From the Feature Page of the East Orange Record, Thursday, September 11, 1958.

Created by Readiris, Copyright IRIS 2009
Created by Readiris, Copyright IRIS 2009

The Gerrish Family of Orange have sung and played instruments together ever since the children were very young. As they gave a concert in Wilmington, Delaware, from left to right, seated: Mrs. Marion Gerrish, Catherine, Professor John O. Gerrish; and standing: James, Mary and John. Recently they presented “Music in the Home” as part of Fine Arts Week at Centenary College for Women.

Good Music is as Easy as the Bad

Everyone hears music in his surroundings almost as soon as he is born. “This music might just as well be the best that we can get as any other,” is the principle on which Professor John O. Gerrish bases his philosophy.

Gerrish and his wife, and their four children: John 18, Mary 16, James 15 and Catherine 8, live at North Essex Avenue, in Orange.

Ever since the children were small, there has been an atmosphere in their home of the best music, created by the masters. Good musicians visit the Gerrish family frequently.

Through his work, Gerrish comes in contact with the top in the music world, both contemporary and ancient. He is professor of music at Newark State College, lecturer at Caldwell College for Women and organist at the Congregational Church of East Orange. Previously he taught in the public schools of Malone, New York, and of Nutley, New Jersey. Both he and his wife are graduates of Potsdam State Teachers College in New York.

The repertoire of the family includes much obscure music of the past, going back to the Gregorian chants. They perform works by such artists as Machaut (1300); Binchois (1400), Bach (1685), Hindemith (1935) and Gerrish, himself. Just recently, his latest work was published. “A Virgin Most Pure” is a modern example of a medieval text written for a three-part chorus of treble voices with solo and piano accompaniment.

Because so much of the music they perform is from earlier periods, they use instruments from those times. Very popular with them is the recorder, forerunner of the flute. It was popular through Bach and Handel, but the flute drove it out. Gerrish claims modern instruments are derived through the “Survival of the Loudest” process. The recorder comes in five different sizes, all of which the Gerrishes own and play.

In addition to the enjoyment gained through the music, they learn history, mathematics and languages. History is learned through knowledge of the times of the composers whom they perform; mathematics, through the technical knowledge of music techniques; languages, through singing in middle French, French, Latin, German, and Spanish.

Although they perform little during the fall winter and summer because of the children’s schooling, they have presented concerts for the American Organ Guild and for the music faculty at Wilmington, Delaware. They have also sung for Munn Avenue Church in East Orange, St. John’s Church in Orange and Forest Hill Presbyterian Church. Recently they took part in Fine Arts Program at Centenary College for Women in Hackettstown. They presented “Music in the Home,” which included music written for the recorder and a series of medieval songs. Also taking part in the Fine Arts Program were the Julliard String Quartet and Norman Dello Joio, American composer.

The Gerrishes spend their summers in Vermont, performing quite frequently. At Stowe, Vermont, they have presented concerts at Cor Unum, the home of the famous Trapp family.

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