Tradition has it the gift for a 70th anniversary is platinum.

So it's fitting, the Butler County Symphony Association has named its anniversary dinner Friday at the Butler Country Club “Symphony Platinum: 70 Years in the Making.”

And it's also fitting, according to Patricia Stagno, association board president, that the association will use the night to start a new tradition naming three recipients of its first awards.

The awards have been established to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to the Butler County Symphony.

“Because this is the 70th anniversary season of the Butler County Symphony, we feel that this is a fitting and long-overdue recognition of some very special people who have made this journey possible. It is the association's intent to select and honor additional individuals and/or groups each season,” said Stagno.

“Their names will be added to a plaque which will be displayed in the symphony office,” she said.

The inaugural honorees are Janice Larrick, Charles Norton and the Butler School District.

Larrick, has been a longtime supporter and board member of the symphony.

Stagno said, “Janice has been president, an organist and played cello for a good number of years.”

Norton has been a performing member and continued supporter of the symphony.

The school district's intermediate high school has been the site for symphony performances for 43 years.

Judith Wadding, who chairs the event, said, “We had a committee that considered over 100 nominees. We are honoring people who made contributions to the symphony.

“This is a good time for the honors to begin, one which we intend to keep doing,” she said.

Norton, who for many years was principal clarinet for the symphony before serving on the symphony board, said he was there for the symphony's first concert.

“The first concert I played was in February 1949. It was an invitational concert. In April 1950, the symphony played its first subscription concert,” said Norton.

“Edward Roncone, he was the first conductor. He was an instigator in getting the symphony started. He was a junior high music teacher at Butler.”

Maxine Rapp, a former clarinetist, organist and cellist with the symphony, said, “It was his idea. He instigated it all. He was a major influence in starting the symphony.”

Norton said at first the symphony played in the old high school in downtown Butler before moving to the intermediate high school.

The school district has been a community partner since the start of the symphony.

“In the beginning, it was all volunteers. In the original orchestra, we had 20 members from Butler County,” said Norton. “We hired musicians from Pittsburgh to fill in. Most of them were from the Pittsburgh Symphony. Of the 20 original, seven were from Mars.”

In fact, Norton said, his father was president of Mars Bank and was ready to guarantee the symphony would not lose money on its first concert. A guarantee, Norton said, that the symphony didn't need.

It wasn't always smooth sailing, said Harry Savisky.

“In the early '60s, the symphony had financial problems,” he said. “We had a subscription campaign. I wore a sandwich board and walked up and down Main Street.

“We had a lot of people that helped out during that campaign,” said Savisky.

Stagno said the present orchestra, some 70 strong, are all professional musicians from area colleges and other professional organizations.

“We go north to Erie and have many music educators from local Butler County schools,” said Stagno.

The symphony's 70th season begins Oct. 6 with its “Bernstein and Barber” concert.

- Oct. 6 “Bernstein and Barber”- Nov. 3 “Magical Music of Harry Potter”- Dec. 1 “Holiday Traditions” featuring the Butler and Seneca Valley High School choirs singing Christmas favorites- Feb. 2 “Nordic Winters- March 2 “Safety Last” The orchestra will play accompaniment to the 1923 silent Harold Lloyd film- April 14 “Fire and Water”All performances are at the Butler Intermediate High School, 551 Fairground Hill Road.