Faith Cole receives Milligan Award
Orpheus Music Club Young Artists perform at First Friday
A Sterling High School student is the recipient of this year’s Milligan Music Award. Faith Cole was presented the award at the First Friday @ First Presbyterian concert, which featured performances by Cole and four other Orpheus Music Club Young Artists.
Presented to an outstanding senior who plans to continue in music, the Milligan Music Award was established by the Orpheus Music Club in honor of Mrs. Johnnie Milligan (1876-1960), who taught piano in Sterling from about 1918 to 1958. She came to Sterling with her husband, the Rev. Dr. Martin Gatewood Milligan (1878-1924), who was pastor at First Presbyterian Church from 1915 to 1920. The present church building was constructed during his tenure.
In 1956, Johnnie wrote to the University of Colorado School of Music to ask if they had a piano major who would come to Sterling to take over her piano studio, as she was planning on retiring. The student who responded was Mr. Eugene Evans, an Ohio native, who not only came to teach Milligan’s students but also bought her grand piano, which can be seen in her photo downstairs in First Presbyterian’s Milligan Hall.
The piano still resides in Evans’ studio, where taught continuously for 58 years before passing away on Aug. 1, 2015. Since Mrs. Evans also passed away recently, the Orpheus Music Club is waiting to see where the piano will go next.
In Orpheus’ records, the earliest reference to the Milligan Award is 1954. The award is given once a year to a deserving high school senior who plans to continue in music. The Orpheus Club is very pleased that several of the past winners have returned to Sterling to teach music, both in public schools and privately.
Presenting the award were Orpheus Club members Elsie Fetzer and Emily Singer Kaufman.
Cole is the daughter of Kathleen and Ray Cole and a student of Annette Lambrecht and Michelle White. She participates in choir, jazz choir, band, color guard and theatre. Cole has acted in Sterling Miracle Players’ productions of “Willy Wonka,” “Chicago,” “Finding Nemo Jr.” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” as well as SHS’S Mad
rigal Dinners and will be a part of the school’s upcoming production of “Footloose” in April. She has been selected to the Patriot League Honor Choir, Combined League Honor Choir and State Marching Band.
Cole is also active in her church on the worship team and assists with Vacation Bible School and in the nursery. She is planning to major in elementary music education in college.
Other performers on Friday included Tristan Lee, an SHS junior; Saikal Matazimova, an SHS junior and exchange student from Kyrgyzstan; Jaden Ruppel, an SHS senior; Alyssa See, an SHS senior; and Izaiah Wilkins, an SHS junior.
If you would like to help fund future Milligan Awards, you can mail your donation to First Presbyterian Church, 130 S. 4th St., Sterling, CO. 80751, and designate Milligan Award.