Dear Miss Barron, I should have written this years ago but am thankful to write it now. You and Eugene Martin and Miss Drew were such mentors and truly the people who kept me on track. When I think of how patiently and skillfully you helped your students it is an inspiration.. Your talent and love of music still echo down those halls. Chorus hours were a breath of fresh air. I am so thankful for who you were and what you meant to us. We were blessed.
My hour in chorus with Miss Barron made the rest of the school day bearable. I was always struck by how she was able to take amature voices and produce such amazing sounds and beauty. She and I had stayed fairly close over the years, I attended Young Harris College with her nephew. When in town, I would stop by and chit chat occassionally with her at home. She moved us all in deep and powerful ways by her example and her love of music. But one moment stands out in my mind as being truly transformative. During a time of real racial unrest, here and around the country, she had the idea of bringing in a black choral teacher from the Atl Public School System, I can't remember her name, but for the entire class she taught us how to sing a "negro spiritual".! This was just before the shool system had been intergrated. I had never ever clapped and rocked with music that way before! It gave the music a whole new dimension! I can very clearly remember sitting in the back row as a bass, singing "Satan's a liar and a conjure to...if you don't watch out he'll conjure you!"... Elija rock shout- shout! " Those were challenging times, but I have to say ( Miss Barron) began for me a real metamorphsis of heart and mind that has stayed with me to this day! We all are in her debt..she hasn't really gone...she's living in all of us every day! We were so blessed to have her in our lives. Thank you Mz "B" --- RIP
I can still remember sitting in my homeroom next to her chorus room, hearing her class sing "This is MY country..land that I love"...and I could hardly wait to be able to do that too. And I eventually did, and loved every minute of time with Ruth Barron. She was significant in my sister Merilyn's (class of '53) life as well as mine, teaching more than music, by example - not by lecture. Honestly she could never coax a wonderful voice from me (as she did from Merilyn and many many others,) but I did value my time with her, and her lessons have stayed with me. Can you just imagine the chorus in heaven these days (angels anxious to be included in her Small Ensemble.) What a woman!
Ms. Barron was a tremedous influence on my musical life as well as Eugene Martin at First Baptist Church in College Park. Ruth was always so positive and so graceful. I'm thankful that these 2 people helped to create in me a love of music that I have cherished all my life. One of my favorite songs that we sang was Another Summer Gone and of course Harris Wheeler played the piano for it. I only sang in Ms. Barron's chorus, choraliers and men's barbershop quartet for 2 years (sophomore and junior). I've told people many times that I have had few regrets in my life but one of them was that I did not sing in these same groups my senior year. We all make stupid mistakes when we are young and that was one of mine. Thankfully I went on to sing in the UGA Chorus and UGA Men's Glee Club as well under excellent directors like Ms. Barron. Another one of the great musical joys in my life was to be able to sing the Georgia Medley with my youngest son when he joined the UGA Glee Club. I know that the musical angels of my youth were looking down on us. I will always love you Ms. Barron .
I have the AJC obituary which reported Ruth Barron, age 93, of College Park, passed away March 18, 2007, at South Fulton Hospital. Cremation Society of the South-Marietta.Stockbridge 800-474-0448.
Ms. Barron gave me my love of singing and music of all kinds. I love the musical renditions of the Operettas and Classic Musicals we used to sing and gave me the want to go see them all, Guys and Dolls, State Fair, Oklahoma..."O K L A H O M A...Oklahoma!" She even told me once when I had the opportunity to go and see "Aida" (and I wasn't really thrilled about going) to go and open my heart to the music and the story. I did and love Opera to this day.
And the Christmas songs...I remember my Junior year, Mary Jo Hall (then a Senior) sang a solo with us coming in on the chorus..."Mary's Boy Child, Jesus Christ". Mary Jo had and probably still has a voice of an angel and Ms. Barron knew just how to train her and use us to compliment the soloist. I still have the album of that year and the songs we sang for Spring Concert and Christmas Concert.
I remember also, how she trained us not only as singers, but as ladies and gentlemen. When you had her influence in your life, you did not want to dissapoint her, as everyone loved and admired her. I had a lot of teachers I admired, but Ruth Barron was my favorate teacher.
Although I was only at CPH for part of 9th, part of 10th and part of 12th...Ms. Barron has always been my favorite and most cherished teacher. I agree with all the other comments about her strong influence on my love of all kinds of music. Her grace and beauty of spirit are her lasting legacy to me and so many others.
Miss Barron, beautiful on the inside and out, a teacher one can never forget, one song that we use to sing reminded me of her, " With a little bit of luck you can have it all and never get caught" I believe she did. She really did have an impact on my life, Great Lady.
Jacquelyn Lee Benson (Kenley) (1964)
Dear Miss Barron, I should have written this years ago but am thankful to write it now. You and Eugene Martin and Miss Drew were such mentors and truly the people who kept me on track. When I think of how patiently and skillfully you helped your students it is an inspiration.. Your talent and love of music still echo down those halls. Chorus hours were a breath of fresh air. I am so thankful for who you were and what you meant to us. We were blessed.
Bill Gaskins (1968)
My hour in chorus with Miss Barron made the rest of the school day bearable. I was always struck by how she was able to take amature voices and produce such amazing sounds and beauty. She and I had stayed fairly close over the years, I attended Young Harris College with her nephew. When in town, I would stop by and chit chat occassionally with her at home. She moved us all in deep and powerful ways by her example and her love of music. But one moment stands out in my mind as being truly transformative. During a time of real racial unrest, here and around the country, she had the idea of bringing in a black choral teacher from the Atl Public School System, I can't remember her name, but for the entire class she taught us how to sing a "negro spiritual".! This was just before the shool system had been intergrated. I had never ever clapped and rocked with music that way before! It gave the music a whole new dimension! I can very clearly remember sitting in the back row as a bass, singing "Satan's a liar and a conjure to...if you don't watch out he'll conjure you!"... Elija rock shout- shout! " Those were challenging times, but I have to say ( Miss Barron) began for me a real metamorphsis of heart and mind that has stayed with me to this day! We all are in her debt..she hasn't really gone...she's living in all of us every day! We were so blessed to have her in our lives. Thank you Mz "B" --- RIP
Vesta Medernach (Denning) (1961)
I can still remember sitting in my homeroom next to her chorus room, hearing her class sing "This is MY country..land that I love"...and I could hardly wait to be able to do that too. And I eventually did, and loved every minute of time with Ruth Barron. She was significant in my sister Merilyn's (class of '53) life as well as mine, teaching more than music, by example - not by lecture. Honestly she could never coax a wonderful voice from me (as she did from Merilyn and many many others,) but I did value my time with her, and her lessons have stayed with me. Can you just imagine the chorus in heaven these days (angels anxious to be included in her Small Ensemble.) What a woman!
Robert (Freddy) Jones (1965)
Ms. Barron was a tremedous influence on my musical life as well as Eugene Martin at First Baptist Church in College Park. Ruth was always so positive and so graceful. I'm thankful that these 2 people helped to create in me a love of music that I have cherished all my life. One of my favorite songs that we sang was Another Summer Gone and of course Harris Wheeler played the piano for it. I only sang in Ms. Barron's chorus, choraliers and men's barbershop quartet for 2 years (sophomore and junior). I've told people many times that I have had few regrets in my life but one of them was that I did not sing in these same groups my senior year. We all make stupid mistakes when we are young and that was one of mine. Thankfully I went on to sing in the UGA Chorus and UGA Men's Glee Club as well under excellent directors like Ms. Barron. Another one of the great musical joys in my life was to be able to sing the Georgia Medley with my youngest son when he joined the UGA Glee Club. I know that the musical angels of my youth were looking down on us. I will always love you Ms. Barron .
Guy E. Davis Jr. (1960)
I have the AJC obituary which reported Ruth Barron, age 93, of College Park, passed away March 18, 2007, at South Fulton Hospital. Cremation Society of the South-Marietta.Stockbridge 800-474-0448.
Alicia Louise Gazaway (Rainwater) (1967)
Ms. Barron gave me my love of singing and music of all kinds. I love the musical renditions of the Operettas and Classic Musicals we used to sing and gave me the want to go see them all, Guys and Dolls, State Fair, Oklahoma..."O K L A H O M A...Oklahoma!" She even told me once when I had the opportunity to go and see "Aida" (and I wasn't really thrilled about going) to go and open my heart to the music and the story. I did and love Opera to this day.
And the Christmas songs...I remember my Junior year, Mary Jo Hall (then a Senior) sang a solo with us coming in on the chorus..."Mary's Boy Child, Jesus Christ". Mary Jo had and probably still has a voice of an angel and Ms. Barron knew just how to train her and use us to compliment the soloist. I still have the album of that year and the songs we sang for Spring Concert and Christmas Concert.
I remember also, how she trained us not only as singers, but as ladies and gentlemen. When you had her influence in your life, you did not want to dissapoint her, as everyone loved and admired her. I had a lot of teachers I admired, but Ruth Barron was my favorate teacher.
Donna Allen (Baxley) (1967)
Although I was only at CPH for part of 9th, part of 10th and part of 12th...Ms. Barron has always been my favorite and most cherished teacher. I agree with all the other comments about her strong influence on my love of all kinds of music. Her grace and beauty of spirit are her lasting legacy to me and so many others.
Elward (Woody) Rigsby (1956)
Memories of Chorus, concerts, All-State...........even almost 60 years later I still feel it, see Miss Barron
and pray my first note is clear and in the same key as everyone else. And after singing all these years
hoping she would approve. Thank you, Miss Barron, for giving all of us the opportunity to share the
experience .
Larry Richards (1963)
MISS RUTH BARRON, WHAT A WONDERFUL LADY, A GREAT MUSIC TEACHER AND A FANTASTIC
PERSON DURING MY DAYS AT CPHS. I STILL CAN'T SING VERY WELL BUT MISS BARRON WOULD
MAKE YOU THINK YOU COULD SING. I WAS A 2ND TENOR BUT I WAS LIKE JAMES COOK SAID
"I WAS A PRISON SINGER ALSO!!! MISS BARRON MADE MUSIC FUN. I REMEMBER GOING TO
STATE COMPETITIONS EACH YEAR AND ALWAYS DOING GREAT. I STILL REMEMBER THE
CHRISTMAS SONGS ESPECIALLY RUDOLPH THE RED NOSE REINDEER WITH ALL THE HAND
MOTIONS. I STILL SING THAT SONG TO MY GRANDCHILDREN WITH THE HAND MOTIONS.
MISS BARRON WAS A GREAT LADY AND I AM SURE SHE SINGS EVERY DAY IN HEAVEN WITH
ALL THE OTHER ANGELS. THINK OF YOU OFTEN LARRY RICHARDS 1963.
Charles (Tony) Perkins (1965)
Miss Barron, beautiful on the inside and out, a teacher one can never forget, one song that we use to sing reminded me of her, " With a little bit of luck you can have it all and never get caught" I believe she did. She really did have an impact on my life, Great Lady.