The Society for the Preservation of Music Hall

THE SOCIETY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF MUSIC HALL
Annual Meeting - September 18, 2006

President Norma Petersen called the Annual Meeting to order on Monday, September 18, 2006, at 6:15 p.m. in Corbett Tower in Music hall. She greeted the trustees and guests.

She thanked CSO Maestro Paavo Järvi and Cincinnati Opera's Artistic Director Evans Mirageas for their kind words about Music Hall. Maestro Järvi commented that "you cannot build an old hall." While Music Hall gives the Maestro "a tremendous sense of history," he pointed out that concert halls in Cleveland and Chicago are spaces where "modern needs are addressed."

Evans Mirageas called Music hall "one of the great architectural treasures of the United States, and one of the greatest performing spaces of the world." He tells singers and conductors around the world, "if you come to Music Hall for the first time, you'll never want to leave." The audience chuckled as he described regularly saluting Reuben Springer's statue in the Music Hall lobby and fantasizing that some late night, after a long day of opera rehearsals, Mr. Springer might rise up like the Commendatore in Don Giovanni.

Norma also thanked College-Conservatory of Music graduate opera student Bronwen Forbay, who thrilled the audience with two soprano solos. She was accompanied by pianist Carol Walker.

Vice Mayor Jim Tarbell, by tradition, played a harmonica solo.

Norma then paid tribute to two important persons: Rupert Doan, who passed away last month, and SPMH co-founder Joyce VanWye, recuperating from an automobile accident, who is absent from an SPMH annual meeting for the first time.

Finally, Norma acknowledged the good work of the Annual Meeting committee: Alberta Marsh, Eileen Knollman, Sue Sommer, Marcella Hsiung, and Sylvia Benjamin.

Treasurer's Report: Treasurer Nancy Wagner reported on the assets, expenditures -- which included chairs for the Music Hall Critics Club, police radios for private-duty security officers and expenses related to the new SPMH office in Music Hall.

Corresponding Secretaries: Dottie Lewis reported that during the past year, 293 acknowledgments of contributions have been sent, including 41 special letters for amounts over $200.

Nominations: Eileen Knollman reported that the following persons have been recommended for election as trustees for 3-year terms at this annual meeting:

•  Marge Hammelrath
•  Kathy Janson
•  Kermit Lovelace
•  Kathryn Shahani
•  Norman Thomas

New officers for 2006-2007 were named. (A full list of current SPMH officers, trustees and honorary members is available here.)

Music Hall Marks: Carol Norris introduced and thanked her committee and particularly acknowledged Lauren Scharf who was responsible for having the Music Hall brochures reprinted. She and her committee work hard to update mailing address lists and they appreciate having changes of address reported. They also always welcome ideas for stories for the newsletter.

Archives: Robert Howes reported that National Geographic's forensic anthropology television special, "Buried Secrets," a project for which he lent his expertise about Music Hall's ghosts, aired in Europe but unfortunately will not be seen in the United States. Howes would like to secure the rights for SPMH to sell DVD copies of the show.

Commenting that historical facts concerning Music Hall's acoustics will hopefully facilitate discussion of any plans for changes, Mr. Howes read from nineteenth-century Music Hall Association annual reports describing the uses of Music Hall, and Samuel Hannford's early stage renovation to improve the facility as a concert hall. Howes proposed changes in the present-day placement of musicians onstage that he believes would allow CSO players to hear their fellow musicians more naturally. He also reiterated that from 1911 to 1936, the CSO played concerts in both the Emery Theatre and Music Hall. He invited everyone to join him in Springer Auditorium after the meeting so that he can show more clearly the adaptations he would recommend.

Music Hall Update: Scott Santangelo, CAA Director of Operations, thanked the Society for the gift of new chairs for the Critics Club.

He reported that the Music Hall tuckpointing project, and the installation of emergency lights, are now complete.

He also reported with regret that Janet Taylor, CAA Vice President and General Manager, has been battling serious illness.

President's Report: Norma reported a remarkable list of accomplishments by the all-volunteer Society for the Preservation of Music Hall, including the following:

•  the SPMH office on the first floor of Music Hall is full furnished. It has a computer, telephone and furniture for small meetings, and room for all committee materials. SPMH is grateful to the CSO for their assistance and cooperation in procuring space for the office.
•  new chairs (comfortable, handsome, stackable) have been purchased for the Critics Club
•  heavy-duty carpet cleaning equipment has been purchased for use by the Music Hall maintenance staff
•  a new agreement with the CSO assists SPMH in maintaining our financial records more accurately and efficiently
•  police radios connected to the Cincinnati Police Communications office have been purchased for use by Music Hall's private-duty security officers
• the proposed installation of the Albee's Mighty Wurlitzer Organ in the Music Hall Ballroom has been facilitated by the efforts of SPMH
• we can all share in the celebration for the Regional Emmy won by the Music Hall documentary program Music Hall: Cincinnati Finds Its Voice, produced by CET in collaboration with SPMH and Cincinnati Museum Center's Historical Society Library
• there is a new Music Hall brochure jsut in time for Tall Stacks

For another perspective on this Board Meeting, please visit Janell Gelfand's blog.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:45 p.m.

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