Music in Mound

From the very beginning of the Mound Consolidated High School District, the school board decided to provide music opportunities. In September 1917, the board authorized Superintendent Arnold Gloor to hire a music teacher for one month on trial. All students in the K-12 building would benefit.

In the 1920s, Arlys Denzel was the music teacher, directing both the chorus and the orchestra. Lillian Nelson (class of 1929) and Florence Noreen Breen (class of 1933) sang in the chorus: "There was a women’s chorus, a male chorus and mixed chorus. It was lots of fun. Miss Denzel was a good teacher. She went on to teach music at Macalester College."

Girls Glee Club 1923
Classroom Voices, p. 320

Orville Cressy (class of 1932) sang first tenor in the quartet. The other three boys were seniors when Cressy was a sophomore. He recalled: "We sang all over the place. We sang at a lot of funerals. Once, a group of eight girls and eight boys from Mound joined with a group of 800-1000 singers. We sang at the University of Minnesota at the 75th anniversary of the University about 1930. At one point, they called the name of the quartet from Mound to sing, and a couple of the guys were outside, so we didn’t get to sing on the radio."

Clarence Krotzer (class of 1933) was in a quartet, too. He said, "Our quartet went to state three times in a row and beat the whole county!"

Boys Glee Club 1923
Classroom Voices, p. 319

Every year, there were operettas. Sometimes all of the students in the glee clubs would have parts in the plays. Anfin Blakstevdt (class of 1930) was in the "H.M.S. Pinafore" performance on January 16, 1929. Krotzer had three leads over the years in operettas. Krotzer said, “I was really busy. There was always work to do at the farm [in St. Bonifacius]. I always ended up walking home in the snow or rain, but I enjoyed being in operettas.”

"Once in a Blue Moon", 1931, 61 members of glee clubs, Arlys Denzel, Director
Classroom Voices, p. 321

Miss Denzel offered individual lessons on the violin. Noreen Breen remembered how much fun it was to be in orchestra. They played for all the school musicals and the plays. The orchestra sat just in front of the stage. Folding chairs were set up on the gym floor for the audience. 

M.C.H.S. Orchestra
Photo courtesy of Florence Noreen Breen, Class of 1933

When Krotzer started high school, he played "second fiddle" in the orchestra for two years. He took lessons twice a week, even in the summer, and his teacher wouldn’t let him stop. By his second and third year, he was playing first violin!

Alice Kuntz Noreen (class of 1933) was in the band when Dennis Lane was the teacher. Mr. Lane was so violent when he was directing that he tore the sleeve right out of his coat.

Band 1934
Classroom Voices, p. 323

There were music festivals. The orchestra and choir went to other schools, from Edina to North St. Paul, and the University of Minnesota. The orchestra took first place at the district competition during Krotzer’s last two years in high school. Kuntz Noreen never thought she was much of a violin player. "We usually got an A rating, so I guess I didn’t hurt it any," she said.

"Students might not get along with each other, but music kids were different," said Krotzer. "Music activities really helped a lot to make you feel a part of it all. Miss Denzel was a peach."

Marching Band, 1950
Classroom Voices, p. 329