HISTORICAL TRIVIA 1936-1940 - Fulton County Public Library

EMRICK, PROF. PAUL S.
To Realize Ambition of Many Years
The News-Sentinel, May 5, 1936
On Friday evening, May 8th, when the Purdue Symphonic Band
sounds the opening notes of its concert here in Rochester Prof. Paul S.
Emrick will have realized an ambition of many years standing. As a
small boy in Rochester, he played in the Citizens Band, long since
forgotten by the public. It was here that he received his first musical
training.
Now after his many years building up the famous Purdue Band,
known over the entire middle-west as the outstanding collegiate musical
organization in both the fields of marching and symphonic band work,
he has been yearnng to return with his band to Rochester. Although
over a hundred thousand people applauded the Purdue Military Band as
it marched down the streets of Louisville to win a championship cup
last week, and band members hope to repeat the performance in Benton
Harbor tomorrow. Fridays audience may rest assured that Prof.
Emrick has never before presented any unit of his organization with
greater pride than that with which he brings the Symphonic band to his
home town next Friday evening. - - - - -
Rare Instruments
The concert will be played by Purdues entire Symphonic band of
nearly ninety pieces. This band has one of the best instrumentations of
any band in the country, including many rare and expensive instruments
usually found only in symphony orchestras. Among some of the
unusual instruments the band will use Friday evening are the Cathedral
chimes, four sympani, an English Horn, two string basses, four alto
clarinets, three base clarinets, a contra-base clarinet, two oboes, three
bassoons, and a large assortment of traps on which the drummers
produce special effects.
It is interesting to note that there is not a music student in the
band, inasmuch as there is no school of music at Purdue. Band
members are enrolled in either the school of Engineering, Science,
Agriculture, or Pharmacy. - E.F. Kueck.
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