The Orange Transcript -
Thursday, December 17, 1959
The Gerrish Family of Orange will sing a program of Advent
and Christmas music at the annual Rotary Club Christmas meeting,
today at Graulichs. They are, left to right, John Gerrish, music
instructor at Newark State College, James, Catherine, Mary, Mrs.
Gerrish and John.
Gerrish Family Sings Today In Rotary Program
What has become an honored tradition in a short time, the
annual Christmas program of the Orange Rotary Club will be held
today at 12:15 p.m. in Graulich's Blue Room, 369 Park Avenue.
A special program of music, featuring songs of Advent and
Christmas, will be rendered by the Gerrish family of Orange.
Often compared to the world renowned Trapp Family Singers, the
Gerrish Family will sing vespers of the day, "O
Sapientia" as well as eight or ten seasonal numbers of
countries throughout the world.
Several of the songs, including unpublished works, will be from
the Trapp repertoire. They will also sing John Gerrish's own
composition, "Variations on a Burgundian Carol."
Gerrish has a close association with the Trapp Family, having
known them since they came to the United States, and became a
close friend of their musical director and advisor, Monsignor
Franz Wasner.
William Oliver, Director of Music at Orange High School is
general chairman of the musical program. Lou Walters, president
of the Rotary, Mike Donlon, committee chairman, and all members
of the organization are anticipating a most unusual Christmas
program.
From the same page of the same newspaper
clipping:
The above photo was submitted with the news, but was not
published in the paper.
Magician Slated For Chanuka Party
Victor the Magician, who hails from East Orange, will perform
some magic on Sunday afternoon, December 20, for the Cpl. Louis
S. Ferdinand Ladies Auxiliary No. 309, Jewish War Veterans of
America, at their annual Chanuka Party, being held at Temple
B'nai Israel, Irvington. The affair will be held from 1:30 until
4 p.m. Refreshments will be served and each child will receive a
little gift.
That was Jim Gerrish, who worked with Professor
Ted Collins of Mecca Magic Studios, at a magic store then
located on Main Street in East Orange. Jim
performed as "Victor the Magician" at that time and
was equally busy with his own magic shows often competing with
Gerrish Family Singer performances during the holiday season. It
was a funny coincidence to see the two notices next to each other
in the same newspaper clipping. Jim still works with magic today
at his on-line Magic Store, The Magic Nook.