Florida State College for Women School of Music Graduation Recital

Front page of the program for the FSCW School of Music Graduation Recital

The Florida State College for Women School of Music Graduation Recital was an event held in the college auditorium on Wednesday April 11th, 1923 starting at 8:15 in the evening under the supervision of the school’s dean Ella Scoble Opperman. The recital was given by Violinst Miss Edna Greer, a pupil of Gertrude Isidor, with the assistance of interpretive dancer Miss Gary Ford. The accompaniments were provided by Miss Gladys Mosley and Miss Gladys Storrs.

The inside of the program for the FSCW School of Music Graduation Recital, listing the events in the order in which they are to take place

The program states that the recital proceeded with Miss Greer playing "Andante" by Cristoph Willibald Gluck, "Minuet in G" composed and arranged by Ludwig Van Beethoven and Maud Powell respectively, "Cradle Song" by Franz Schubert and Mischa Elman, "German Dance" by Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf, and "Concerto, E minor, Op. 64- Allegro appassionato" by Felix Mendelssohn, all before being interrupted for an interpretive Dance by Miss Ford. The Dance in which Ford performs is "Intermezzo" from the Jewels of the Madonna. Following this number, Greer finishes off the recital with "Andante (Concerto, F sharp minor)" by Henri Vieuxtemps, "Liebesfreud" by Fritz Kreisler, "Song My Mother Sang" by Antonin Dvorák and Fritz Kreisler, and "Obertass" by Henri Wieniawski.

Page 22 of the Elizabeth Byrd Taylor scrapbook titled "Enterainments, Lectures, Plays"

Page 25 of the Elizabeth Byrd Taylor Scrapbook, where the FSCW School of Music Graduation Recital program is placed

One thing that remains to be seen directly is the relation this event had to Elizabeth Byrd Taylor. She is not listed anywhere in the program, so it is safe to say she was not a performer in the event. It remains to be seen if any of the people involved in the  recital hold any relation to Taylor beyond peers and instructors, as those would give reason or explanation for her possible attendance. It would be an educated guess to assume she was in attendance for this Graduation Recital as the only means of obtaining a program for an event is to attend in some capacity. The only evidence that doesn’t support her attendance is the omission of an entry for the event on page 22 of Taylor’s scrapbook titled "Entertainments, Lectures, Plays". Whether she had motivation for attendance or just plain interest in the music, the event obviously holds importance to Elizabeth Byrd Taylor, as she made the decision to include the program in her scrapbook.