Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1907-02-21
:. MUSICAL NOTES
Items of Interest to Musicians Generally and Mem
bers of the Mountain Home Band Particularly.

The writer had the honor and
pleasure last summer of being selec-
ted to accompany the ST. Olaf's COL
lege band of Mortified, Minnesota,
as principal cornetist, on its tour
OF Norway, Europe. This band, by
reason of having rehearsed constant
ly under competent director, Prof.
F. Melius Christensen, for six years
and more, had attained a high grade
of efficiency, and when, in 1905
the Norwegian student singers
made tour of this country, they
stopped off at Mortified. The band
played number of selections for
them and they were so favorably
impressed that they suggested a
concert tour of Norway the follow
ing summer. The matter was
treated as joke at first, but final
1y Mr.. Olaf A. Searle, a Minneap-
oils banker, took the matter up and
it was finally decided that it would
be a fine thing to send the young
men, every one of whose parents
had emigrated from Norway, on a
vacation to the fatherland. Mr..
Harry Randall, an impressario of
wide experience, was engaged to
conduct the tour, and early in De-
cember, 1905, rehearsals we're COM
menced especially for the big event
The writer, because he is Nor
weigan and because Of his acquaint-
ance with the director, was given
an opportunity to accompany the
band, which he joined at North
field June ID, 1906. The band
consisted of a membership of fifty,
embracing an Instrumentation in
Guiding 2 flutes, IA clarinets, 4
saxaphones, 1 oboe, bassoon, 7
comets, French horns, slide
trombones, 2 euphoniums, 4 basses,
2sside drums, l bass druA, GYM
bal player. In addition to these
were Prof. Kildahl, president of ST
Olaf's college, who made the nee
essary speeches and toast responses
Prof. Smith, of the college faculty,
who acted as drum major, and last
but not least Harry Randall, the
man who was directly responsible
for our safe journey and return.
The band gave its first concert at
ST. Paul, Mimi, to packed house
June IA and the eventful journey
was auspiciously begun. Success
full concerts were given at Red
Wing and La Crosse, Mimi, in
Thomas Orchestral hall, Chicago,
and in Brooklyn, N. Y. A stay of
twenty-four hours each in the two
latter places enabled the boys to
take in few of the most noted
sights of our country's largest
cities. The Norwegian singing
societies of Brooklyn, aided by their
lady friends, presented the band
with two beautiful flags-the stars
and stripes and the new emblem
of the recently freed Norway. On
Thursday, June 2lst, at one O'Clock,
we boarded the stout ship oscar
II,'' of the Scandinavian American
line, and shortly after, amid the
shouts of friends, the playing oil
bands, the songs of male choruses,
the blowing of whistles and the
multitude of sounds usually hearC
on such occasions, we glided into
the East river and were fairly
started on the long journey across
the ''pond. - To most of the boys
who had never seen or been on any
thing larger than a sailboat, the
sensation was novel one. AS Ions
as land was to be seen eyes were
strained to catch even the faintes
glimpse, but darkness and the
rules of the ship sent every one tC
bed at 10 O'Clock, and when mex
morning we appeared on deck moth
ing but water met the sight, no
even sail appearing to break thu
sameness. 1t was serious mo
ment for all of us when we real
lied that the only thing betwcei
nearly thousand human souls ant
eternity was a comparatively frai
structure oil iron ana WOOD Wn1Cl
looked very small and insignifican
compared to what it did when ly
ing proudly at the wharf in New
York. The sea journey was ex
ceptionally fine, no storms or heav
seas being encountered, and yer.
little fog. The band gave concert
every afternoon on the variou
promenade decks, and thus helpe
to while away good many hours
and also kept the boys in good trir
unsteady. On one of the last even
ings at sea the ladies of the firs
cabin rendered us banquet whic
will long linger in the memories {
all of us. Towards evening of tn
3lst land was sighted, and tn
4.