The Washington Bicentennial Stone dedication in 1932 at Parkersburg City Park where the new Parkersburg High School A Cappella Choir performed under director Marie Boette. The stone marks the 200th birthday of George Washington, first president of the United States. (Photo provided by Jeff Little)

PARKERSBURG — The Parkersburg High School A Cappella Choir will be featured in a documentary to be shown at the Smoot Theatre.

Roger Blackburn will present “Ninety Years of the PHS A Cappella Choir, Part 1” at 7:30 p.m. April 25 at the Smoot where admission will be by donation.

The documentary will cover the first 34 years of the choir, which was established in 1931 under director Mary Boette, Blackburn said.

The directors in the time period covered in Part 1 are Boette (1931-1936), Leonard Withers (1937-1939), Esther Abels Cunningham (1940-1950), Helen Houston (1950-1951) and Esther Abels Cunningham (1952-1966.)

No video exists of the choir performances in the time period covered by Part 1, so the show will feature memorabilia including photographs, showbills, programs and newspaper articles, Blackburn said.

Music instructors at Parkersburg High School in 1952, from left: Esther Cunningham, A Cappella Choir; Frank Schroeder, marching band; Frank M. Gelber, orchestra; Lorene Allen, voice; Helen Huston, glee clubs director. (Photo Provided)

“It will be an interesting presentation,” he said.

Blackburn collaborates with the Wood County Historical and Preservation Society. The April 25 presentation at the Smoot is a meeting of the Historical Society, President Bob Enoch said.

The April-May newsletter of the Historical Society includes a photograph of the first choir from the 1932 Parkersburg High School yearbook, the “Parhischan.” Boette is in the front row wearing a choir robe.

Members of the first choir were Lucille Cunningham, Thelma Conley, Christine Schilling, Dorothy Strimer, Mildred Butcher, Mary Belle Hartleben, Eloise Foutty, Nell Cain. Second Row: Josephine Hayman, Dorothy Wilson, Virginia Smith, Barbara Payne, Helen Stalnaker, Carlyle Koon, Garnet Foster, Mardell Murray, Gladys Cress, Helen Bond, Winifred Simpson, Richard Corbitt, William Ash, Francis Alexander, Karl McAtee, Clarence Boso, Robert Elzy, William Backus, Donald Givens, David Murphy, Howard Rexroad, Foster Lytle, Dorothy Burgy, Dorothy Tigner, Miriam Couch, Mildred Parsons, Grayce Shultz, Bruce Day, Carl Loose, Donald McDivitt and Martin Schilling.

The second part will include the years of the choir under directors Jean Singer (1967-1997), Catherine Martin (1998-2004), Pamela McClain (2004-2018) and Joshua Dubs (2018-present).

The Parkersburg High School A Cappella Choir in the 1932 “Parhischan.” From left, first row, Lucille Cunningham, Thelma Conley, Christine Schilling, Dorothy Strimer, Director Mary Boette, Mildred Butcher, Mary Belle Hartleben, Eloise Foutty, Nell Cain. Second row, Josephine Hayman, Dorothy Wilson, Virginia Smith, Barbara Payne, Helen Stalnaker, Carlyle Koon, Garnet Foster, Mardell Murray, Gladys Cress, Helen Bond, Winifred Simpson. Third row, Richard Corbitt, William Ash, Francis Alexander, Karl McAtee, Clarence Boso, Robert Elzy, William Backus, Donald Givens, David Murphy, Howard Rexroad, Foster Lytle. Not pictured are Dorothy Burgy, Dorothy Tigner, Miriam Couch, Mildred Parsons, Grayce Shultz, Bruce Day, Carl Loose, Donald McDivitt and Martin Schilling. (Photo Provided)

“It may be three volumes before it’s all over,” Blackburn said.

Blackburn, an accomplished trumpet player who joined the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1974, has been working on the documentary since 2017.

“It’s been a long time,” he said.

Among the people he has interviewed for the documentary are the late Phil Sturm, a local historian who sang in the choir, Bill Warfield, Patty Hartleben and Singer, Martin and McClain.

“It was interesting to hear the various perspectives they have,” Blackburn said.

The last Parkersburg High School A Cappella Choir under Director Esther Cunningham taken during 1965-66 school year. (Photo Provided)

Blackburn has produced other documentaries about the Parkersburg High School marching band and the trolly car system in Parkersburg.

“Roger does an excellent job,” Enoch said.

Blackburn’s work is top shelf, according to Felice Jorgeson, Smoot artistic director.

“They are so well done historically and also are so entertaining,” she said.

Jorgeson hopes the audience and the present-day members of the choir gain an appreciation of the history and traditions of the choir and the organization of which they are a member.

The 1961-62 Parkersburg High School A Cappella Choir under Esther Cunningham. (Photo Provided)

The show will include the present-day choir, which will perform “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” during its processional, Jorgeson said. The choir will then sing the Parkersburg High alma mater.

“Hopefully, everyone in the audience will sing,” Jorgeson said.

Jess Mancini can be reached at jmancini@newsandsentinel.com.