Past Tecumseh choir director honored

At Tecumseh High School on June 29, 312 former choir students who had migrated from across the country and from around the world gathered to show appreciation to their high school choir director in a reunion concert, “The Sipe Years.”

John Sipe had been Choir Director from 1955 to 1982 at Tecumseh where once again he found himself standing before 312 of his former students to conduct them in concert.

Between pieces Sipe addressed the audience. He told a story about Todd Welbourne, who could not make the concert. “Todd’s junior year he dropped out of high school. Today he holds a Ph.D. in Music. He is my proud high school dropout,” said Sipe. Welbourne was the only student of Sipe’s to dropout.

In the 27 years of conducting at Tecumseh, Sipe has no idea how many students he has taught but says, “hundreds or possibly close to a thousand students.”

Over 14 months, the number of participants grew as word about the reunion spread. The concert was originally to be in the auditorium but quickly outgrew it, so the concert had to move to the gym.

Stepping from his stand, Sipe said, “Don Hatcher loved to move padlocks around. It’s how he entertained himself.” Then he picked up a padlock to show the audience, “I found one on my notebook today at lunch.” The audience erupted with laughter.

The choir members cherished the time they spent with Sipe and reminisced about when they were in choir. Janice Clark said, “This is Mr. Sipe, he will always be our teacher.”

Sipe’s final story: “In the early 1980s, toilet-papering houses was popular. It was a way students showed appreciation. The year I was preparing to retire, many Fridays in a row we got toilet-papered. Sometimes students would show up to toilet-paper only to see they were beaten to it by someone else.”

He went on to say, “We saved all the paper in bags. One Sunday night we came into school. We had gotten the locker numbers of those who had toilet-papered and we stuffed the paper into their lockers. The kids were surprised on Monday.” Sipe said one student came running, “Mr. Sipe, my locker is full of toilet paper and I don’t know how they got in there.”

Jean Sipe was escorted to the front to be with her husband where Woody Davis announced that the Sipe’s had requested there be no gifts and then said, “Instead we have a job for you.” In reply, Jean Sipe said, “Been there, done that!” The Sipe’s have been married for 60 years and Jean has pitched in to help with concerts every step of the way.

The banter was prelude to announcing the John and Jean Sipe Music Scholarship. Members of the choir donated to create the fund that starts at $10,000. The members of the choir also funded the concert so there was no cost to the school.

When Curt McAdams asked John Sipe if he enjoyed the concert, “How could I not enjoy it,” said Sipe.

About the Author