Your Symphony Scrapbook

Symphony music can be one of the most accessible and enjoyable of the arts, and one of the greatest benefits of living in a large city. Many metropolitan areas take great civic pride in their symphonies, with good reason. Beautiful music played by professional musicians is a treasure that everyone can enjoy.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is considered as one of the "Big Five" symphony orchestras in the United States. The Big Five, which include the New York Philharmonic (est. 1842), the Boston Symphony (1881), the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (1891), the Philadelphia Symphony (1900), and the Cleveland Orchestra (1918), are leaders in "musical excellence, calibre of musicianship, total contract weeks, weekly basic wages, recording guarantees, and paid vacations" for the musicians they hire.

To provide the greatest service to the community, many symphonies provide education in music appreciation. The Chicago Symphony began broadcasting selected performances over radio in 1925. One of the broadcast features was Your Symphony Scrapbook, which presented discussions between a knowledgeable host and the Symphony staff. In each of the quarter-hour spot, a pair of floor level tickets was given to a lucky listener who had written into the show.

The meat of Your Symphony Scrapbook was a discussion between one of the musicians and the host. The discussion involved some knowledge about the instrument, how it fit in the Symphony, and the musician's personal and professional background. Not only did the audience learn about the music, they got a glimpse of life inside the Symphony company.

Most of the episodes included an anecdote sent in by listeners. The story was a treasured memory or amusing incident involving the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the listener whose anecdote was chosen would win the tickets.

For additional classical and opera radio shows, see also:

• Andre Kostelanetz Show
• Bell Telephone Hour Encores
• Chicago Theater of the Air
  
• Enchanted Hour
• Enchantment of Music
• Hour of Charm
• Light and Mellow Show
• The Magic Key
• Metropolitan Opera
• Telephone Hour (Music From America)
• Symphonies of the World
• Lauritz Melchoir Collection
• Voice of Firestone
  
• WPA Concerts