Memorial celebrating the life of Magdalene York, music teacher at BC Jr and Senior Highs in the 60's and 70's. Created by her son Dick York & presented at Mrs. York's memorial service, August 2010. A copy of the video may be downloaded here.
Friends in BC’67,
Don York just wrote me that his mother, our wonderful music teacher, died Sunday. Don said, “She had a long and wonderful life, made it to 95, went quickly without lingering illness. Her best times were with her choirs in the 60's.”
And our class had the best of it. She was with us starting in 7th grade and then continuing on in 10th as she moved with us to the HS. She will sing on in our love of music and music making for the rest of our lives.
Fly well, to the Place of Perfect Pitch, dear Mrs. York!
-Ted Phelps
3 comments:
Our poor old world already seems not-quite-right without Mrs. York in it. She was a gift beyond all telling of it. We'll never know how many lives she touched through her generosity and love of music; and our knowing instinctively we needed to pass that on.
My favorite memory was the 16 part Antonio Lotti Crucifixus we sang in the Cathedral. We nailed it and her pride in us was palpable.
95 good years, spike heels, passionate and rail thin. We were blessed to have known her!
Fond Greetings to all of you.
Sally Francisco Baumer
Dear friends,
I think I speak for all of us when I say that she had a huge impact on my life at BC. What a treasure she was, and how fortunate we were to be among those in her choirs in the 60’s. Anyone else remember that bus trip we took to a music teacher’s conference in Potsdam, before the Northway was open, and we would open the windows and serenade the little towns we drove through?
Love to you all,
Mary Williams Baum
I remember being in Mrs. York's music class in 8th grade, sitting in the back row, fooling around, as usual, and she called on me. She had just put on some weird new experimental music and she asked me how beats to the measure it had & told me to count them out for the class. I'm pretty sure she knew I was learning drums, so it made some sense to have me do this. I go "one two three four ... five???" I had never heard anything with five beats to the measure. I was sure I had missed something, and that not only had she succeeded busting me while fooling around, but also in em-bare-assing me in front of the whole class for not knowing how to count beats.
But no, Mrs York said, this tune is called "Take Five", by Dave Brubeck, and now I think we can all see why.
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