From The Dubois County Daily Herald
Monday, July 1, 1957

Das Music Fest Will Provide Varied Music

“Das Musik Fest”, a musical variety program sponsored by the Philharmonic Club, will climax Friday’s program of Pioneer German Days activity.   The program will be staged in the Tivoli theatre, beginning at 8:00 P.M.

The majority of the musical numbers scheduled to be presented have a German flavor and the type of music offered runs the gamut from pioneer German ballads to the more serious work of Beethoven.   While the program committee has aimed at including music of all types, most of the works are those popular with all who enjoy music.

The Tivoli’s stage will be transformed into a German beer garden setting, replete with bearded and costumed patrons.   Jack Newton will serve as master of ceremonies and the German band will consist of Arch Schwinghammer, Dennis Eckerle, Herman Kiefer, Dan Hoffman and Dave Sermersheim.

Singing waiters, “The Four Krauts”, will take part.   The quartet, made up of Ray and Ralph Birk, Charles Schuch and Tom Vollmer, will include an old German ditty they are working up especially for the program.

Sprinkled in with the light and the serious German music will be several numbers by contemporary composers.   A mixed quartet consisting of Mrs. Flora Stenftenagel, Mrs. Martha Pittman, Tom Thomas and Tom Wuchner, will sing Cole Porter’s “Wunderbar” and a sextet, Mesdames Marilyn Gramelspacher, Pat Fritch, Louise Newman, Stella Joseph, Marie Gramelspacher and Louise Traylor, will render the ever-popular “Make Believe”, by Jerome Kern.

German songs of pioneer days will be offered by “The Schnickelfritz Band”, headed by Albert Kapp and including Joe Altmeyer of St. Meinrad and Oscar Kunkler and Herbie Obermeier of Fulda.   A German polka folk dance will be presented by Ruth Weaver and Randolyn Potter.

Mrs. Dot Graves will do German dialect monologues and a trumpet duet, “The Polkateers”, will be played by Dennis Eckerle and Arch Schwinghammer.   The Philharmonic chorus, under the direction of Mrs. Rosina Schuler, will sing two numbers.

Piano solos, both classical yet popular, will be presented by Mrs. Lou Newman, who will play Chopin’s “Fantasie Impromptu”, and Mrs. Margaret Wilson, offering “Moonlight Sonata”, by Beethoven.

The melodious combination of flute and soprano voice will be heard in the “Swiss Echo Song” by Karl Eckert.   Mrs. Schuler will sing while Phyllis Schneider will play the flute and Mrs. Jane Krempp will provide the accompaniment.

“Neu, Wer die Sehnsucht Kennt” (None but the lonely heart), will be sung by Mrs. Pittman, a mezzo-soprano, accompanied by Mrs. Dorothy Collins.

The audience will take part in the closing number, the old German drinking song, “Schnitzelbank”, lead by Mrs. Della Krodel and accompanied by the German Band.