Featured Alumnus

George Seifert ’62

George Seifert ’62 is looking forward to returning to campus this May for his 50th Reunion – especially to see those members of the Avon Heirs, one of Avon’s first small student singing groups. George has spearheaded an Avon Heirs revival and plans to have as many former group members as possible back to campus to sing together once more this spring.

“Several months ago I thought about how interesting it would be to have a concert with the ‘old’ singers. It occurred to me that this might get some people back who have not seen the school since graduating,” explains George.

“Tune up those pipes!” he continues, noting that he is especially excited to perform in the “first-class” Susan Casey Brown Auditorium.

George was a member of the group during all four years of his time at Avon, during which he was privileged to be a part of the school’s first musical recording, an LP that was recorded in the Riddle Refectory.

George gives much credit for the Heirs’ success to Jack Grove, nicknamed 'Sunshine,' who joined the AOF faculty in the fall of 1951; from then on, the music program expanded and thrived. During Jack’s first year at school (1951-52), the Glee Club – which had previously existed, but was much smaller – had 55 members, 10 of whom were selected for the newly-formed Avon Heirs, a ‘miniature’ Glee Club, designed to entertain at concerts, dances, and other social events.

The 1962 Winged Beaver yearbook notes, “While the Glee Club sings the songs of the occasion – carols at Christmas and bright songs at the coming of spring – the Avon Heirs go further to lend a bright atmosphere to the Glee Club concerts. The presentation of the music is informal, but the product is a polished piece of work which is indicative of the great effort put into the group by Mr. Grove, faculty advisor, and Hank Gardner, President of the club.”