The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-05-26
ANNUAL BETHEL SING
, TO BE HELD June II;
/ ORIGINATED IN 1858

BETHEL, Ind, May 26.-"Old Fash |
Aoned Singing" the annual reunion OF
the first singing class of Bethel, and
the homecoming OF former residents,
will be held here Sunday, June H.
Former residents of Bethel, and as
many of the early singing class as are
able to be present, will receive warm
greeting from those who gather in
memory of earlier days.
The reunion is an outgrowth of a
custom, originating with the first sing
ing class, organized about 1858 in
Bethel, of gathering the. countryside
together for a general reunion and re-
newal of friendships once a year.
Members OF the earliest singing class
started holding reunions about 40
years ago, entertaining with singing"
after the old fashioned style such as
they had learned in the class. So
popular did the festival become, that
in a few years, about 1887, 1t was
made a regular organized affair, and
has been conducted under organized
management on the second Sunday in
June, ever since.
Members OF the early singing class
who are still living near here are Mrs.
Nancy White, living with her daugh-
ter, Mrs. Thomas Pyle, 214 North
Twelfth street, Richmond, and Mrs.
Lydia Hiatt, living with her, son, Ora
Hiatt, 225 South Thirteenth street;
Mrs. Annie Vanneuys, living with her
daughter, Mrs. R B. Boren, Fountain
City, and Mrs. Annie Tilson, formerly
of williamsburg, but now living with
her daughter, Mrs. George Richards,
in New Paris, Ohio. OF these, Mrs.
White is the only one who was mem
Der of the first class to be organized,
others coming in year or two later.
Continued Exhibitions
Members of the class continued CIV
ing exhibitions of "old fashioned sing
ing at the homecomings until about
five years ago. Much interest attached
to the demonstrations, and the choris-
tiers always enjoyed close attention
from the audience as they sang from
the shaped notes." each singer hold
ing a book In one hand and beating
time with the other.
The shaped notes" excite much cur
iosity among the modern generation,
which has had experience of only one
method of writing music. In the old
style, followed when the first Bethel
singing class studied music, the pitch
of each note was denoted by its shape.
In some books figured notes" were
used, in which the position OF the notes
on the scale was denoted by figures
written within the signs.
Singing students were compelled to
learn the tune by note in the case of
every new song, after which the teach
er would Zine OUT the song, that is,
read it line at time, with the class
fitting each line to the tune already
learned.
Manner of Instruction
The shaped notes, with the syllables
designating them, which syllables
were used in singing the tune before
the song was lined out" were as fol-
lows: Do, equilateral triangle rest
ing on its base; re, half circle, flat
side up; me, diamond; fab, right an
gled Triangle; sol, circle or oval, SIM
liar to shape Of all notes used at pres
sent, la, square; te, a threshold fig
ure, the upper side curved and the
other two equal in length, the figure
resting on the angle formed by them.
William Wiley and Ben Tilson, both
of Union City, were early teachers of
the class, which was organized by Mr..
Wiley Joseph Immel was another
early teacher. There were IL or ii
in the first class, mostly girls" re-
ports one of the members, and it was
regularly depended upon for furnish
ing the music for entertainments.
The mortality of the class was high,
however, according to Mrs. White,
early marriages claiming the feminine
members, and thus fulfilling the pop
ular conception of the singing school
as one of the earliest and most eff
cient matrimonial agencies.
Felt Need of Reunion
AS the members of the first class
grew older, however, they felt the
need for renewal of early friendships
and began to gather once year under
the leadership of their early teacher
William Wiley The families and
friends of the singers also enjoyed the
gatherings, and after it was organized
as a formal annual occasion, attend
ance often ran up into many hundreds
as many as 1900 being numbered OF
occasion.
So popular did the reunion become
that neighbors and former resident!
attending it often came several day!
early to enjoy the homecoming. A:
early as Thursday buggies and wagons
would begin to drive into the village
with increasing arrivals on Friday and
Saturday. Early on Sunday the bis
crowd would come in, vehicles woult
line both sides of the road for mill
in every direction, and high festiva
would be enjoyed all day. Friends ant
relatives would be present from tn,
neighborhoods of Newcastle, knights