Tryout TV; Madison Maennerchor

The following program is a tryout TV production made possible in part by a special grant from the friends of channel 21 incorporated. Young back your throat open. Force a very tall so that you got all kinds of Hip hip. Yeah yeah yeah. With all the energy that you had when you were saying. That. The. Again. The Madison medicore has been singing its songs for one hundred twenty six years since eighteen hundred and fifty two here in the capital city. Their history is closely intertwined with Madison's own that only began

in eighteen hundred and thirty seven. So the Madison mentor Corps has really been an integral part of Madison's rich cultural heritage and contributed a great deal to it. Close this evening let's visit the men accord the men who are in it and learn of its history its traditions its music and of course for it goes from here so let's climb the steps to the old Turner Hall located at 121 South Butler and we'll spend an evening with the men are told. That same thing. All over. Please start right at the beginning.

Very small. I am. A couple of things are at the bottom of the first page.

For one bar before 25. It says To start what does it say to do at the top of page 5 above says to get louder. Now if we start singing with all we've got we can't get any louder can't. Keep it in mind. Can we start all the way please right where the choir comes in one before 15 pitches. One before 15 then it's very nice to be a little bit more like this. Myers and a few more nice lassie. Only going to float.

Are you going to watch me please I said. I think you would have to agree that one hundred and twenty six years is long enough to establish a pretty strong tradition. But men are coursing of its type was established long before that it goes back of course to Germany to the old country and as a matter of fact we have a couple of traditions with us tonight men of the mater Corps one of whom has been singing with this group since. Well let's see for some forty seven years I think August talk you've been singing yes and bugle Garamond for something nearly that long you've been a member of this group rate here August when did you come to America. 19 27 right and 27 you came just prior to the depression you came during the good years. Did you join the medicore at that time. No I joined in 1971. I thought you came to this country to the city in what year nine in

our own dirty. I would say that you probably came of the toughest year of world right out there at first it was just underway but of course. The reason that you came here was because there was also a depression in Germany and I was out of work for two years and good y know what job they had said You better go there Mary I had a brother in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and he paid for my fare passage and he gave me 30 dollars for pocket money and he said You better get going and you are on your way and you got on your way. How about you did you have 30 dollars when you came I was less than that. I had my uncle sent me to pay off. And. I had to paid it back. Took me two years to pay it back. Let me ask you August. Why did you join the medicore then did did you sing with with a similar group in Germany before you came home or in church or in the church choir. Yes I want to ask you question is is your joining the medicore back Ian. Did you say nine hundred thirty one. Was that a social move or was it because you required

musical expression you cared for the old songs why did you join. Well. I wanted to sing anyhow and. He of course not being immediately social. We. Really have. To our office and we had to be at a fine time was had by all right. 1031 if you had beer I want to see if I remember my history be had but it was not to be able to be got now certainly not because its legal doubt it might not have been and I don't know anyone but it did it was a part of the tradition of yes singing perhaps Anyway you Hugo. Did you sing with comparable groups before you came to this country did you sing I was German I belong to a corps in Germany hometown. So you could just slide right on it either when he sang with the group. And it was my hometown. And there was that by the way. I was

of my own thoughts run for mayor just l'orange OK. Why daddy but I would do that. Seeing a society and when you were 18 years old you you had to join up too. You were a man you could join if you do if you got it you had to sing. Can I ask you this the songs that you sing in medicore here in Madison are they the same songs that you saying. Over there. Some of them are. I went back last year and I went to the Med. What I used to sing. And do you watch a price that I could sing shell with the ship but the sag and he couldn't get over you guys are both in the in the tenor section of the nose of course. Have you always been tenors how many of you are just always a 10 all the time. You know actually what I was saying for a speech in Germany and you work your way up to just saying something and then I got up with force first and I doubt I could go back again their second but I won't. You never go away down the road. I was always a bass and a singing

group I think you guys probably have a good deal more fun you are you're the lead you're singing all the important words that people must listen to. You enjoy your singing don't you. Oh yes and the social aspect because I don't want to ask your ages but I know that you are both. Beyond the retirement age I think that you were retired some 10 years ago or you go you go and how about you of this nine years and I go years and still the traditions are strong and you continue to come how often do you meet once a week once a week you meet How often do you sing. You know events for others. Well you have quite a calendar very high all year long. We have you're pretty active I LIKE CHRISTMAS FOOD singing and nursing homes and so on. Would you mind if we went at this point right back up and listen to something that is happening upstairs be I think the two of you probably want to go up and join now as we return to members of the Madison medicore and this is the sound that you will hear.

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you the the. We talked a few moments ago with Auguste Hogg and Hugo Garamond who are medicore singers with forty five and forty seven years experience here in the Madison medicore that if so if they expect a recall to eighteen hundred fifty two but while they may be of the older generation and the German born generation all of the members of the mentor corps are not such. Let's introduce you to some of the younger active members singing with today's Madison medicore. There is for instance Howard Christensen. There is Paul answered and there is the president of the Madison medicore at this time. Ray Richmond Howard. Somehow the name Christianson in among those like Hoch and Garamond and Esther and Rick run.

It's a Scandinavian name and very correct. I am very curious to know how dizzy are you going to be grandparents and you know that second generation is going to be OK. How does a Scandinavian happen to be singing with the medicine man or of course in German singing society. Well back about five six years ago I went into the American Army and was stationed in a small village in Lower Bavaria. Pretty good duty for yourself like a hoodie. But. There I was able to get into. I went to the German festivals and so were you musical before you went to do yes. Yeah I did I meet up and you know I played tuba and bone up on horn. And did you learn to sing the German songs in Germany. Well exist not exactly I got over there and I got involved though in a German band. And because little German corner band you play the tuba in a German but not YOU SON OF A GUN Everybody is only

part of it. Right OK. And enjoyed that so much that that's how I got the interest in the German culture and I enjoyed that so much that I got back here and was informed in medicine a lot of them as men are Korean went down here and felt the you got the same feelings that I did over there and wanted to know. And here you are a Christian sort of young writer bombs for instance. Yes wonderful. Thank you for the experience. Paul answered you were a member of the Madison medicore that is an immigrant from Germany but you didn't come over here in 1904 in 1030 has been heaven is known as good hockey here but as a matter of fact I don't suppose you were born you know any 430 so you are rather more recent immigrant. Did you have experience in medical before you came. Well in our home town there used to be a very old man Squire. Where was that when I can. Who is on your mind. About an hour from fun for a look here nor there me. Yes

my older brother us this sang in the songs on that in the Med.. Well I still was too young I just had to listen to those guys you know and you thought you could do it better someday I will someday I thought I'm going to do which is as good as them you know you're. But it didn't happen till I came to this country. I was involved in Germany in drum and bugle corps piano and band but you could have joined over there had you been of age and you did join here when you were of age it appears that the medicore movement is as universal there must be choirs choruses in the in many communities in many countries like the Madison Menocal belongs to those devoted to his consonants in the church and then. Vehicle in collaboration with the German singing society is it's a worldwide organization in the States in Canada Brazil the South American countries Argentina.

Even in Australia there is a lot of it's true and sinew society has a lot of voices raised in the kind of songs that we heard here tonight. And of course when I come will be in my all of the ability of my Uncle Copas talk to mention the full is a member of this group for men it is. So I didn't have no choice it was natural. Thank you Rick when you were neither German born American nor are you a Madisonian. And yet you are the president of an organization a German singing organization that dates back to eighteen hundred and fifty two. And yet I know that you have roots in live in central Wisconsin How do you how do you come to be the president of this group. Well I think there's a natural progression of being born within the German family of being taught to speak German and being for I can speak English and young lad. Being taught to love the German tradition their deeds to music including the German hands. Going over to Germany in World War

2 reacquainting my memory with what I had heard had taken place over there. Re quitting your tongue perhaps to a certain extent yes. OK it's a curious thing you mentioned a number of things in addition to the music that the medicore provides for you are good. It is social too is it not. There are family traditions involved you have a son that sings in the minor chords like father like son. Is that an important part of what what is going on here. Very definitely this is part of the. Traditional good music I hate that goes on within a German letter or within a German organisation of which the manic or is one and in this area are the families involved and involved with each other they're involved yes. In the social activities we have here of the medical order and also the various other social activities of the other Germanic groups and. There are other German clubs or organizations in town other than the minor core but you do

seem to be a very closely knit organization not to the exclusion of others but to have a fine time among yourselves raising your voices and songs. I would say primarily because we have a purpose a purpose is music. The perpetuation of the German folk songs the German music. Music of the traditional German composers I think it would be fun to go up stairs and while the group is still rehearsing as it were enjoying the good look of the evening let's join up let's take a trek up the stairs now and see what happens at the end of the evening. After a concert after the fun of it after the rehearsal and now after the evening is nearly over. Damn half it's a bit more of a tradition here I suppose in a lot of places but here is the case of the sausage the rye bread and the butter and of course the beer it's a part of the biggest It was this the way always and yet it usually managed to work its way down to this it is matter fact occasionally work its way up to our young a matter of fact we've occasionally been known to do our best

singing after one or two of these things. I think we're going to have a fairly good night song after you and I chat for a minute about the music that you do write in the thirty voices of the Madison metaphor. Instead we're pretty young man. You and you were obviously a Midwesterner I think from the sound of you. Do you have the Germanic background. Yes a matter of fact although I was born in southeastern Iowa my mother's family it might be my mother's great great grandfather originally came from the German state of asset. Where where Mr. Manuel. Sold into the revolutionary army the Haitian army and fought in the Revolutionary War. However he refused to fire against a columnist since he believed there constantly actually right and instead marched across the border and at the end of the world was given a land grant as a religion that the Haitians were those across the river when George Washington stood up he was a bit criticized ever since for the music that you direct because he is a rhythmic not a militaristic kind of music at all but it is

a rhythmic music it is also lyrical and is obviously It dates back in time 100 years 200 years 300. Well it's very indigenous certainly to the German people. I think primarily the idiom which we perform best the folk song in the song dating from the era of Schubert around eighteen hundred in 1825 is primarily where the men are core is it is most at home. Certainly the majority of the music dates from that period end and that's where the men I think the most. We certainly are it's certainly is a very rhythmic very vital kind of music it's not all Italian in the sense that it's the melodic but it's not the flowing a lot of writing write it you know rhythm is very very integral part of the music itself and I think you find that in all Germanic forms the chorale form for example in terms of sacred music is a very has a very powerful driving consistent rhythm. Did you study the dramatic music particularly with this in mind I'm curious to know during any of

your many of your studies. No I didn't I. I guess I just feel for my degree of empathy for these people. My sense my own traditions and ethnic background come from that part of the world and I feel very at home in that style of music. I'm serious you were the last of what must be a long line of directors of the better for here in Madison because they date back to eight hundred fifty two. What number are you or are you aware of the number of characters. I really can't tell you I you know they've had several several people serve in this capacity has been quite quite well-known in the field of music so in that sense I'm probably certainly the junior member of this. Well it's it's a long time tradition that you uphold the ban because let's see the community itself was only about 15 years old when the better for it was just. Hundred fifty two and I'm sure that ever since that time there's been a traditional closing to the evening something that you did that said Good night everybody we're going to wrap up the affair with out of four pieces of bread a little butter and cheese and oh how did you do that or how do you know.

Matter of fact when you had just exactly kind of the traditional closing it back to their last major conduct here Mr. Pate who is now in Colorado he was with the group for a period of seven years and really brought it to it's I think it's high time they sang quite well under him and he taught them this song it is it is called all of you to say what a lovely way to anything are you going to call I'll see if I can get these makes you know I mean there's a tension here. All right. We're here to slowly. Load to load the load

the. Oh you run and you. Owe you the Jaane. I i i i i. The preceding program was a tryout TV production made possible in part by a special grant from the friends of channel 21 incorporated.