Appendix III
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Notes from Jesse Peterson, Fine Arts Chairman 1960-1966
In 1956, I joined the Evangel faculty as Band Director. Continuing as Director of Bands, I served as Chairman of the Fine Arts Department from 1960 to 1965. In the Spring of 1966 while taking classes for my doctorate at UMKC, I served as part-time Department Chair with Edna Baker. Howard Liva (SMS band director) did the band in the Spring of 1966.
I directed college chorus and Chrism during the 1981-82 school year and in the fall 1982.
Concert Band Stories:
Leaving at 7:00am
The band had a rule that we left at exactly times set. We were on our way to Europe (1964) and were using a singer from another school. At 6:55 all check lists finished, everyone on board except guest singer. 7:00 bus rolled with a note on door giving itinerary and suggesting three places he could join us on our way to New York. Day two he showed up. Needless to say, he was on time from then on.
We were going by boat to the next stop. A couple were enjoying each others company (later married...) and missed the stop. Little did they know the next stop was in France, the next in Germany and finally back to Switzerland just barely in time for the concert 5 hours later. Frightened but a bit more aware of instructions.
Finland
Playing at the International Pentecostal convention just out of Helsinki, Finland, we launched into our big number, “Battle Hymn of the Republic” when various delegations began to leave. To say the least, there was no applause. Little did we know that tune was used as a drinking song in Finland and surrounding countries.
Imagination stories
Rook was always a favorite way to pass the time on long bus trips for the band. I was in the back of the bus when I began to hear loud laughter after each hand was dealt. Coming forward and listening closely, it became obvious each loser had to remove a piece of clothing (only in everyone's imagination) but made for vivid visions for those with very active imaginations!
Little bitty baby
Traveling in Sweden to various youth camps, one of the sponsors asked us to do “He's Got The Whole World In His Hands” in Swedish and they would provide the translation. Everything went fine until the very tall, blond male soloist began singing . . . “He's got the little bitty baby in His hand” and the audience began to roar. The translator had adjusted the words slightly to be “He's got the teen age girl . . .” and of course the soloist was rocking the baby in his arms. Time to learn Swedish!
Falling off risers
The band was playing an auditorium on risers on the platform and began with their theme using a drum roll, cymbal crash and etc. Just as the cymbal crash happened, looking up I saw the seated drummer slowly fall off the back of the risers with a second crash. Moments later, up came a hand, head, and finally body as he jumped on the drum set and joined in by the second line of the song.
Dressing 'Daddy'
We used a Bass Viol. One day the small female player was struggling to get it in its case. As I walked up she looked and said “this just feels like I'm dressing Daddy”. Of course, this created a solid round of applause and she was often later asked if she had “dressed Daddy yet?”
Food poisoning
Playing at the 1964 Worlds Fair in New York, a church offered to bring a picnic lunch for the band. Little did we know the potato salad had apparently not been refrigerated adequately. The next day 28 of the 34 members were feeling the effects when we boarded the bus for our next scheduled appearance in Montreal. Many funny moments ensued: "The ‘Stop & Go’ bus trip to Canada, for instance, and the evening concert when we never knew who would still be on stage. During the program a Baritone solo was coming up and I was frantically signaling for the trumpet player to play it when, stumbling in from the back of the stage came the regular soloist. There he passed out. Combine that with male and female students being sent to the French-speaking hospital and left in a ward. As I looked around, all I could see were band members in various states of dress or undress, very ill with all the effects. By the next day, all were recovered and having a great time. Finally, the head nurse, in broken English and French said “Can you please take your band home?”