By Henry Simone
If it was not for Charlene Dalrymple, Oliver Ames High School would not have the amazing music program that it carries to this day. Starting her career over thirty years ago, Mrs. Dalrymple, better known as Mrs. D, recognized a tiny amount of potential within our music department. Her vision for Oliver Ames to develop an all-around music program over her few decades of commitment became an unbelievable reality. Her biggest accomplishment at this school, however, seems to come from the incredible success of the show choir “Panache” that she built from the ground up.
Charlene’s very first group of students that came together to create the Oliver Ames Show Choir “Panache” consisted of ONLY eight students – six ladies and two gentlemen. These ambitious kids obviously knew what they had signed up for, but they would never have believed that their little group would evolve into a widely recognized and respected part of Oliver Ames’ music department over the next thirty years. She has won an incredible number of show choir competitions, dating all the way back to her first couple years as the director. These victories include many first place finishes in local competitions, highlighted by a Grand Championship for the Oliver Ames Panache in a nationwide competition in San Antonio back in 2006. Sadly, this past school year was the last of its kind for Charlene Dalrymple, as she decided to finish her career as a music teacher. Even though the entire music department misses her presence, everyone understands that Mrs. Dalrymple had clearly earned a peaceful retirement from her long and prosperous career.
As bitter and heartbreaking as Mrs. D’s departure is, she made it her duty to find a replacement that fit the exact qualities and ideals that she herself had when she taught the students of Oliver Ames. After an evaluation of several wonderful candidates, Charlene’s final decision for her successor goes by the name of Mr. Kidd. As a concert choir director, Mr. Kidd has some experience in this field of work having been in this same position at Middleborough High School for four years. His respectable reputation can also be accounted for considering the 25 years that he continues to serve as a vocal instructor. In a brief interview with Mr. Kidd, I was able to get a feel as to how he intends on teaching his students here at Oliver Ames, as well as his values within the world of singing. He appears to be extremely passionate about the key fundamentals of singing, especially in terms of how one should sing in a proper, yet relaxed manner. In addition, the main piece of concert choir that he aims to focus on is understanding the true technique in which one should sing. Mr. Kidd made it clear that performing with a precise method can make singing both more enjoyable and more efficient. In his first couple of weeks, the students seem to be enjoying their class time with the new teacher, but the legacy of Mrs. D will always remain in the hearts of returning OA students.