The Mansfield Symphony Youth Strings paid special tribute Sunday to conductor the remarkable Percy Hall who is retiring.

Hall conducted his final concert at the Renaissance Theatre. 

For the past 12 years, he has dedicated his talent, and energies to the Youth Strings.

Hall said his passion for music began at an early age.

"I grew up in the 1940's in Maryland. There was no music in the schools at all not even a choir. My mother and father had the foresight to give us lessons," Hall said.

"I took violin and I wasn't very good. Then my brothers and I played trumpet, saxophone and flute. This inspired me to join a band and I joined the Army band. I played in the band in Germany for two years," Hall said.

"Some of friends in the Army band we're going home and decided to become school music teachers. I thought if they can do it maybe I can to," Hall said.

"My parents would be surprised that my violin lessons started me on my career as a music educator," Hall said.
 
Hall is in his ninth year as conductor of the Youth Strings. He retired in 1993 after 41 years as a school band and orchestra director in Mansfield, Ohio.

The Youth Strings program is an education initiative of the Mansfield Symphony, supported by the Ohio Arts Council as part of the Mechanics Bank Education Series. It serves over 50 students in grades 6-10 from Richland and surrounding counties.

Hall was an Adjunct Instructor at Ashland University from 1993 to 2003. He has composed and arranged music for a wide variety of instrumental ensembles.

A total of 180 of Hall's small ensembles for brass, woodwinds, percussion and strings have been published by Great Works Publishing, Inc.
  

All are included in the newly revised list of OMEA Solo and Ensemble required compositions and are on lists in a number of other states as well.