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ROBERT E. EDWARDS has recently retired from forty-three years of service with the Voice of Prophecy.
For twenty-four of those years he was first tenor with the King's Heralds. He graduated from Emmanuel
Missionary College (now Andrews University) with a major in theology and a minor in music.
WAYNE HOOPER is well known as music director for the Voice of Prophecy and baritone in the King's
Heralds Quartet. He received his education at Gem State Academy and Southern California Junior College
(now La Sierra University). As composer, music engraver and arranger, he has many publications to his
credit. In 1980 he retired from thirty-five years in radio ministry. One of the greatest challenges of his life
came after that, when he served as executive secretary to the Hymnal Committee.
HELEN FOREMAN-LITTLE is currently copy editor for the Alumni Journal for the Loma Linda
University School of Medicine. She has taught at Walla Walla College, Union College, and is professor
emeritus at La Sierra University where she has taught for 26 years.
PATRICIA SILVER holds her M.A. degree in music education from George Peabody College for
Teachers in Nashville. At present she is Associate Professor of Music at Southern College, Tennessee, and
band director. She has multiple music connections. She is the daughter of Harold E. Mitzelfelt (college
teacher of music and bandsman); granddaughter of Walter E. Straw (a musician before he became a
missionary educator); and sister of the founder of the Mitzelfelt Chorale.
ISSN 0360-389X
clleff
The Editor's Stump 3
EDITORS
"Such as Handle the Harp and Organ": 4
Dorothy Minchin-Comm
La Sierra University Some Organs and Their Masters in the Seventh-day Adventist
ASSOCIATE EDITORS Church
Ronald D. Graybill C. Warren Becker
La Sierra University
Gary Land The Making of the Seventh-day Adventist Hy mnal (1985) 12
Andrews University Wayne Hooper
MANAGING EDITOR Sing Along with Uncle Henry: The Story of Henry de Fluiter
James R. Nix (1872-1970), Pioneer Gospel Song Leader 26
Loma Linda University Dorothy Minchin-Comm
2 SPRING, 1991
Dear Editor: of May fell on a Sunday
I was very inter- in 1921 and 1927 as well
ested in ADVENTIST as in 1932. Since Elder
HERITAGE (Summer Harlan started school in
1990). The cover shows the fall of 1920, that very
a classroom in the well could be him in the
Takoma Park church picture, but in 1921, not
school. On page 36, in 1922.
the same picture, I am Having been
the boy seated next to wrong once, we didn't
Courtesy: Re v iew and Herald
EDITOR'S STUMP 3
In April of 1986, Southern College of Seventh-day Adventists in Collegedale, Tennessee, opened the largest tracker-action
organ built in North America,
4 SPRING, 1991
11 .`"A t ikkiltiolifiLikkilfillfikilkikAdifAkilki:,
C. Warren Becker
6 SPRING, 1991
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
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also the "horseshoe" console, gave the theater organ a
characteristic look and sound.
Now, with the invention of sound movies, theater
organs stood idle or sold very cheaply. Thinking that
any organ was an acceptable organ, many churches
throughout the country took advantage of these low
price tags to acquire theater organs for their congrega-
tions. This vexed organists and legitimate organ build-
ers, and ultimately, many of the congregations them-
selves became dissatisfied.
Such was the experience at La Sierra Junior Col-
lege (now La Sierra University) The college secured a
three-manual theater organ from the Walt Disney Stu-
dio in Hollywood and installed it in Hole Memorial
Auditorium about 1939. The organ, however, with its
great wobbly tremulants, kinura, saxophone, French
horn, tibias and vox humana became a frustration to
churchly hymn singing.
In 1944, Harold Hannum arrived at La Sierra Col-
lege to chair its music department. He determined to
gradually change the character of the Disney theater
organ's tone quality. This was done by making the
ensemble more cohesive and church-like. In 1970, the
theater organ was replaced with a fine three-manual,
sixty-two rank Casavant pipe organ of rich ensemble.
As the "Dean" of Adventist organists, Professor Han-
For more than two decades, the large two-manual vocation
num rendered many memorable services, among which
organ with pedal base was available to Battle Creek
were the "organ vespers" to close Sabbaths. At these
College and later Emmanuel Missionary College students
times he played most of the significant organ music.
for their practice needs.
English Professor Harry M. Tippett and Mrs. Ethel
La Sierra College
Arlington, California
1946 - 1947
JANUARY 4
Onward, Ye Peoples Sibelius
Melodie Religieuse She
Prelude and Fugue in B flat Bac
Blessed Jesu, at Thy Word Bach
The Old Year Now Bath Passed Away Bach
Carillon Delainarter
in the Twilight (Prayer) Harker
JANUARY 11
Dorian Toccata Bach
In addition to his organ music, Professor Harold B. Hannum Arioso, Cantata 156 Bach
also made significant contributions to both the 1941 and Fantaisie in C Franck
Air Wesley
1985 Seventh-day Adventist hymnals . Angelus Kreckel
JANUARY 18
Hannum further enriched the programs by reading lit- Choral Prelude on "Dundee" Parry
Prelude and Fugue in G major Bach
erary selections. Siciliano Bach
In the meantime, the La Sierra Collegiate Church Finale in 13 flat Franck
Choral Prelude on "Martyrdom" Parry
had been built. Today it possesses a magnificent four-
manual, 100-rank pipe organ built by the industry and JANUARY 25
ingenuity of Donald Vaughn, church organist and in- Fugue in G minor Bach
structor in organ at La Sierra University. Sonata XX Rheinberger
Intermezzo
Besides the theater organs, another innovation rela- Pastorale
tive to church organs was brought about with the inven- Chorale in A minor Franck
tion of the Hammond electronic organ in 1935. Lavish Negro Spiritual "Nobody Knows"
advertisements in The Diapason (organ magazine) pro-
claimed the grand qualities of this new instrument. Small For a number of years, La Sierra College students were
in size, these new electrotones could be located almost treated to Sabbath afternoon organ vespers.
anywhere. They purported to imitate most solo organ
stops. It did not seem to matter that the organ commu- els and companies, including Aliens and many others.
nity took Mr. Hammond to court for making such gran- Allen electronic organs are located in such places as the
diose claimsthe electronic organ business was on its new General Conference headquarters chapel in Silver
way and flourishing. Before long, Hammond organs Spring, Maryland; Avondale College, Australia; Carib-
were being used at our campmeetings. Adventist con- bean Union College, Trinidad; and Samyook Univer-
gregations everywhere thrilled to their sounds. sity, Seoul, South Korea.
Hammond organs were also installed in churches all Many European countries have also begun building
across the country, including such places as the Sligo electronic organs. The organ at Taiwan Adventist Col-
Church in Takoma Park, Maryland; the old General lege is a Viscount, from Italy. Other electronics have
Conference headquarters chapel in Washington, D. C.; been purchased by Southeast Asia Union College,
and the Green Lake church in Seattle, Washington. Singapore; the church adjacent to Hong Kong Adventist
Electrotones continued to be developed in both the Hospital; and the church at Taiwan Adventist Hospital.
United States and Europe. Schools and churches could For at least twenty years after Battle Creek College
now choose from an expanding number of organ mod- moved to Berrien Springs, Michigan, in 1901, Emmanuel
8 SPRING, 1991
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
10 SPRING, 1991
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
of 1972 from a Baptist one built at the time. It contains 127 ranks, with four
church in Boston. manuals and eighty-five speaking stops.
Originally installed In April, 1986, Southern College, Tennessee,
there in 1895, the organ opened the largest tracker-action organ built in North
was built by Hutchings- America. It dominates the front facade of the church
V otey. It was rebuilt in and has elicited much interest in the organ community
1962. Weighing in at at large, both in the United States and Europe. Recalling
12 tons, the dismantled the lines of organ building during the High Baroque,
organ was moved to John Brombaugh built this massive organ with 108 ranks.
Keene in a large mov- Designed to play exclusive music, the organ has been
ing van, where after used in a series of concerts by European artists. Indeed,
being assembled in the in the worldwide Adventist church, there is nothing to
church by a crew of vol- compare with this remarkable organ.
unteers, it was dedi- Outside of the United States, pipe organs have had
cated December 15, little representation in Adventist institutions and
Margaret Holden Rippey
1973. Installed with the churches. However, after foreign students have studied
pipes behind the con- in the United States, many have gone back to their home-
gregation and the console in front, this awkward ar- lands and encouraged organ work. A European-built
rangement made coordination of the instrument with pipe organ furnishes many students with lessons at Ja-
the choir and congregation difficult. pan Missionary College. Other pipe organs are to be
A variety of pipe organs have been used by Advent- found in Hiroshima High school and Tokyo Central
ist churches in the Washington, D.C., area. In 1951 a Church. In Europe itself, pipe organs are located at
rebuilt pipe organ with good tonal design replaced the Newbold College, England; at Collonges-sous-Saleve,
Hammond electronic organ in the Sligo Church in France (a six-stop Silberman); in Wetzingen, Switzer-
Takoma Park, Maryland. Nine years later, an Aeolian- land (two-manual); in Lyon (one-manual) and Paris,
Skinner organ (three manual, twenty-six rank) was in- France; and in Frankfurt, Germany (a small two-manual).
stalled in the chapel of Columbia Hall, Columbia Union What a heritage of organs played by dedicated or-
College. The calamitous fire of February 19, 1970, ganists has been passed down to present-day Adventist
leveled the building and took the organ with it. In 1953 musicians. The Church, along with its educational in-
the Takoma Park Church purchased an Ernest M. Skin- stitutions, has run the gamut from the small harmonium,
ner pipe organ (four-manual, forty-two rank) from Town to the pedal vocalian, to the theater pipe organ, to the
Hall in New York City, but it did not fulfill expecta- electronic instruments (electrotones) . . . and finally to
tions--especially after a damaging fire. The next organ, the ultimatethe pipe organfor the best classic re-
installed by the E. H. Holloway Organ Company, later production. These instruments
needed to be renovated. Capital Memorial Church has have taken steady, unre-
had a Schantz organ (two manual, eighteen rank) since lenting vigilance to main-
1963to which three mutation ranks have been added. tain and support them,
Elsewhere across the United States, several other whether pipe or elec-
pipe organs have been installed in Adventist churches. tronic. As the music pours
A significant three-manual Zimmer pipe organ is situ- forth from them, I must
ated in the church adjacent to Porter Hospital in Denver. exclaim with Paul:
Everything has been done to make this a major concert "Thanks be to
instrument in the city. God, who always
The new church at Kettering College, Ohio, was, leads us in triumphal
with its slate floor, planned around the new Casavant. procession in Christ
In addition to effectively augmenting church services, and through us
it was anticipated that the pipe organ, with its eighty- spreads everywhere
nine ranks, would attract concert artists. the fragrance of the
The Casavant installed (in two phases) in Loma knowledge of
Linda University Church in 1971 was almost the largest him."
12 SPRING, 1991
a, lie tie dr I. V lir
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Wayne Hooper
ADVENTIST HYMNAL 13
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
"You have to become standard in other churches were fed into our
be out of your list. Four subcommittees (responsible for text, tunes,
mind to con- first lines and titles, and topical index) were organized
sider such a job and worked independently. Each was supplied with
in your retire- appropriate print-outs. Thus we eliminated the endless
ment years!" typing and retyping of lists. The new technology
friends ex- speeded up the workeven though two days worth of
claimed. entered titles were lost when the computer crashed!
"You'll just Five full committee meetings convened between
have a big March 31,1982, and July 5,1984. They lasted four days
battle on your each, with the work day beginning at 8.30 a.m. and
Bock
14 SPRING, 1991
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
AL/A FAL\ \
.'A
HYMNS, love. Each meeting began with a prayer that the Holy
Spirit would guide in every decision. Sometimes the
c
FOR
discussions were lively and speeches passionate. Once,
tocM r-O
when an old favorite was about to go down in defeat,
GOD'S PECULIAR PEOPLE, one member cried, " You 're not a Seventh-clay Adventist
THAT KEEP THE
if you vote against this hymn!"
ADVENTIST HYMNAL 15
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
1
itAikkilEkiff_kit li
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Members of the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal Committee. Front row, I. to r.: Samuel Myers, Alma Blackmon,
Wayne Hooper, Charles Brooks, Robert Cowdrick, Rochelle LaGrone; second row: Michael Stevenson, Charles
Keymer, Melvin West, Harold Lickey, Allen Foster, Raymond Woolsey, John Read, James Bingham, Ron Graybill,
Merle Whitney, Frank Holbrook, Ottilie Stafford. Not pictured: Robert Spangler.
1 had the task of preparing all of the hymns for the at Andrews University) text had been set to the stirring
engraver, Wagner Enterprises of Phoenix, Arizona. Welsh tune, Cwm Rhondda.
Melvin West assisted me in the musical editing, and Naturally the work of a hymnal committee must be
three people proof- read the scores. We passed the final prophetic. Their work is to forecast, with the best
editing of text and indexes on to Raymond Woolsey at information available, what the hymnic needs of their
the Review and Herald Publishing Association, in church will be for the next thirty years or more. Only
Hagerstown, Maryland. Despite our dream of produc- time and usage can judge the choices made. We hope
ing a perfect hymnal, a few errors still crept in. (Most that all will open the pages of the hymnal with expecta-
of these, however, had been corrected by the third or tion and enthusiasm. While one remembers that some-
fourth printings.) The first copies rolled out of the times an old friend is lost or far away, yet an abundance
bindery on May 15, 1985. And so the new hymnal was of exciting new friends is near at hand for the person
presented to the church at the 1985 General Conference who will take the time and effort to get acquainted.
session held in the Superdome in New Orleans one To date, the reception and use of the hymnal has
month later. Who can forget the thrill of that day when been most gratifying. The Review and Herald reported
some 35,000 church members, a 300-voice choir, and a that 400,000 copies were sold during the first eighteen
120-piece symphony orchestra sounded forth with months of publication. And that is a new record in
"Christ the Lord, All Power Possessing"? In this new Adventist publishing.
hymn, C. Mervyn Maxwell's (church history professor
16 SPRING, 1991
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
ADVENTIST HYMNAL 17
Courtesy ! Patric ia Silver
The all-male band of Southern Training School in Graysville, Tennessee, during the 1903-1904 school year posed
in front of the ladies' dormitory for their photograph.
18 SPRING, 1991
Strike Up the Band
Patricia Mitzelfelt-Silver
The Walla Walla College Cornet band is shown in 1895 performing also as a marching band.
20 SPRING, 1991
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
WI; rgiiKiiif
Early band
teachers usu-
ally carried ex-
tremely heavy
work loads,
and the band
idea survived
only because of
personal pas-
sions to see it
succeed. Com-
Photographed in 1938, the second year that they played monly, the or-
together, Pacific Union College's triple trumpeters, chestra director
Dale Hauck, Ralph Waldo and Robert Rieger, had doubled as
"triple-tongued" into more than a little popularity with band leader,
the student body. After founding the music department
and often this
at Pacific Union College in 1914,
same person
concert bands. This modern instrumentation is avail- Prof. Noah E. Paulin remained its
had to conduct
able in most large Adventist secondary schools and head for thirty years.
choral activi-
colleges today. ties as well.
Until very recent times, there has been little equal- Some teachers combined even more unusual mixtures.
ity between orchestras and bands. For instance, Atlan- At Southwestern Junior College, for example, Claude
tic Union College has had a long history of fine orches- Dortch conducted the band and ran the woodworking
tras. But the earliest band group in that historic college shop. After him came Julian Thompson, who added to
did not appear until 1939. Its first director was the well- his musical abilities a substantial career as a physics
known violinist, Bela Urbanowsky. A year later, the teachers. Bill Shadell became a luminary at both
band merited mention in the college bulletin, but band Emmanual Missionary College and Washington Mis-
membership, unlike orchestra membership, carried no sionary College. Not only could he perform as soloist
academic credit until 1955. on seven different instruments in a single broadcast of
the WEMC radio station at Berrien
Springs, Michigan, he could also get his
band students out to rehearsal at 5:30
a.m. Eventually he became a telecaster
and anchor-man for both CBS and ABC.
In the main, naturally, these unpro-
fessionally trained people had more ex-
perience in performance than in direct-
ing. Their contributions, however, are
not to be undervalued. Sometimes the
duties of being band director were taken
up not just by talented faculty members,
but also by students with strong music
interests. The first band at Southern
Missionary College, for instance, was
organized by a clarinet-playing student,
George Fuller.
On occasion, well qualified contract
The Pacific UnionCollege band was in its third year ofexistence when this teachers could be hired in for the job.
picture was taken in the fall of 1938. Colonel Davis conducted Madison
22 SPRING, 1991
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
Courtesy: Patricia S
The 1979-1980 Walla Walla College Concert band is pictured in front of the school's Cassavant pipe organ in the
two-story Recital Hall.
We were well into the 1950's, however, before In the second half of this century, many band
trained band conductors were generally available for festivals and clinics have been held. These annual
denominational teaching positions. Then as more expe- events have utilized both band and choral activities,
rienced players from the academy feeder organizations with the central senior college hosting the academies.
emerged, it became possible for college bands to Burton Jackson organized the first Southern Union
perform standard band literature. In fact, these better-Conference academy music festival in 1958. Two years
trained directors became specialists on their own instru-
later, Lloyd Lena started a union-wide band clinic at
ments and developed musical tastes sometimes far in Union College designed to alternate yearly with a
advance of the average audience. choral clinic.
Even when the bandsmen did not become profes- The format has become more or less standard. The
sional musicians, they often carried their music interest
college band director makes the final selection of play-
with them in tangible ways. Waiter E. Straw was a case ers based on names submitted by the academy directors.
in point. While a senior student and proficient cornetist
The young musicians improve their skills in rehearsals
at Emmanuel Missionary College in 1910, he organized and lectures. The latter feature guest clinicians from
a band. In later years, he started a band program in every
other Seventh-day Adventist colleges and universities.
academy of which he was principal, always reserving Students may also audition to appear as guest soloists at
the directorship for himself. the clinic.
Band music also suffered another disability in the The stimulating results of such festivals are illus-
early days. Band concerts were expected to feature trated in a report of Glenn Spring's "Band-Orchestra
enjoyable music, and students considered it "fun" to be Clinic" at Walla Walla College in 1966: "The excite-
a band member. And it was proper that band should be ment of playing in a large and capable band, the stimu-
an attractive feature of student years. Of course, for lus of attending informative and helpful clinics, plus the
many years this was a benefit for the boys only. While feeling of having given a 'great' performanceall
orchestras could be made up of both men and women, created a euphoric sense of having accomplished some-
the bands, for a long time, remained exclusively male. thing worthwhile.
In fact, the organization was recognized as having School bands have served in public relations by
social moral uses. "Let a boy blow a horn," people said,making valuable contacts with their local communities,
"so that he won't blow a bank." constituencies and beyond. In the early days, of course,
the bands made few tours, but with
increasing ease of travel, the groups
now cover thousands of miles in every
direction, including overseas tours.
And the bands themselves do much of
their own fund-raising for these ven-
tures.
At last our bands have achieved sta-
tus among us. Performing great mu-
sic, becoming well acquainted with
musicians, mingling with teachers and
community members, working to-
gether as a teamthese are but a few of
the exciting benefits for a young per-
son playing in a band. The majority of
the players, however, are not music
majors; they simply love making mu-
sic together. Still, the many and var-
ied worlds of band work are open to
themmarch music, serious music,
pop music, and the glorious music of
This wider view shows the full compliment of musicians in the 1904 praise.
Graysville band.
24 SPRING, 1991
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
ilk 44
26 SPRING, 1991
P. it ' it' it' it' Of it Of Of Of it* it' it 6 Of Of 6 Of 6 it Of
Dorothy Minchin-Comm
UNCLE HENRY 27
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
28 SPRING, 1991
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
it Ars 1 it it it it it iif * it
6 jiatttlew 24
"This generation shall not pass. till all These things hr fulfilled.--Matthew 24:34
H. DE F. HENRY DE FLUITER
1. The con ing of the Sav _ lot, is draw ing near at hand,
2. The ris ing sun be dark - ened, the moon with -hold her light,
3. The church and world u - nit - ed, re - lig - ion grow ing cold,
4. 0 broth - er are you wait - ing, and watch - ing for the time,
791I
P F F
F
I
to soon shall hear the trum-pet , re- sound-ing, thru the land. He tells of signs
The stars shall fall from hear-en, an awe in- spir_ing sight: The earthsha.11 reel
They say "Since the ere a - tion, all things are as of old; They do not heed
When Christ Aia.1.1 come in glo. ry, and maj- es - ty sub-lime?- Then put a way
iFtF F r ff F FF ,F
ia r di tb eg1- 0
0.1 - 111
and won - ders, the world may know and fen, He is
and tremble, and fear possess all men, For He's com-ing,
com-ing,
the warn _ing, that Christ has giv'n to them, That He's
your doubt-ing, your un - be- lief and sin, For He's
_& A -1 k .. -
94: .9 7
C nSi)
eJ
com-ing back a- gain! This gen_ e- ra _tion shall not pass till all things be ful- filled!
it O. 2 . a -01- #10- ft 4a -0-
P
am ' O-
0'
This is the bless.ed pmm-ise that Christ to us has %villecl.The twen-ty-fourth of Mat-thew,
Inspired by the preaching of Elder D. E. Lindsey on Matthew 24, de Flutter wrote this, his first hymn, in 1902.
UNCLE HENRY 29
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
man soon to become a father. When the meetings popular song, "Over There," had captured public inter-
ended, Henry, of course, had to go back to sign-paint- est. Henry promptly offered his interpretation in his
ing. own soon-to-be-famous song, "Over Yonder."
About 1902 he wrote his first Adventist song, Now calls came from other evangelists wishing to
inspired by Elder Lindsey's preaching on the prophe- have lively song services too. And the conferences
cies of the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew. After began to give Henry "a little something" for each
writing "Matthew Twenty-four," he had to rely on meeting. Maybe, they conjectured, a singing evangelist
Lindsey's capable pianist to harmonize the tune for was not a bad investment after all. In between times,
him. Its premiere performance was at one of the however, Henry always had to go back to his brush-
evening meetings. From there, the song went on to work.
become a long-standing evangelistic success. The real breakthrough came in 1926 at the Milwau-
A few years later, while working with the big kee General Conference session. H. M. S. Richards, a
campmeeting choir in Denver, Colorado, he attracted promising young evangelist, invited de Fluiter to join
the attention of Charles T. Everson. The evangelist him for two weeks of meetings in Little Rock, Arkan-
invited him to join him in New York City, a commission sas. (Richards' father, H. M. J. Richards, was the
which lasted from 1914 to 1916. The New York conference president there.) For the first time de Fluiter
meetings were held on a big scale, Sunday nights in would be a song leader full time. The two men waited
large theaters and week nights in halls. De Fluiter on the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan and negoti-
gathered together a huge choir, supported by an orches- ated the rental of the Klan Tabernacle for their meet-
tra. (Amazingly, it happened that most of the workers ings.
at the Review & Herald Publishing Association branch After that series, Richards inquired, "Now we can
in the city played musical instruments.) go either to Florida or California. Which place would
In 1914 World War I had just begun, and the you prefer?"
Henry opted for the West Coast, so the new team
began work in Central California. First, they built a tar-
papered tabernacle in Visaliain just three days. Later
came Bakersfield where Henry recruited a fine group of
German singers from nearby Shafter for his 80-voice
choir. Meetings convened nightly, except Mondays.
"I'm praying for 101 souls from these meetings,"
Henry told Richards.
"But why have you settled on 101?"
"Just to be sure it's over 100." The final count
turned out to be 144.
Then the team worked Fresno for nine months.
Next came Hanford and Merced. Crowds of 2000 and
3000 people were not uncommon. With no competition
from radio and television, people liked to come out to
public meetings. Meanwhile, de Fluiter painted all the
posters and set up huge signs, thereby minimizing
advertising expenses to cost only. Not once did he ever
hide the Seventh-day Adventist identity of the meet-
ings. Usually, after two or three weeks, the campaigns
carried themselves by their own momentum without
further advertising.
The series held in Long Beach channelled the
ministry at last into radio. There the Voice of Prophecy
Elder D. E. Lindsey, looking much like Dwight L. Moody, officially began, though originally the broadcast was
was the first evangelist to hire Henry de Fluiter as his song called Tabernacle of the Air. De Fluiter's choir and
leader. orchestra were now heard daily on the air.
30 SPRING, 1991
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
Monday Night, February 12, 7:30 home in Shafter. "So," he said, "for her I wrote a song
based on our 'love-word,' "maranatha.'" (For himself,
old age was more kind. At 89 he could say, "I haven't
AIR WA
an ache or a pain.")
"Longing," perhaps his most popular song, has
been sung around the world in several languages. It
"Not one of the planes would necd a human arose out of his pain at seeing a rabbit accidently
putt 4 4 NI ,. ...It ,.
11, -l
to nit HAN115 {g
P11.01% *MEI liALHo ma
1,,Ii.h.r4 it! I I,
WOULD SE3 tttlig I [1,14401,
. -
stumble into the campfire during a hike with his Path-
WI'Mt rims fith Msg. Is fir tightsr i1414. ; 40-
finders in the Rocky Mountains. Suffering, human or
"Doe. Moy Baker Eddy Speak from the 6eyend7"
1.1.R. 11...i/a Int.. Prdfil rt. S.... I ; s - otherwise, always made Henry cling all the more tena-
1,!. Paps! .4 1,1. Ars. ..
ciously to his hope of heaven.
140 pt It L1 riAtm, Henry de Fluiter wrote between 200 and 225 gospel
songs. Half of them were on the second coming of
Christ. How could he find fresh approaches to the same
theme, year after year? "The idea is always uppermost
11 `..4
11,1f 110, V..
in my mind," he told his protege, Wayne Hooper. "I
think of nothing else. And so it happensthe mouth
speaks out of the fullness of the heart, you see."
HF1414 ! . iY He took no interest in doctrinal or theological
controversies. He simply fixed his eyes continuously
xiTEVINter.1 "Jonah and the Whale!" on the final event. "Wayne," he used to say, "I'm going
IFIL 14 ,[11
Sn111-. 111114 ,11 to be alive when Jesus comes!"
mi.
"1"-,7,0
1. "Are Other Planets Inimbited?" After waiting 98 years, however, he died on March
Y. "HEAVEN 5, 1970, the hope as bright within him as ever it had
11. L.,1111 1. 1.1i I
been. Like most creative artists, de Fluiter's favorite
roll song was always the most recent one he'd written.
Fittingly, his last one was, "That Day Must be Near."
De Fluiter's stirring song services were advertised here De Fluiter and Richards were both men to be
on the back of this 1934 evangelistic handbill promoting reckoned withthe stuff that pioneers are made of. At
IL M. S. Richards' Los Angeles crusade. a testimony meeting once, with some 1000 persons
ready to speak, Richards curbed the effusions of one
UNCLE HENRY 31
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
*IA : jilkj
garrulous old saint who was taking up too much time. possessed him. Even when he broke his foot, he
On the signal, de Fluiter brought on the choir, in full couldn't stop thumping his cast on the floor.
chorus. When the man tried to start up his preachments When the two old troupers met together for the last
again, de Fluiter's choir "sang him down" a second time in public at the Vallejo Drive Church, Glendale,
time. California, in 1964, Richards reminisced wistfully.
In his enthusiasm, Henry would sometimes beat "Ah, my brother, we could still pitch a tent, even
time with his feet as well as his hands. Music simply now. . ."
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32 SPRING, 1991
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
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UNCLE HENRY 33
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A Trio of Portraits
I. Oliver Seth Beltz
II. Joseph Harker
III. Perry Beach
From the environs of Leipzig, Joseph Harker was known as "Mr. Perry Wardell Beach was just
a German city in Saxonyim- Hymnal" to British Seventh-day Ad- two-and-a-half years old when
portant in the lives of Martin Lu- ventists, since he was the chairman he first climbed up onto the piano
ther, J. S. Bach, and of Felix of each committee that prepared hym- bench and started his keyboard
Mendelssohn (who founded the nals for the British Union Confer- work, there in the family home in
Leipzig Conservatory, one of the ence. These hymnals were also used Lincoln, Nebraska. He taught
world's best-known music acad- in Australia, New Zealand, South himself to read his sister's music
emies)came the forebears of Africa, and to some extent in the books, and his father built up the
Oliver Seth Beltz. They migrated mission fields of Fast and West Af- piano pedals so that he could
by way of southern Russian to rica, which were mostly staffed by reach them. Formal music les-
one of the new German settle- expatriates from Britain. sons began at age four, and he
ments in western Kansas, a route The well-known Hymns and Tunes gave his first recital at five. By
taken by other refugees seeking a of 1886 and Christ in Song of 1900 the time he was eleven, he was
place where they could enjoy free- were used in Sabbath School and performing his own composi-
dom of conscience. divine worship by Adventists in the tions. At fourteen he and his
At La Crosse, Kansas, Ol- British Union. As their numbers mother joined his sister in Cali-
iver Seth, the first of the twelve increased, however, it was felt that a fornia. She had become a Sev-
children of Alexander and Eva denominational hymnal containing enth-day Adventist, and that was
Beltz, was born in an authentic more hymns of British rather than the beginning of the family's con-
sod house on November 26,1887. American origin would be appreci- nection with the church.
Young Seth (he was known by ated, especially by new converts to His serious academic life be-
this name through his youth) was the faith. gan at the University of Nebraska
immersed in music from child- Accordingly, the Advent Hymnal (BSE in Music Education, 1939).
hood. Father Beltz would lead was prepared and first published in He then moved to graduate stud-
(continued, p. 39) (continued, p. 40)
34 SPRING, 1991
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
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41 . * A *
his little son to the
local singing school.
Back in those days,
people had to furnish
their own entertain-
ment. In the Beltz
family, it was hearty,
joyous singing of
German lieder, an ac-
Courtesy : Dorothy Beltz
TRIO OF PORTRAITS 35
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
36 SPRING, 1991
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
11r4 ilk ilrsA AArt - Ik`
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ventist education. During ten of his
years at Northwestern, he drove between
Evanston and Broadview to help the
Broadview College and Swedish Semi-
nary with its music departmentat no
salaryuntil the college reverted to acad-
emy status.
What he wanted most was to establish
a church music major in Adventist col-
leges. During ten of his years at North-
western, he declined calls to Emmanual
Missionary College, Walla Walla Col-
lege, and Union College, but not because
he was unconcerned about Adventist
education. In fact, he would have ac-
cepted any one of these. He refused for
one reason: the colleges had not yet
come to see the educ at i on of young people
in church music as important enough to
have a major in church music (although
Oliver and Dorothy Beltz enjoyed a relaxing moment together at their home they had other kinds of music majors.)
in Loma Linda, California. In 1946, this ambition was partially
realized. Washington Missionary Col-
at a time and the people repeating it until it was learned. lege asked him to join the music department as professor
The leader of the church in the colony they visited of voice and church music and to set up a major in church
was wary of having the hymn tunes written out. When music, a new department in Adventist education. He
Dr. Beltz convinced him, however, that the hymns were accepted the call even though he had some years to go
in danger of being lost, the leader finally consented and before his retirement at Northwestern was due. The
in time became enthusiastic about the venture. Dr. Beltz, major survived for five years. It was, however, a short
with his sensitive ear for music, made notations of the step forward.
music as the congregation sang the hymns. That he could A large step for church music did come in 1963. At
make the notations on paper as they sang and immedi- last, Andrews University established such a degree under
ately sing them back amazed them, and their faces lighted the leadership of Dr. Richard Hamm ill, president, and Dr.
up as he sang. One hundred hymns were so retrieved. Paul Hamel, chairman of the music department. Dr.
Later the Library of Congress furnished recording equip- Beltz, now retired, had no part in the creation of the
ment so that the singing of the congregations could be degree, but he cheered for it and offered financial schol-
preserved. These recordings are available at the Library arship assistance. The scholarship fund, to which former
of Congress. students were inspired to contribute generously, became
Dr. Beltz found certain somewhat informal methods the Sacred Music Endowment Fund. After Dr. Beltz'
effective in furthering the cause of good sacred music; death, it was renamed the Oliver S. Beltz Chair of Sacred
seminars, workshops, summer camps, choir retreats, Music. The endowment now exceeds $180,000.
conferences and junior choirs. Throughout the years of The other fulfilled ambition of Dr. Beltz was the
his active career, he held many such gatherings. They development of many choirs. Through the years, he
attracted people from across the country and from many responded to calls from Adventist churches across the
denominations. At Northwestern he founded the Mid- country to build choirs for them: Boston Temple, Chi-
Winter Church Music Conference and the Sum mer Church cago North Shore, New York City, Detroit at the invita-
Music Institute. He was also a co-founder of the Seventh- tion of M. Webster Prince), Toledo, Washington, D.C.,
day Adventist Church Musicians' Guild, which still and Santa Ana and Ontario, California. His major choirs
functions. in the East were traveling choirs which brought oratorios
Oliver Beitz retained his consuming hope for Ad- and motets as well as other great church music to many
TRIO OF PORTRAITS 37
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
38 SPRING, 1991
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
1:4Atillrg. A
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TRIO OF PORTRAITS 39
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
jAir4j4Ifiiiffik 14112 jitf
The gospel song with its tuneAdvenr Glory is in a meter
of 14.10.14.10. in a steady succession of eighth notes.
This suggests a rhythmic, unstoppable movement lead- Perry Beach
ing to a momentous event, the one described in the (continued from p. 34)
accompanying words.
Somewhat in the style of Frances Ridley Havergal, the
text is a mosaic of scriptural phrases. (for example:
Romans 13:12, Revelation 1:7, Luke 21:28, Matthew
24:12, Matthew 16:27, Revelation 19:16, I Corinthians
15:52, I Thessalonians 5:5, 6, Mark 13:33, Ephesians
6:18, Luke 21:28, Revelation 14:12, I Thessalonians
4:17, I John 3:2.)
Written in 1914 and sung by many congregations
since, the melody of "Advent Glory" was later criticized
by the composer himself; he said that the top F in the
refrain, a dotted minim (half-note) lengthened by a pause,
made even the sopranos breathless! The rhythm is
reminiscent of the words: "Hark! His chariot wheels are
rumbling" from the hymn "Watch, ye saints" (SDA
Hymnal No. 598)
This tune, so aptly named Advent Glory, reflects the
glorious hope that burned ever brightly in the heart of this
dedicated man of God.
Joseph Harker, Jr., was born on March 6, 1880, in
Alnwick, Northumberland, England, into a musical Meth-
odist family. They moved to the Newcastle-upon-Tyne
area in 1900. He taught music for several years in his
home in Simonside Street in Wallsend, commemorating
this name in one of his hymn tunes (No. 543 in the current
Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal). He evidently inherited
musical talent from his father, Joseph Harker, Sr., who at
one time owned a music shop in the coastal port of
Amble. After serving f our years in the service during World War
Joseph, Jr., married in 1905, and soon after joined the II, Perry Beached joined the music faculty at Emmanual
Seventh-day Adventist church. In 1916 he was invited to Missionary College where he taught until 1951.
work part-time in the North England Conference. Two
years later he was appointed president of the Irish Mis- ies in music at the Eastman School of Music (MA in
sion, holding that office for the quadrennium. Music Composition, 1940). At age twenty-two he began
He was then transferred to pastoral work in the South his teaching career at Union College. He was always
England Conference, but in 1939 he was recalled to the proud of four years of service in the U. S. Army, includ-
British Union as leader of the Youth and the Home ing ten months as a company clerk in a field hospital in
Missionary Departments to fill the gap left by the early Normandy, France.
demise of his predecessor. He continued there until 1946 Before he could be posted to the South Pacific, World
when he retired to Reading in Berkshire. He served as War II ended, freeing him to accept a call to join the music
elder in the church there for several more years before his faculty at Emmanuel Missionary College, Michigan. In
death on May 15, 1970. His obituary noted, "Some of our 1951 he moved his wife, Marilyn, and three-month-old
best-loved and oft-used hymns came from his pen . . . . son, Paul, into a converted army barrack in Rochester,
His compositions will continue to inspire us until we, New York. Using the GI Bill, he studied for his doctorate
with him, can hear the angels sing!" in composition. He completed the degree in 1953. Four
years later he joined the music department of La Sierra
College.
40 SPRING, 1991
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
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TRIO OF PORTRAITS 41
The Kings' Heralds in 1949 included Bob Seamount, second tenor; Jerry Dill, bass; Wayne Hooper, baritone; and
Bob Edwards, first tenor.
42 WINTER, 1991
Singing As I Go..
By Bob Edwards
SINGING AS I GO 43
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
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44 WINTER, 1991
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
SINGING AS I GO 45
ADVENTIST HERITAGE
Itz C. *ilk . 411. *Ar 414$ * it '
46 WINTER, 1991
INDEZ_VOL15,
RENDEZVOUS 47
INDELVOLI5
48 SPRING, 1991