded! In return, an Irish tenor sang for the group. Arriving in New York, the group checked in their hotel, ate a very hardy lunch (averaging $2.50 per student in a cafeteria) in order to save time on the afternoon schedule. Lower Manhattan was thoroughly explored enroute to the Statue of Liberty ferry boat. Broadway, Wall Street, China Town, Times Square, Mott Street, Fifth Avenue, several bridges, an arch, and so on were described by the tour bus driver. Out to the Statue of Liberty, a busy hour going up the Statue and back to the Battery. Bonnie First steered the ferry boat over a mile on the return trip - and has evidence to prove it! Time did not per¬mit the Rockefeller Center tour (because of the lost time on the train mix-up) and the Radio City show was made with 8 minutes to spare. Dinner at last, following Radio City, and to bed.

SUNDAY - fourth day - May 6, 1956

Free time for church attendance after breakfast (compulsory as usual) and a 10 AM check in for the United Nations Tour. This was one of the high points of the entire tour and is a definite must for anyone in or near New York City. A fine souvenir shop with wares from all over the world is a part of the U.N. Bldg. After lunch in the poorest of the three cafeterias the group ate in, the Choir walked down Broadway to CBS Studio No. 50 for rehearsal. After 4 hours of watching Tony Martin, Nat "King" Cole, Terry Lynch, Will Jordan and Ray Bloch and orchestra rehearse, the Singing Rockets were called on stage. They were ready and impressive. All stagehands were spellbound - quote Ed Sullivan: The Choir is better than the college groups I've had on my show! After a 6:30-7:30 dress rehearsal with Ed Sullivan, the show had to be cut down in time. Off went two acts until next week, one song was cut from Tony Martin's three but the Singing Rockets stayed on. That's all we wanted and by that time more than we dared hope for. After the performance, and Mr. Sullivan's regret that he and his wife and his daughter couldn't join the group at a late dinner celebration, the Choir ate a fine charcoal broiled steak dinner in the Californian Restaurant's private balcony area.

And then it rained! After hopefully waiting,... and waiting .... the girls were taxied back to the hotel. One taxi, five at a time. The boys waited, left to return via local bus, and decided to walk as the rain finally stopped. They sang all the way back and the cliff dwellers loved it. They said so.

MONDAY - fifth day - May 7 1956

Back to Washington early in the morning after breakfast. No Dave Garroway performance as the local unions say regular employees would be deprived work (this decision came as a result of the Florida High School band appearance two weeks earlier.) Lunch at that fine Washington cafeteria and off to Howard University - a beautiful hill top campus. A fine performance from 3:30 until 5:15 with both the Choir and the director at their best. The attentive audience, largely music students, was utterly spellbound. Another equally attentive audience congregated in the hotel lobby that evening as tired students mingled with other high school students on tours and - you guessed it - they began to sing! 2 hours later, when the group of about 35 returned from the National Symphony Orchestra performance of "Music for Young Americans", they joined the lobby group and literally attracted hotel guests and pedestrians from rooms and the street to the lobby to listen.

Countless men and women stated that they had never heard such wonderful sing¬ing - but more important they had not seen students, away from home, behave and enthusiastically enjoy singing together without a chaperone or director standing over them. And then to bed.

TUESDAY sixth day - May 8, 1956

A full day - sightseeing, the B'nai B'rith performance, and to the train to start home. First to the FBI, where the agent in charge said: "We heard you on TV - you must sing a number before we'll show you around." And sing they did! Windows opened on the large courtyard of the FBI building and people looked out from more than 10 stories high. Everywhere the group went, their fame had preceded them. On to the White House for a very brief tour - the touring people numbered in the thousands on another simply beautiful day. A quick stop at the Smithsonian Institution completed the AM. Lunch and check out of the hotel with suits and dresses on hangers in the tour buses. Luggage directly to the railroad station. Sport clothes on for sight-seeing all afternoon. First to Arlington (cemetery and national monument – Tomb of Unknown Soldier) for the changing of the guard of the Tomb, then to Mt. Vernon some 20 miles south on beautiful, scenic highways along the Potomac River. The Pentagon building was passed enroute. Mt, Vernon offered an hour of pleasant walking with everything in blossom. Returning, the group again tired from a long, eventful day, passed by the Jeffersonian Memorial due to time and stopped to walk up to the tremendously impressive and dig¬nified yet simple monument which is the Lincoln Memorial. From its 80 steps or so can be seen the reflecting pool of the Washington Monument with the Monument directly behind. This magnificent scene was the last stop. After a very hectic short while in the Sheraton Park Hotel where everyone seemed to know what was going on but us, the group changed clothes, rehearsed brief¬ly and sat down to excellent steak, banquet style (more silverware than any¬one knew what to do with!) The list of distinguished guests included 150 representatives and Senators, countless officials from foreign countries from Ambassadors on down, to guest speaker Secretary of State John Foster Dulles. The speech was filmed for TV, newsreel releases and recorded for later radio release as well as live radio on NBC and Mutual. The Choir was most generous¬ly and graciously introduced by B'nai B'rith International President Phillip Klutznick (Choir member Tom's Dad) and they proceeded to perform at their best. The somewhat stuffy audience (no disrespect attended) warmed up after the first number and were very enthusiastic thereafter. This banquet and all that went with it was quite impressive and shall be long remembered by all. At 10:00 PM the group left for the train, enjoying ice cold Pepsi-Cola after boarding their two fine cars (same ones the group used coming to Washington,) A big, all night party was planned but a portion of the Choir (who shall forever remain nameless) decided to sleep instead. The taunts of the party planners toward the party-poopers drowned out the tired sighs of relief of the chaperones. And so the long day ended.

WEDNESDAY - Seventh day - May 9, 1956

Still enroute home, the boys and girls arose and remained quite aloof towards each other as a result of the failure of the all-night party. As the boys passed through the girls' coach on their way to breakfast, the world's best pillow fight began. The group had some 1140 pillows to use at night on the train - these were very effectively manipulated by the fairer sex who also out- numbered the boys. Peace was restored without armistice or mediation - the pillows were simply collected by the car porter. Casualties included several scratched arms and one cut on the bridge of Bonnie First's nose. The brief battle put to rest the previous evening's feelings and a quiet AM was enjoyed by all. At Cincinnati about 2:30 PM a surprise cake (Congratulations to the Singing Rockets from Red (Coen) and Jay (Hoel) and dixie cups were put aboard and were quickly consumed. A bull session concerning the entire tour, its problems, high points, mistakes; good and bad aspects, suggestions to chaperones, and general gripes, was held, A good time was had by all. Before we knew it, dinner had passed and the train was slowing down for Matteson. We were home. Almost. The Band, the parents: the town officials, and the students hadn't forgotten us after all! What a wonderful welcome! Even the Key to the town! And so it came to an end . . . but not in our memories for a long, long time. If ever.

SUMMARY

1. Total cost of the tour - approximately $8030,00
Tour "package" - $7672.00
Doctor bills & medicines - $31,75 (* 2 sore throats and one cut nose treated by doctors)
Kodachrome 16 mm film - $160.00
Publicity, programs, telegrams - $92.00
Miscellaneous (Cokes, taxis, - $73.00 - swimming pool, towels, telephone, guests and countless odds and ends)
Lens cap (lost) - 0.50

2. Total value of tour - absolutely priceless! Both the chaperones and the students agree - it was a completely wonderful event in our lives, long to be remembered, if not forever.

3, There was not one single act of misconduct requiring any discipline whatsoever.

4. Time after time after time - beyond count - the group was told they were the most polite, most courteous, best behaved, most mature, finest performing, best singing, most neatly dressed, most good looking group of high school students ever to visit Washington or New York or ride a sight-seeing bus or travel on a train or on a ferryboat or walk down a street or sit in a hotel lobby.

Last but by no means least, the chaperones unanimously agree that in no way could the group have been better. They are willing and ready to go anywhere, anytime, for as long as anyone wants to stab with this wonderful group of kids who are the "fabulous" (quote Ed Sullivan) Singing Rockets, the finest high school choir in the nation. How many chaperones would say that?

And so it comes to an end.

This condensed, summarized report was written by the Chaperone in charge, Alban Wasson Coen II, The other chaperones included Mr. W. Jay Hoel, Mrs. Laura Baillie, and Mrs. Dacia Fahler. Mrs. Coen accompanied the group as an extra adult with no official duties.

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