< Previous40 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2022 FEATURE ASHBEL SMITH BUILDING, AKA OLD RED There was a time when the Ashbel Smith building seemed destined to become a parking garage. In the 1970s, the University of Texas Med- ical Branch’s original academic building was in disrepair. The building mostly was empty, save for the pigeons roosting in the third- floor amphitheater. Medical branch administrators planned to tear it down in the name of progress until a group of locals banded together to save the building known as Old Red for its red brick and sandstone exterior. The building was designed by prolific Galveston architect Nicholas Clayton, and was the medical branch’s original academic build- ing. Its basement held a morgue and its top floors were home to a brightly lit dissection lab and an academic lecture hall. The medical branch, which is now in its 130th year, grew up around the Ashbel Smith building, which is now dwarfed on all sides by taller structures. The building still is important to people who teach and learn at the medical branch. “It’s like the heart of the Galveston cam- pus,” said Paula Summerly, the curator of the medical branch’s Old Red Museum. “Students come to UTMB because of the history of the institution and Old Red exemplifies that.” The building has stories to tell about how it was used, Summerly said. She recently discovered images from early X-ray experi- ments that were conducted in the basement of the building. Old Red today is used as office space for administrators and has study rooms on its bottom floors. Its top floor is being turned into a history museum. – John Wayne Ferguson The University of Texas Medical Branch’s Ashbel Smith Building, also known as Old Red, housed the entire medical school when it opened in 1891. Designed by Nicholas Clayton, the Romanesque-style building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a registered Texas historic landmark. JENNIFE r r EYNOLDSAggies making strides on and o the water. Texas A&M University at Galveston’s University Studies degree with a concentration in Oceans & One Health gives students exible paths to apply their marine background and knowledge into the medical, dental or veterinary elds. Students can also double their career by pursuing a secondary education teaching certi cate as they earn their degree. Just another way Aggies are making an impact. TAMUG.EDU/ADMISSIONS42 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2022 THROUGH THE LENS SENIOR ON CAMPUS artwork by JOEY QUIROGA The university of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston includes the oldest medical school in the state and employs about 11,000 people. The Ashbel Smith Building, also known as Old red, is a romanesque revival building designed by island architect Nicholas Clayton. It was constructed in 1891 with red brick and sandstone and was the first university of Texas Medical Branch building. 44 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2022 Members of the Galveston College Community Chorale rehearse at Moody Methodist Church in Galveston. The chorale still is going strong 50 years since it first began in 1972. COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2022 45 FEATURE ‘VOICES COMING TOGETHER’ Marking its 50th year, island chorale still is singing strong story by KATHRYN EASTBURN photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS T he year 1972 was great for popular music. It also was a banner year for music in Gal- veston, when young choral director Larry Patton, then professor of music at Galves- ton College, inaugurated the Galveston College Community Chorale. Now marking its 50th year of joining voices in song, the chorale still is going strong with an average 65 members signing up each year through Galves- ton College’s Continuing Education department. The chorale in its current form performs two community concerts a year — one in December and a second in late spring — under the direction of Michael Gilbert, retired choral director for the Galveston Independent School District. Patton, a tenor, had sung in choruses for much of his life, from small ensembles to masterworks and op- era choruses. He and wife Maureen, a soprano, now executive director of Galveston’s 1894 Grand Opera House, sang together at their own wedding, and both singers loved performing in large groups. “There’s something really uplifting about singing in a group,” Larry Patton said. “More harmony, more power, more options for large works.” The Galveston Chorale tackled major cantatas like Handel’s “Messiah” and Mendelssohn’s “Elijah” under Patton’s 27-year tenure as director, eventually join- ing other junior college choirs from across Texas to perform Mozart’s “Requiem” at Carnegie Hall in New York City. “It was a once-in-a lifetime experience,” said Made- leine Baker, an early member of the chorale who’s still singing with the group 50 years later. For Baker, joining the chorale was a way to contin- ue doing something she loved. “When I first joined, I had fond memories of singing 46 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2022 FEATURE in the a cappella group in col- lege,” Baker said. “This seemed like an opportunity to have that same pleasure of singing. I love the harmonies, hearing all those voices coming together. It’s a very satisfying and often very emotional experience when that happens.” That experience attracts veteran singers with music degrees to the chorale, often singing alongside novices who might have never sung in a group before. The group is non-auditioned and requires only a commitment to attend rehearsal and work as hard as possible on each semester’s musical selections. Over five decades those selections have ranged from sacred to secular, including classical masterworks, Broadway show tunes, madrigals, operatic choruses, patriotic music, spirituals and compositions by con- temporary composers. Choosing music to suit a wide range of abilities is the conductor’s biggest challenge, Gilbert said. Experienced singers need to be challenged while beginning singers need to be encouraged. Under Patton’s direction, the chorale sang at most of Galves- ton’s larger churches as well as the 1894 Grand Opera House and at the college. Performances now are held at Moody Methodist Church in Galveston, with rehearsals at the college and occasional forays to other community locations for special events. What has remained the same over 50 years is the communal (From top) Larry Patton is a founder and longtime director of The Galveston Chorale; he still has the program for the chorale’s first performance in 1972. COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2022 47 (Clockwise from top) Madeleine Baker, who has been a member of the Galveston College Community Chorale for 50 years, rehearses with the group at Moody Methodist Church in Galveston; Michael Gilbert directs the chorale; Ellen Dalton stands as she and the chorale rehearse. draw toward singing together. “I believe there is a sense of unity, a oneness among the group,” Gilbert said. Most people enjoy team sports, either as participants or fans, and a choir like the Galveston College Community Chorale is a team, with members inspiring each other to do their best, Patton said. “It’s an act of community on both sides, allowing an outlet for those who love to sing and an experience for those who love to listen, taking pride in something that’s community- driven.” 48 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2022 Before you leave the dock this year, make sure you’ve got your fishing arsenal ready for success. COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2022 49 HOOKED NEW GEAR FOR THE NEW YEAR Foul winter weather makes a good time to tackle your tackle box story and photos by CAPT. NATE SKINNER J anuary brings a new year and new opportunities. It presents anglers with a clean slate, and it’s a great time to get into a fish-catching state of mind. The period through February like- ly will present some of the coldest, nastiest weather of the year. For those who can’t hit the water at the drop of a hat when ideal conditions occur, all hope for becoming a better angler isn’t lost. Something everyone can do right now regardless of the weather is get gear and fishing tackle ready for the year. There are countless baits, tackle and gear items that can make you more successful at catching fish throughout 2022. Here are things I wouldn’t leave the dock without: WIND AND COOL WEATHER PROTECTION Cold always seems colder on the water. And if you’re uncomfortable, it’s difficult to focus on the task at hand. One piece of gear I recommend is the Reaper Technical Sweat- shirt by AFTCO. This hoodie is extremely comfortable and warm. It’s lined with fleece and has a built-in face mask, which is perfect for blocking the wind on long, chilly boat rides. The un- der-arm section is vented, so you won’t start sweating as soon as it warms up. The Reaper is easy to shed and allows you to wear layers underneath, so you can adjust your wardrobe Next >