HHS 1951: BILL BAGGOTT-: HE COULD HAVE BEEN A STAR AT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA

My memories of my years as a member of Louise Baird's Hamilton High School choir are alive and vivid and will be with me forever. It was such a privilege to have been a member all four years of my high school career. Certain members stood out. Bette Beiger (Farmer) was one of our lovely female leads in our operettas, as was Shirley Whitebread and the young man in the article I wrote a number of years ago, Bill Baggott. Bill had the tenor voice of an angel. Anyone who watched or watches Lawrence Welk is familiar with Joe Feeney. To me, he has a very harsh tenor voice. I remember Louise Baird commenting one night when Judy and I were at her apartment when she made the comment that BIll's voice was far superior to Feeney's; especially Bill's falsetto.

2015: THE GIFT OF MUSIC - A PRECIOUS GIFT

"Tulip Time in Holland is a time for merry fun,

Market place is crowded and the joy has just begun,

We are here to celebrate and when the day is done,

We will not forget those happy hours..."

"The Way We Were: is one of the wonderful songs I sing at Jack Pyrah and my Kuser Farm Park Gazebo summer concerts. I will always be so very grateful to the Hamilton Township school system for giving me such a well rounded education. Of course, most of my concentration was on the musical programs we performed both at my Kuser grammar school and then on to Hamilton High. My partner Jack Pyrah and I both lost our Hamilton High School sweethearts and God has gifted both of us with the gift of masculine baritone voices. We both come across songs that we are not quite emotionally ready to sing yet; song like, "Miss you, since you went away, dear," "Sweet Sixteen," "The Girl that I Marry," and others that have lyrics reminding us that we both lost our wives after 60 plus years of marriage. I've said it countless times and it is true: Music is a gift from God.

1951 - 2014: THE MEMORIES JUST KEEP ON COMIN'

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Over the many years, I have written many columns relating to the excellent education I received courtesy of the Hamilton Township public school system. They were the years that shaped my future and gave me the confidence that I was proficient in reading, writing, speaking, and singing. Whenever I can, I share these gifts with my friends and neighbors; most of whom can tender the same tribute to their education.  One of the greatest influences on my dear wife Judy and me, is the lady we had during our years at Hamilton High School. Louise Baird (we called her "Ouise" prounounced "Wheez,) was not only an incredibly talented vocal music teacher. Through her incredible collection of scrapbooks which she left to Judy and me, she taught us many of the secrets of philosophy and the keys to a happy life.

I put the graphic above together which focuses around page one of the three pages of secrets of a successful marriage and life that she wrote in Judy's yearbook. I treasure those years, and as I look at the two photos of Judy and me as we move into our 82nd year, I have come to the realization that life is so very short. Yes, even 81 years later! As our Hamilton Vice Principal Jim (Jim Crow) Coursen would say to us on many occasions, "Live as though this were the last day of your life.")

2013: HAMILTON HIGH CLASSMATE BILL HELLEWELL

He was one of our booming bass voices in Louise Baird's vocal music class. I will always remember Bill who had one of those rare personalities that made you feel happy to know he is a friend. Along with his incredible sense of humor, Bill had that special something that has stayed in my memory 60 years after leaving the "4 H's:" Hallowed Halls of Hamilton High."
I took this photo at our 50th reunion in 2011.

1951: HERE COMES OUR 60TH! (RIGHT CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE)

The list of missing classmates is the latest I have in my records. If any classmates can add or see errors, please email me.

1951 - 2011: 60 YEARS!! WHERE DID THE TIME GO?

Apologies to those visitors to my Kuser and Hamilton High West websites who left comments that have gone unanswered. I discontinued posting on those sites due to my inability to keep all three sites going simultaneously. That was a mistake, and I am hereby resuming posting. To those of you who didn't receive a response to comments left on the site, please know that it was unintentional. A bit of simple math, 2011 minus 1951 equals 60 years, and at the golden age of 78, I admit that I let up a bit on the accelerator. However, I have decided to resume posting on these websites. As to the goals of this endeavor and even though I have a very soft spot in my heart for my HHS '51 classmates, you will see that www.hhs51.blogspot.com and www.kuser-school.blogspot.com are really a chronological histories of of the schools which in my biased opinion is the best in the state of New Jersey.

I would like to make a suggestion to those visitors who are familiar with tweaking your computer. This site is much more legible if you reset your monitor display to 800 x 600 (from 1024 x 768).

(Go to START. CLICK ON CONTROL PANEL, CLICK ON DISPLAY, CLICK ON SETTINGS, SLIDE OVER TO TO 800 X 600 AND CLICK APPLY.)

800 x 600 is much more comfortable for those of us whose advancing age has resulted in our being "optically challenged."

1951: WE MADE SUCH BEAUTIFUL MUSIC TOGETHER

Those were such wonderful years! As I pile on the years, memories of those years of singing with the gentlemen above will remain until we prayerfully meet again in the great beyond to resume our vocal talents. The photo was taken while we were in stage makeup as you can see by the lipstick and the flesh-colored make up we wore as we performed for the public. (don't miss our lily white necks where the makeup begins!) Each of us had a specific talent. Our "anchor," Bill Baggott along with Lee Belardino handled the tenor section. Keith Kauffman and Bob Thompson handled the deep, deep, "bass II" and George Mozer and I took over the baritone ("bass I") section. I will never forget the beautiful, indeed ethereal harmony we made together as we sang those great old "barbershop" songs; "When You Wore a Tulip," "Drifting and Dreaming," "In the Evening By the Moonlight," "Shine on Harvest Moon," and countless others.

Lee Belardino said...

Tommy that is without a doubt the best looking guys in the 51 class. We could also sing. I keep telling all my freinds out here that the 50's were the best with greatest collection of singers ever including us. You never changed and are still the gtreatest.

Lee

Wednesday, October 19, 2011