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major symphony ever had. No
body was paid the first year
except Sopkin. He was a
pioneer. He would take the
different sections and rehearse
them separately before he put
them together. He was really
creating musicians.”
Mrs. Sanders continued: “The
Youth Symphony was com
prised of anybody of any age
who could blow a horn or draw
a bow. The first time the
orchestra appeared in tuxedoes,
only five of the 50 had formals.
We borrowed the tuxes from
our husbands and friends. It
was very thrilling when we
first saw them in black and
white. Two years after the
Youth orchestra was formed,
we dropped the ‘youth’, and in
1947, the orchestra became
known as the Atlanta Sym
phony.” Mrs. Sanders went on
to say “Sopkin was brought to
Atlanta by the School System
to conduct the ‘In and About
Symphony,’ composed of the
best high school musicians of
Atlanta and its environs. I went
over to the Old Boys High
School, and saw how Henry
could corral these boys. I was
with the late Helen Knox
Spain music critic for many
years of the Atlanta Journal.
We saw the ability of Henry
Sopkin to whip up untrained
talent to its best endeavor. As
president of the Music Club, I
carried back the message of
Sopkin’s musicianship. The
Club gave $3,000 to pay Sop-
kin’s salary the first year.
Every president of the Music
Club for the past ten years had
wanted to get a Symphony
started in Atlanta since we
were the only city of its size
in the country without a Sym
phony. Now we agreed we had
found the eight man for the
job . . . Henry Sopkin."
Mrs. Sanders added, “The
first performance was credit
able. Under Sopkin’s leader
ship, the musicians played a
lot better than they really
could. The results were almost
superhuman. In fact, the very
key to Atlanta’s acceptance of
the orchestra was the excel
lence of its first performance
and the patronage of the lead
ing civic organizations.” Mrs.
Sanders continued to remin
isce, “The leaders of every
organization were invited to
sit in the horseshoe boxes in
the Atlanta auditorium for the
first concert. They got all
dressed up for the occasion, the
ladies adorned with pearls and
even a few wore lorgnettes. It
was very elegant. The general
public had to ask for tickets if
they wanted them. The audi
torium was full for the first
performance. Right from its
inception it was their sym
phony ... it was the Atlanta
Symphony, not just the Music
Club’s. When the performance
began, the ladies were a bit
tense, it was true. They begin
biting their fingernails, popp
ing their pearls, clutching on
to their lorgnettes ... by the
time intermission came the
orchestra played remarkably,
and we were all assured that
the Atlanta Symphony was
here to stay.”
Mrs. Sanders said, “Due to
the ability and diligence of
Sopkin and the excellence of
his first concert and the ac
ceptance by the city at large,
the Atlanta Symphony was
born.”
Mrs. Howard C. Smith, a
guiding force in the musical
circles in Atlanta stated “It is
said adjustability is the high
est form of intelligence. Mr.
Sopkin displayed this in build
ing the orchestra. When he ar
rived, he had people of various
ages, accomplishments and
distinction. With a masterful
and patient hand he welded the
group into a major symphony.”
She noted, “If anyone gets
along in life and progresses, he
must be adjustable, and Henry
Sopkin possessed this quality.
If it had not been for him, and
the sacrifices he made, the
orchestra would never have
survived.”
Mrs. Lon Grove, civic leader
and past president of the
Women’s Committee of the
Atlanta Symphony, said
“Henry Sopkin laid a superb
foundation and groundwork
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