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Sesquicentennial Interview: Alva Joanna Sink

When: 1974

This interview was conducted in 1974 as part of the I Remember When television series produced by the Ann Arbor Public Library.

Transcript

  • [00:00:11] TED TROST: We're talking this afternoon with Mrs. Charles A. Sink. We've been graciously invited into her home. Today, we're going to talk with her about music in Ann Arbor. Mrs. Sink, thanks so much for welcoming us into your home today. Your husband was certainly associated with music in Ann Arbor as you were for a good many years.
  • [00:00:33] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Oh, yes. My husband was an officer in music for 64 years. He became associated with the School of Music as secretary when he graduated from the literary college in 1904. He had specialized in Latin and Greek and expected to make that his field. It was quite a surprise to him when he accepted this position.
  • [00:00:57] TED TROST: Did he always have an interest in music, though?
  • [00:01:00] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Well, he enjoyed music, but he had no idea of going into music administration. But President Angell, who was president of the university at that time, evidently was quite interested as were a number of the other members of the board of directors of the Musical Society to have him become associated. Then he found out many things after he went over there just as a new graduate of the university. He said, one of the things he found out first was that they didn't even own the building they were in.
  • [00:01:36] TED TROST: I didn't know that.
  • [00:01:37] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Yes. They did not. It took a little bit of doing to get that all worked out, but I think people were very generous, people who held bonds on it. Then the School of Music was owned by the University Musical Society and of course, they did many structural changes in it through the years. Now, of course, there is no building on Maynard Street.
  • [00:02:07] TED TROST: Not anymore.
  • [00:02:07] ALVA JOANNA SINK: No. No more. The lovely one is out on campus.
  • [00:02:11] TED TROST: Now, the Musical Society was responsible for the Choral Union and the May Festival, both.
  • [00:02:17] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Yes. The Choral Union started in 1879, and it was formed from the choirs from four local churches, and they changed about, giving concerts in the various churches. In 1889, Dr. Albert Stanley, who'd been the choir director in Grace Church in Providence came to Ann Arbor, and he was the man who founded the first May Festival. The first May Festival was in 1894.
  • [00:02:53] TED TROST: Do you remember which orchestra played for that festival?
  • [00:02:56] ALVA JOANNA SINK: My husband told me, of course, that was long before his time that it was the Boston Festival Orchestra. I think there was some reason they could not get the Boston Symphony as planned, and I know Charles used to remark to me that the men were certainly far sighted when they announced the May Festival. They announced it as the first annual May Festival, even before they had a festival.
  • [00:03:26] TED TROST: That certainly was.
  • [00:03:27] ALVA JOANNA SINK: My husband had many delightful stories about the beginnings of the May Festival. Of course, all of that is on record. It's written up in various books. The May Festival, of course, has continued throughout the years as has the Choral Union.
  • [00:03:44] TED TROST: The most significant musical events in the country without question.
  • [00:03:47] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Yes. You might be interested in knowing if you do not already know that Hill Auditorium was the scene of the 1913 May Festival. It had not yet been dedicated, but it was finished enough so that it was used for the May Festival. That was before my time, but, of course, I heard plenty about it.
  • [00:04:13] TED TROST: Well, now, your husband served for 41 years as president of the Musical Society.
  • [00:04:18] ALVA JOANNA SINK: He did. He was originally the School of Music was also under the Musical Society.
  • [00:04:25] TED TROST: That's an administrative responsibility.
  • [00:04:27] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Yes, it really was, when you consider the large faculty and the number of students who attended. But in 1940, the School of Music became an integral part of the university, and then the Musical Society still was responsible for the Choral Union and the May Festival and all the other concerts that are given here annually.
  • [00:04:51] TED TROST: Well, you are certainly a true Ann Arborite as so far as you love it here. You came from Holly, Michigan, is that right?
  • [00:05:00] ALVA JOANNA SINK: I came from Holly. It's a very Christmasy sounding town, which has three lakes within its borders.
  • [00:05:07] TED TROST: Then you told me a little earlier, I believe that you stayed in President Burton's house for a while?
  • [00:05:14] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Yes. When I came here as a freshman, that fall, I was asked to organize a little private school, which was held in the third floor of Dr. R. Bishop Canfield's home on Washtenaw. It is now the Ann Arbor Women's City Club.
  • [00:05:36] TED TROST: Oh, sure. I know where it is.
  • [00:05:37] ALVA JOANNA SINK: I can tell you that I finished a class in old University Hall, which you wouldn't remember on the fourth floor, and it took me exactly eighteen minutes from the fourth floor of University Hall to the third floor of the Canfield residence.
  • [00:05:54] TED TROST: You'd make a good jogger today, I'm sure of that.
  • [00:05:56] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Well, as a matter of fact, it was so interesting that I was told by the gym instructor that I was getting much more exercise than the other girls, therefore, there was no need for me to be enrolled in a physical education class. Of course that made me very happy as you can imagine.
  • [00:06:15] TED TROST: Then you graduated in 1923?
  • [00:06:17] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Yes.
  • [00:06:18] TED TROST: And were married the same day?
  • [00:06:19] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Right?
  • [00:06:20] TED TROST: That really must have been an experience.
  • [00:06:22] ALVA JOANNA SINK: It was very exciting.
  • [00:06:24] TED TROST: Then during the years that you stayed right in Ann Arbor, you and your husband?
  • [00:06:28] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Yes.
  • [00:06:30] TED TROST: He began his duties with the musical society. I bet during all those years, you certainly have met some fascinating and interesting people.
  • [00:06:38] ALVA JOANNA SINK: No doubt about it. It's been a great pleasure, and I just feel humbly grateful, Mr. Trost that I've had the opportunity to meet and get to know these people.
  • [00:06:47] TED TROST: Entertain them in your home.
  • [00:06:48] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Oh, yes.
  • [00:06:50] TED TROST: Tell us about some of the people that you've met over the years. I'm sure our audience would be interested in that.
  • [00:06:56] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Well, one of the great artists who has been a guest in our home various times is Arthur Rubinstein, the world renowned pianist. He is the hostess delight.
  • [00:07:12] TED TROST: Why is that so?
  • [00:07:13] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Because he had the most wonderful fund of stories. One of them you might be interested in. One day, he was traveling on a railroad train. He was in having his dinner and he noticed a woman seated at a table and she didn't take her eyes off from him, and he would try not to look, but he couldn't keep from it. Finally, she called the steward and said, who is that man? Of course, he would not tell her, so he just indicated that he played the piano. That was all she needed to know. As she got up to leave, she went to him and said, "My family just adores you. We all like you. We have your records. We never miss your concerts. Now, Mr. Horowitz, may I have your autograph?" [LAUGHTER]
  • [00:08:09] TED TROST: [LAUGHTER] Well, another pianist you had in your home was Paderewski.
  • [00:08:15] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Yes. Paderewski was a very fine artist. As a matter of fact, he felt so strongly about the wonderful Hill Auditorium on campus. At one time, when he decided rather late to make a concert tour in the United States, my husband had already booked the series completely and so there was no place for Mr. Paderewski. His New York manager sent his itinerary to his home in Switzerland. He cabled back. These were the words. "What about Ann Arbor?" Because he was disappointed not to play here. Well, Mr. Paderewski did not ordinarily accept invitations to private homes because he lived differently than many people. As a matter of fact, when he came here, he would come in his own private car, and then he would practice a great deal.
  • [00:09:19] TED TROST: True artist all the time.
  • [00:09:20] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Oh, yes. I think he was quite nocturnal in some of his habits, but my husband said, well, it would be nice to invite him, and I said, oh, that would be lovely. He sent a letter to him in Switzerland and invited him to come to our home for an after concert supper party, knowing full well, there wouldn't be any reply. However, the day before the day of the concert, came a telegram from Chicago, saying, I accept with pleasure your invitation for dinner after the concert. He hoped that we would invite not more than 10 or 11 people. That's all very well. I said to my husband, Mr. Paderewski is an elderly man. If he is not on a diet, I think he should be. I'd really like to know what he enjoys in the way of food, and my husband said, oh, you know Larry Fitzgerald who will be traveling with him when he comes in I'll, I ask him to call you. Mr. Fitzgerald called me, and I said, I'd like to know what Mr. Paderewski really enjoys, and he said, oh, Mrs. Sink, I don't want to be a bother. I don't want to tell you. I said, oh now, you know it's much better if the hostess has some kind of an idea. This is what he told me. He likes starting off with a chicken consommé with rice, and then a side fish with boiled potato. Then a roast chicken dinner with peas and jelly and a few other things. Then for dessert he enjoyed a sherbet and these little meringue kisses type of cookie. I said, Mr. Fitzgerald, I can't imagine anything easier. I said, I think that's simply wonderful. It's the easiest menu I've ever heard of, and I thought it was till I started to shop. Well, it was during the banking holiday. You don't remember that, Mr. Trost, you're much too young, but we had a banking holiday. I became more aware of this when I called the butcher and said, I would like two roasting chickens. He said, Mrs. Sink, there's a banking holiday and we haven't sold any. I said, I know the Sinks haven't been buying any, but it didn't occur to me that other people hadn't. He said, let me worry about it. He and some of the other butchers got their heads together. I had specified as a hostess does about when it was to have been dressed and all of this. Shortly a call came back saying, "We have only one capon and one roaster in all of Ann Arbor that meets your specifications." I said, "Well, that's just great. That's all I need." Anyway, we had the dinner at midnight. Mr. Paderewski came home with my husband. I came in our car earlier because I wanted to be here to greet the guests and say, now, look, tonight, you're going to have potatoes twice at midnight. I just thought I'd tell you in advance, so you won't be surprised, but this is for Mr. Paderewski. We had a very nice time. When Mr. Paderewski came with my husband, he came in, and even before he removed his great coat, he took this little volume which I've just shown to you, on London, inscribed and autographed it to me.
  • [00:13:11] TED TROST: Wasn't that thoughtful?
  • [00:13:12] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Yes, it was very thoughtful. He told us a story about it. It seems that more than 30 years before, Lord Northcliffe had had a small number of sets of traveling libraries printed. Then he destroyed the plates, and he gave one set to Paderewski. Mr. Paderewski had carried that with him for 30 years. Mr. Straka, who was traveling with him, said to me, "Now I don't want you to think Mr. Paderewski just took this off the shelf to give you." Before we left Switzerland, he said, "Now, I am taking this to Ann Arbor to give to Mrs. Sink." So I thought it was very nice. You might be interested in knowing that that night at the dinner, among other guests, happened to be President Ruthven who was then present in the university and Mrs. Ruthven. In the course of the conversation which centered around Mr. Paderewski's a period as premier of Poland and so forth, Mr. Paderewski turned to the president and said, "I've been reading stories as I've come across the country from California about the student who went downtown last Saturday night, and he became inebriated, and on his way home, he got into the wrong house, and the girls were awakened by this confusion. He was trying to climb the chandelier."
  • [00:14:49] TED TROST: Oh, my goodness.
  • [00:14:50] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Mr. Paderewski said, now, Mr. President, you know he's not a bad boy. Why don't you just send him away for a little bit and then let him come back? Because really, he's not a bad boy.
  • [00:15:02] TED TROST: Your interest has not only been in music with that of your husband, but certainly in the Ann Arbor community.
  • [00:15:07] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Oh, yes, definitely.
  • [00:15:08] TED TROST: You mentioned that to us. You've seen this community change over the years. What do you think about Ann Arbor? Is it still a wonderful town?
  • [00:15:17] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Ann Arbor is still a wonderful place to live. When letters come in from near and far, saying, "We're so sorry to hear about the crime wave in Ann Arbor." I immediately write back and say Ann Arbor is still a wonderful place to live.
  • [00:15:35] TED TROST: That's because of the people for the most part?
  • [00:15:37] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Absolutely. Of course, Ann Arbor has grown tremendously since I first came here. When I came here, we used to have street cars.
  • [00:15:46] TED TROST: I remember that.
  • [00:15:47] ALVA JOANNA SINK: You remember.
  • [00:15:48] TED TROST: That I can recall.
  • [00:15:49] ALVA JOANNA SINK: But Ann Arbor has changed greatly, but I think most communities have changed.
  • [00:15:56] TED TROST: I think one of the things that's impressed me, Mrs. Sink has been the fact that you've not only had an opportunity to meet with some of the great artists of the world, together with your husband to travel throughout the world, but also to take a personal interest in people. I understand your husband used to tell delightful ghost stories on Halloween.
  • [00:16:12] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Oh, he had wonderful ghost stories that he told.
  • [00:16:16] TED TROST: How did that work? Did the kids ring the doorbell, not say trick or treat, but story or trick or something?
  • [00:16:22] ALVA JOANNA SINK: The first time that it happened, it was way back in the late '20s, I believe. The doorbell rang. Mr. Sink answered, and here were six little boys, and he invited them to come in. They came in and sat down and asked for a ghost story, and he couldn't think of any. Then finally he thought of one his father had told him when he was a little boy. Finally, he told them another, and they kept asking for more. He had four ghost stories that he told. When they left, they said, "When will you tell us stories again?" He said, "One year from tonight." So a year later, I suppose there were maybe 15 or 20 in the next year, about 30, and then we began having more and more.
  • [00:17:11] TED TROST: That's how you establish a tradition.
  • [00:17:13] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Then I always gave them popcorn balls, which were made after an old family recipe. The children enjoyed those popcorn balls. As a matter of fact, one night when I could not be here on Halloween, which was most unusual, but it was a case of where we had to be absent. This was many years later. I engaged someone to come in and pass out popcorn balls. It seems that one little boy, I didn't have popcorn balls that particular night, because I couldn't be here, but we'd always had them before. One little boy came, and he said, "Well, I was told I'd get a popcorn ball if I came, and I get candy, but it's all right." But I think that was the only time that they haven't had popcorn.
  • [00:18:01] TED TROST: Well, stories would be good for the waistline, too.
  • [00:18:04] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Oh, yes.
  • [00:18:05] TED TROST: Your husband died in 1972.
  • [00:18:07] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Yes, December 17th, 1972.
  • [00:18:09] TED TROST: After a long and distinguished career at the university and great service to this community, but you yourself have been active carrying on that tradition.
  • [00:18:19] ALVA JOANNA SINK: I have done a few things of a community nature.
  • [00:18:22] TED TROST: I noticed you've been involved in the Red Cross.
  • [00:18:24] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Yes. During the war, I was able to be a full time volunteer with the Red Cross. Dr. Frederick Coller, who was chairman of surgery was chairman of first aid. One day, this was even before Pearl Harbor, he telephoned and said, "I know you're busy, but I'm chairman of Red Cross First Aid. Would you be willing to be the go between the public and me? Because when I'm in surgery, I cannot take the calls?"
  • [00:18:58] TED TROST: Oh, sure.
  • [00:19:00] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Finally, I said I would after thinking it over carefully. Well, none of us anticipated Pearl Harbor. It was a tremendous program because there were times when we had over 100 classes going in Red Cross First Aid. You see, we were responsible not only for Ann Arbor, but for the whole county. We not only trained various groups of local people, but it was our responsibility to see that the firemen, the police, and all the rest of them were trained in that.
  • [00:19:36] TED TROST: Well, in addition to the interest that you have now, I'm sure your interest in music continues in Ann Arbor.
  • [00:19:44] ALVA JOANNA SINK: I have enjoyed music very much. However, I'm not a musician. I have smiled sometimes and thinking, well, it's just as well.
  • [00:19:55] TED TROST: Well, as you look back, what are some of the most memorable performances that perhaps you saw together with your husband?
  • [00:20:03] ALVA JOANNA SINK: We've had many of them. When Mr. Stock used to conduct the Chicago Symphony Orchestra that I was way back when I first came here. Those were wonderful concerts. Then the first time that my husband engaged the Philadelphia Orchestra come here, Leopold Stokowski was the conductor for one year. That was a very exciting experience. Then, of course, Mr. Eugene Ormandy, is so fine and so outstanding that all of those have been great events. Then I must say that the artists like Rachmaninoff and Kreisler and Lily Pons, I could just name scores and scores of them, have been outstanding.
  • [00:20:51] TED TROST: Do you feel that the citizens other than those who belong to the university community here in Ann Arbor did take advantage of the tremendous musical opportunities available?
  • [00:21:01] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Yes. People come from near and far. I know there are any number that come from out of town for these concerts.
  • [00:21:07] TED TROST: It's a pretty good thing that the Choral Union got started with those four church choirs.
  • [00:21:11] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Yes, wasn't it? It was really something. But the concerts have been very outstanding. Of course now, the number of concerts has expanded greatly. There are many other concerts, other series now.
  • [00:21:31] TED TROST: Do you think music will continue to play a significant role in the life of Ann Arbor?
  • [00:21:34] ALVA JOANNA SINK: I really think so. I can't imagine Ann Arbor without it. My husband was such a great believer in good music, even though he was not a musician. He used to say to me sometimes, I'm sure a lot of people enter the auditorium tonight feeling tired and worn out. He said, I maintain that they went away, feeling much better. Probably the bridge builder did a better job the next day in his engineering work, and probably the surgeon.
  • [00:22:08] TED TROST: Yes. Music certainly does have an ability to bring relaxation that even a tranquilizer can't. Listen, I've certainly enjoyed talking with you today and appreciate you inviting not only me, but all of us and those who are listening into your home. Indeed, for you, life has been seldom boring, I'm sure.
  • [00:22:30] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Never.
  • [00:22:31] TED TROST: I do want to thank you for being with us.
  • [00:22:33] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Well, I thank you, Mr. Trost for coming. I think it's been very fine of you, and I think the Sesquicentennial in wanting to make a record of some of these events is a very fine gesture to the community.
  • [00:22:49] TED TROST: Thank you, and you've helped to make it a living record.
  • [00:22:51] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Thank you.
  • [00:22:57] TED TROST: They shoot everything out of sequence.
  • [00:22:59] ALVA JOANNA SINK: I think it's really very interesting.
  • [00:23:02] TED TROST: You want the opening and how far you want to go on it. I don't remember the first question.
  • [00:23:07] MALE_1: You don't have to go just before that first question, if you make a little pause, that'll be fine.
  • [00:23:14] TED TROST: Did I say, I forgot how that interjection was. You're in the home, Mrs. Charles A. Sink, The wife of the late Mr. Charles A. Sink, who, for many years, was such an active and devoted person in charge of the Michigan Musical Society. Mrs. Sink, thank you so much for inviting us into your home today, and we want to hear about music in Ann Arbor.
  • [00:23:51] MALE_1: Good. Thank you very much. You get a picture of the book?
  • [00:23:57] TED TROST: How did we handle that? I want to get back. Well, considering the many distinguished people you have had in your home, how did you ever keep a record of who visited you here?
  • [00:24:08] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Well, we have kept these guest books since, I believe 1926. I think before that, we did not really keep a guest book.
  • [00:24:20] TED TROST: You have them here?
  • [00:24:21] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Yeah.
  • [00:24:21] TED TROST: I'd like to take a look at them.
  • [00:24:23] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Fine. That's great.
  • [00:24:24] TED TROST: Okay.
  • [00:24:24] ALVA JOANNA SINK: They're usually tucked away, so they can't be found too readily. And in traveling, they used to always go to the vault.
  • [00:24:34] TED TROST: Well, they're mighty precious.
  • [00:24:36] ALVA JOANNA SINK: I'll get my glasses.
  • [00:24:37] TED TROST: We're going in. We're going to have an opportunity now to look at some of these guest books.
  • [00:24:47] ALVA JOANNA SINK: See some of these guest books.
  • [00:24:47] TED TROST: Right. I'd certainly like to do that.
  • [00:24:49] ALVA JOANNA SINK: My husband always took great pride in these. Here you see Bjorling. I remember so well the night that he was here because in the morning, my husband received a call saying, he's not going to leave at midnight as planned. My husband said, well, then we'll have him for a party. His New York manager was quite delighted because he said war has just broken out in the late summer, 39, and his wife is with him and their two little children are in Europe. They're really quite distressed. Well, we had them for a party that night, and that's a group of the people that we had. All Scandinavians that I called up and asked to come for that. There's the file. Here is Dr. Koussevitzky with the Boston Symphony. He was really a joy. Do you know what he liked to eat?
  • [00:25:46] TED TROST: No, I'd be interested in that.
  • [00:25:47] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Broiled white fish and boiled macaroni. It sounds so [OVERLAPPING]
  • [00:25:52] TED TROST: Did you find that out of ahead of time?
  • [00:25:53] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Yes.
  • [00:25:53] TED TROST: That was good.
  • [00:25:55] ALVA JOANNA SINK: But of course, we dialed it up a bit so it looked differently. Then he enjoyed other things, too. But he was a great man. There's Kirsten Flagstad who was a terrific singer.
  • [00:26:12] TED TROST: January 15, 1940.
  • [00:26:14] ALVA JOANNA SINK: 1940. You see, that's when the war was on. Here's Arthur Rubinstein. Wow. Another cute story he told was about one time when he was giving a concert, he was almost thrown off because a woman had brought a little boy to the concert. He was much too young to come to a concert, and he was beating time, but it wasn't Rubinstein's.
  • [00:26:40] TED TROST: Oh, my goodness.
  • [00:26:44] ALVA JOANNA SINK: There's Mr. Ormandy. Here's Mr. Schnabel, yes.
  • [00:26:53] TED TROST: Now, tell me about him.
  • [00:26:54] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Mr. Schnabel, he was a pianist, and he also had master classes in New York. He was really very fine man and a wonderful pianist.
  • [00:27:07] TED TROST: I'm sure as you go through this book, you have an opportunity to renew many memories.
  • [00:27:10] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Yes. Well, just think of it on the seventh book now, there are hundreds of these. Here is some of the Budapest Chamber.
  • [00:27:23] TED TROST: Chamber Group.
  • [00:27:24] ALVA JOANNA SINK: The Minneapolis with Mitropoulos. I recall one time when Mitropoulos was here. We purposely invited many young men in music who were aspiring to be conductors. I can still see them now seated on the floor getting words of wisdom from the maestro and they still talk about it. It was one of them who was a guest here last year, and he was speaking again how much he's enjoyed it. Here's Lawrence Tibbett.
  • [00:27:58] TED TROST: Great singer.
  • [00:27:59] ALVA JOANNA SINK: He was a terrific singer. Yes, he was wonderful. Suzanne Sten. Oh, and here's Heifetz.
  • [00:28:07] TED TROST: What kind of a person was he?
  • [00:28:09] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Well, he appears to many people as being very stern. I thought he was perfectly charming. He was so interested in things, not only musical things, but he was interested. He was here one time during the war. Someone had said something about my activities in the Red Cross, and he had been very active too.
  • [00:28:33] TED TROST: Listen. We could spend hours doing this, and I'd just like to do that, but we're going to wind up. I just opened up to Lily Pons.
  • [00:28:41] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Oh fine.
  • [00:28:43] TED TROST: Everywhere I go I find a.
  • [00:28:44] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Yes.
  • [00:28:45] TED TROST: Distinguished person. But gee it's very gracious, of you again to show us these books of memories, names, guests.
  • [00:28:54] ALVA JOANNA SINK: Well, I'm delighted, Mr. Trost, that you could come this afternoon. I think it's perfectly fine. I'm sure you have enjoyed your work in Ann Arbor.
  • [00:29:04] TED TROST: I have enjoyed it very much. It's good to know that there've been such wonderful people who've come to Ann Arbor, and I think they've probably sensed a little of its charm too, the kind of hospitality that goes on here. Thanks a lot.