CityView Magazine - Fayetteville, NC
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1343668
16 March 2021 W hen I was a student at Fayetteville High School, it was located on Robeson Street where the Highsmith-Rainey Specialty Hospital now stands. I fondly remember being a member of the FHS Band that was directed by George Tracey, who was the organist at the First Presbyterian Church. When I was in the ninth and 10th grades, the band members wore blue and white uniforms because those were the school colors. Our second band director, Harvey Bosell, once had his own orchestra that was a part of the "Big Band Era." He composed a marvelous march entitled "e Blue and White Blues." is song became so popular that we played it at every football game held in our large stadium behind our spacious school building that occupied an entire city block. When I was in the 11th and 12th grades, the band changed from conventional uniforms to Scottish kilts. Some of the male FAYETTEVILLE HISTORY MEMORIES OF Fayetteville High School BY WEEKS PARKER students did not like the new uniforms, because a few of the girls in the band seemed to greatly enjoy pulling the boy's skirts up to see what they were wearing under them. e FHS Band was so large that we had to charter two buses when we played for out-of-town football games and other events. We also rode on a chartered train when we played for games in Wilmington. Some of us liked to play popular music on our instruments as we traveled by rail to other cities, but our band director usually stopped us before we had time to finish playing. He did not like for us to play while we traveled. When I was in the ninth through the 12th grades, I formed and directed the school orchestra. We played for school dances and also at Fort Bragg service clubs and for many other events including the University of North Carolina. We had the honor of playing at the Main Post Officer's Club that was then directed by Leroy Anderson, a world-famous composer of many wonderful songs including "Sleigh Ride" that is still very popular during the Christmas season. The FHS Band played Harvey Bosell's marvelous "The Blue and White Blues" march at every football game held in our large stadium.