Show In These United States Little Town in Kansas Is Oberammergau of Plains' Plains LINDSBORG KAN On On Sunday April 14 and again on Easter Sunday April 21 thousands of pilgrims will come to Lindsborg Oberammergau of the Plains to pay their homage to The Messiah just as they have done for the past 64 years since 1882 So much a tradition has it become that pilgrimages from all parts of the Middle West are made each Easter season to hear the Hie inspired singing of villagers and town folk in Prosser hall Bethany college peen sung times by the Bethany col col- college college col- col college lege oratorio society and will be tsung sung the time on Palm Sun Sun- Sunday Sunday Sunday day and the time on Easter Sunday The chorus of voices and orchestra of 65 pieces will be di- di directed directed i reeled by Dr Hagbard Brase Erase who has beep the conductor since 1915 It was the Rev Olaf a lover of music who organized the first choir in Lindsborg Later an an- another another another other Lutheran pastor the Rev Carl Aaron Swenson gathered an enthusiastic enthusiastic enthusiastic group in the Bethany Lu Lu- Lutheran Lutheran Lutheran theran church for a rehearsal under direction of ot his wife That was In January 1882 and the first Mes MesSiah Messiah Siah was sung the following Easter Sunday At first most host of the singers were farmers but they all aU loved music Through the bitter Kansas winter the singers came in sleds and lum- lum lumber lumber ber her wagons to the rehearsals There were many trying times but the people remained deeply spirit spirit- spiritual ual The Messiah became their religion their faith And so it has remained from generation to gen gen- n. n The Lindsborg Messiah had h a d made possible the appearances here of celebrated artists The first one was Madame Nordica After her recital the Bethany male chorus pulled her carriage to the local rail rail- railroad railroad railroad road station Since that time Hem- Hem Hempel Hempel Hempel pel Elman Schumann-Heink Schumann Gal- Gal Curci li-Curci and many others have in in- inspired inspired inspired Lindsborg audiences with their solo parts in The Messiah |