Teachers, students try to be ‘keepers of the flame for poetry’

Students and faculty at Edmond Memorial High School who think poetry is undervalued hope to keep it alive through their teaching and writing.

“Our school is just not about tests or sports, but instead the arts,” said Cori Ratliff, Broken Barriers magazine editor.

The advanced creative writing/magazine class has the job of designing and making all the parts come together for the annual magazine that showcases poetry and art. “It allows students to publish their own work,” said Kelly Bristow, an English teacher and adviser for Broken Barriers.

Poetry for the magazine comes from students who submit their work in the bright yellow boxes scattered across campus.

“In English class you will hear or read a lot of poetry, but sometimes you will walk through the hallway, especially the art hall, you will see pictures or posters with poetry on them. You definitely see it around,” To watch a video about Edmond Memorial High School’s efforts to keep poetry alive, go to oklahoman.com. senior Milan Mascelli said.

On a crusade to save poetry, Bristow and Saxon Vandagriff, another English teacher, try to take poetry to their students in varying mediums, including open mic nights. “I feel like I am on a one-women crusade to save poetry,” Vandagriff said. “We must be keepers of the flame for poetry.”

Once a month, students join together to recite poetry that is on their minds during the open mic nights in the homes of other students.

“I tell my students it is like making spaghetti sauce, you put all of those ingredients in and then you have to let it simmer on the stove, boil down till it is really thick, that is poetry,” Bristow said. “It has all of that flavor and depth in it.”

Students have ventured outside the classroom to perform their poetry. Senior Fredrick Anderson has gone to Sauced on Paseo for the weekly poetry reading. “I think that with all art it is an expression of the human spirit, and they want to see themselves in it,” Anderson said.

After writing more than 90 poems, Anderson said he continues to understand poetry in a new light after life experiences he has had. “Sometimes it forces you to confront a part of you that you do not necessarily want to see or really want to be there,” he said.

Students are required to read poetry from across the ages. Bristow hopes they come away with an appreciation for the art form. “We never read it just to read it. I mean most of the books we read she wants us to thoroughly enjoy them,” said Sam Musser, a senior and student of Vandagriff.

“When we are going over poetry, every single little piece of ink on that paper is intentional,” Musser said.

The American Organ Institute at the University of Oklahoma School of Music will present the “Orchestra for Organ” festival Friday and Saturday in the Catlett Music Center on the OU campus.

The free festival includes lectures, master classes and concerts conducted by organists Richard Hills, Isabelle Demers, David Briggs and Jelani Eddington. “It’s a rare and special opportunity to hear four of the world’s great organists perform on the OU campus,” said Jeremy Wance, associate director of American Organ Institute.

“Richard Hills is the greatest theater organist of the new generation. Hills is pleased to present his live accompaniment for the silent film ‘Metropolis’ for the first time. Isabelle Demers is one of the most prolific concert organists of our time. David Briggs is considered one of the leading organists in Great Britain and is particularly well known for his transcriptions of the Mahler symphonies, which he performs in the greatest concert halls around the world. Jelani Eddington is an eminent theater organist. He is featured at numerous national and regional conventions of the American Theatre Organ Society and has performed throughout the world.”

Public events include a lecture and organ master class with Briggs at 2 p.m. Friday in the Sharp Concert Hall and a showing at 8 p.m. of the silent film “Metropolis,” with live organ accompaniment by Hills.

At 10 a.m. Saturday in the Sharp Concert Hall, Eddington will perform Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf” on the Moller Municipal Symphonic Organ, with narration and video presentation. He also will accompany a silent short film.

Demers will play music from Harry Potter.

Audience members will be invited on stage for a hands-on tour of the organ console and pipes.

At 2 p.m. Saturday, Demers will perform a concert featuring Berlioz Symphonie “Fantastique” and “Holst Venus” on the Moller Municipal Symphonic Organ in the Sharp Concert Hall.

Demers will hold a master class at 4 p.m. in Sharp Concert Hall.

At 8 p.m. Saturday in the Grayce B. Kerr Gothic Hall at the Catlett Music Center, Briggs will present his solo organ transcription of Gustav Mahler’s “Symphony No. 2 Resurrection,” on the Mildred Andrews Boggess Memorial organ, accompanied by soprano Donna Mitchell-Cox, contralto Rebekah Ambrosini and the Master Chorale under the direction of Adam Pajan.

For more information, contact Jeremy Wance at jdwance@ou.edu.

For accommodations based on disabilities, call 325-2081.