Brief History of the Schumann Music Club These records are fascinating and they display many of the qualities that distinguish the larger community of Mobile. Originally named the Clara Schumann Club and having an all-female membership, it was founded on January 6, 1894, by some of Mobile's most prominent women. It offered its members an opportunity to perform on instruments, and later in vocal ensembles, with one or more public performances each year. A century ago the annual public performances rotated between the auditoriums of McGill Institute, the German Relief Society, and the Temperance Hall. The programs were devoted to serious classical music, and to the surprise of some, the Clara Schumann Club did not dissolve into a punch-and-cookies social gathering for those women who could afford the time, but remained a serious music society. The numbers are impressive. Over its century of existence, the club has performed well over 7,000 different musical selections, with Bach, Beethoven, and Schumann (Robert) the most popular composers. It has been a member of the National Federation of Music Clubs since 1899, and has admitted male members since approximately 1991 (the records are somewhat reluctant to reveal the precise date!) Today the club gives public performances by members, sponsors performances by young musicians in our community, and encourages its members to participate in other musical organizations such as the Mobile Opera, Musica Sacra, etc. Leafing through the scrapbooks and programs the society has kept over the years we see a consistent loyalty to classical music, and enjoyment of all forms of musical expression. There are names on the pages of those programs many of us in Mobile know and remember, from the days of the founders to the present . . . from Mrs. Peter J. Hamilton, Mrs. Palmer Gaillard, Mrs. Erwin Craighead, down to Catherine Ann Middleton, John and Adel Fay, Bonnie Spain, Pat Ward Swingle and her husband Ira, without whom there would be no Schumann Showcase Singers! Throughout the club's records there are literally hundreds of names of Mobilians who, down the years, have loved music. A diverse group, too, yet consistent in purpose. It is appropriate to note that this club has been continuously active for more than a third of Mobile's long history. Like Mobile it has persevered, it has changed as the times required, but it has not forgotten who, or what, it is. Like our old city the Schumann Club has endured through good times and bad, has welcomed new members to its ranks and looks forward to doing so for many years to come. The Schumann Club is, thus, a bright part of the mosaic of Old Mobile. Michael Thomason, October 6, 2002 |