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| The Music Man from Norway |
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Written by
Doris Stensland
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Grieg Sangforening
- 1894
" One man suggested, "Why don't we name it after Norway's
most famous musician - Edvard Grieg?"
When it went up for a vote, they finally decided to call
themselves The Grieg Sangforening or The Grieg Singing Society. It was also voted to join the larger
organization - The Northwestern
Scandinavian Singers Association of America.
Professor Indseth
informed them that the second Sangerfest
of the new Northwestern Scandinavian
Singers Association of America would
be held in Sioux City. "In 1894,
one year from now, the Sangerfest
in Sioux City is what we should begin to prepare for."
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Excerpt - The Music Man from Norway
by Doris
Stensland
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The
Music Man From Norway is an historical novel that follows the life of a musician from
Norway who brought music to the Dakota prairies at the turn of the
century. In the 1890's and the turn
of the century, there was neither radio, television, nor movies, and
Professor Andrew Indseth helped fill the need for entertainment in those
days. This was an interesting time of
Chautauquas, and he organized and instructed many men's choruses, bands and
orchestras and presented concerns and musical entertainment.
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Excerpts:
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Chautauqua Auditorium
Canton, South Dakota -
Circa 1902
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People were very excited about something entirely new coming to
Canton. The Epworth League of the
Methodist Sioux Falls District was planning a Chautauqua in Canton. The town had donated fourteen acres, a
most attractive site, plentifully wooded and lying on one of the prettiest
parts of the Sioux River. The grounds
were very accessible, only four blocks from the Milwaukee depot. The river was navigable for ten miles up
to this point, so there was a splendid opportunity for boating and
bathing. Bathing houses were being
erected for both sexes.
Andrew was excited about having a Chautauqua in Canton, because it
would bring the finest musicians and lecturers from the Midwest for their
programs.
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Andrew was very busy preparing for a special event now. He and members of his bands and chorus
were making plans for a Grand Concert for the Fall, with all the musical
organizations he was instructing taking part.
He began
practicing with the four bands - Harrisburg-Dayton Township, Inwood, Iowa,
Canton and Moe, and had them all working on the same scores. The plans called for a parade in the
afternoon before the joint band concert, and in the evening the singing
groups and orchestra would perform.
This was a big undertaking and Andrew wanted it to be a success.
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When Wednesday,
November 5, 1905, arrived, all the members of Professor Indseth's bands
gathered in Canton for the memorable Indseth Musical Jubilee. They came from Inwood, Harrisburg, Moe and
Canton. Ray, Andy, Berger and Joachim
were there, as they played with several of these bands. Shortly after noon the musical day began
with a parade. It was headed by a
platoon of guardsmen as escorts for the four bands, led by Lieutenant Way and
Lieutenant Eneboe, and under the proud leadership of Professor Indseth. The men marched up Main Street and wheeled
West on Fifth Street, stepping to a lively air. When in front of Segrud's Photo Gallery, the column halted and
the entire instrumental aggregation filed inside to have pictures taken.
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Music Jubilee Bands - 1905
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