REFLECTIONS ON A BLESSED AND HAPPY LIFE NO.22: HIGH SCHOOL MUSIC

REFLECTIONS ON A BLESSED AND HAPPY LIFE NO.22: HIGH SCHOOL MUSIC

While in high school I may have had only one date, seen only six movies and never went to a dance. But at least I was a normal enough teen-ager to enjoy music. In 1951 Frank Sinatra and the Hit Parade were still big. So every Saturday night I listened to The Hit Parade, eagerly waiting to see which popular song would be number one for the week. There were other singers and my favorite was Bing Crosby. Three female singers were always welcome: Dinah Shore, Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee. Glen Miller was always good and Duke Ellington had his own style. Of course, there was no TV and I owned no record, disc or LP player so I heard these on our small radio. These were the days of WWII, so patriotic songs were featured. Songs to which I sang along included “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition”, “I’ll Be Seeing You”,” I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and “Accentuate the Positive”.

We did not have a school choir but one of the teachers put together a male octet, asked me to sing bass and we sang once or twice for chapel services. I have a very strong memory of Prof. Viehweg wanting to introduce us to good classical music. He invited a group of us whom he considered to have potential, to join him for an evening’s session. I recall sitting there as he plugged in his record player and played “The Hallelujah Chorus” from the Messiah. I do not know that I had never heard it before. He waxed eloquent and urged us to feel the majesty of the music. We listened devotedly. When I returned to my dormitory room I recall (to my everlasting shame) telling my roommate “Prof Viehweg had this very boring piece of music he was excited about. I don’t get it. They just sang “Hallelujah. Hallelujah” over and over.” If Prof Viehweg ever assembled that group again I was not invited.

I am surprised that I do not have more memories of country/western songs as I was certainly surrounded by them. I did memorize old favorites like “I’m” An Old Cowhand”, “The Yellow Rose of Texas” and “Deep In The Heart Of Texas”.

The other musical event of the week which I recall, is the mixed choir singing every Sunday at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. Once again there was an attraction other than the sacred music. St. Paul’s had a very unusual church architecture for those times as the choir was seated directly behind the altar. The choir had a big soprano section. They were always beautifully clad in the choir robes we boys sitting in the front pews could really pay attention to that front row and make our own judgments about lots of things, not always musical.

I am forever grateful that my musical tastes did not stay fixated at that terrible teen-age stage. Many wonderful people have since instructed me and lead me to one of the many blessed aspects of my life: the enjoyment of all kinds of good music ranging from “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” to “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.”