"Praise bands" are all the thing these days in congregations striving to be trendy, but in Chariton Lutherans led the way --- 110 years ago --- when the Swedish Lutheran Church (now First Lutheran) launched its orchestra.
The orchestra was one of the jewels in the pastoral crown of Pastor O.A. Elmquist, who launched it in the late winter/early spring of 1909, drawing primarily upon high school-age members of the congregation.
The Chariton Leader of April 1, 1909, reported that each member "belongs to a Swedish family and each one is a true Lutheran," but added that the ensemble would gladly provide music for any public occasion it deemed "not objectional."
Dances, according to the Leader, were "objectional," but other than that news reports during 1909 and 1910 are peppered with references to orchestral performances --- including at the Chariton Volunteer Fire Department's December annual banquet.
The Lutherans also had an outstanding choir and various soloists, so the orchestra apparently was not a regular feature during Sunday services.
The orchestra continued for a time after 1910, but struggled as organizing musicians graduated from high school and went away to college or moved elsewhere. Margaret Johnson became the group's director --- and then she moved elsewhere to teach.
This photograph --- from the Lucas County Historical Society collection --- probably was taken during 1909. Orchestra members are (from left) unidentified (on drums), Raymond Johnson, Carl Bergren, unidentified, Buck Johnson and John Larson; (second row) Amos Slattengren, Dagmar Johnson (piano), Ernest Johnson, Herman Holmes, unidentified, Albert Westling and Cecil Johnson.
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