Big Sandy High School - Pioneer Yearbook (Big Sandy, MT)

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PAVANNE and LOHENGRIN? There were many other wonderful selections along with those mentioned here. However, these stood out as works which demanded a great deal of time and concentration, ultimately receiving great appreciation from our faithful concert audiences. Incidentally, the audience was not all parents. As one recalls, many of our citizens who normally didn't attend school functions came to hear us perform and show their interest and appreciation. Our audiences were overwhelming and continued to make us all proud of our accomplishments over the years. Our drum major was Nora Berg, a senior who played baritone in the band. We practiced marching on the street and on the football field. Many sessions with drums only while rank members carried 2x4's behind the small of their backs. This, we thought was all part of preparing for the Havre Music Festival in May. Why are we forming this huge airplane, complete with low brass engine sounds? Little did we know that we were to perform for the King and Queen of England and an enthusiastic Canadian audience inside a covered stadium in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. The year was 1939. The Royal couple was obviously impressed with this 54 piece concert and marching band from the colonies . How proud we were when they stopped in front of the band and met and visited a few minutes with Mr. Boess and Nora. This moment is vividly recalled by each and every one of us that had the good fortune to be in that band. Remember playing POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE as the King and Queen stepped from that beautiful blue, gold, and whatever other color locomotives are? They walked so stately, and on that royal blue carpet....not red, but blue. The driving force behind our Canadian tour was our Superintendent, Mr. Elmer Skeie (Shay). He also was responsible for our performances for the Montana State Legislature and Carroll College in Helena. Gordon Lippard, from Fort Benton, was our representative in the legislature at the time and it was his great honor to introduce the Big Sandy High School Band to the other lawmakers of the state. We were given very little space in which to perform, but we managed and actually were able to hear other instrumental parts more distinctly. The Havre Music Festival was always a very special occasion. An opportunity to hear many other bands and, yes, make comparisons. May generally afforded good weather where sun glasses and sun burns were included as part of the uniform of the day. The final massed bands concert was presented by all participating bands. This was much fun but not really musically sound. As a matter of fact, many students took this occasion to play their parts up one or two octaves, consequently drawing daggers from guest conductors. SWEET SIXTEEN was the name of the march book that bands were supposed to be prepared to perform. Needless to say, many (from other schools) saw this music for the first time....THEN AND THERE. We had prepared! 12

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Monson, one of the graduates, received his call for the Army before school was out. One of our former classmates had preceded us to the Great Beyond. Kenneth King, a good student and a good friend was taken while serving his country. Four of the girls in our class married before they finished school. Several of the boys had to quit because of the shortage of help on the farm, and some just didn't like school. In conclusion, members of the Class of 1945 did FINISH TO BEGIN their adult life styles. World War II ended with VE and VJ days. New elementary, high school and sports complexes have been built since we graduated. Rural schools have closed and children are now bused to school in town. Our children are now graduates of BSHS. Many changes have occurred in these 50 years. This history is but a moment in the flow of eternity. --Muriel Lund Silvan --Erma Buchholz Reichelt --Violet Lanik Drga HIGH SCHOOL BAND When we were in the sixth grade and Miss Erfle was our teacher, many of us were selected by Mr. Clarence F. Boess, to take part in a pilot program in instrumental music. This ambitious program would eventually lead us into the high school band program. Our band had grown and flourished since band director Oren Henning had wielded the baton. The Big Sandy High School Band had gained an enviable reputation, statewide, and all incoming members of the band were aware of the responsibilities they assumed when joining the band. It is difficult to recall exactly how often we received instructions during the week. In 1938 the sixth graders began practicing with the goal of performing as a member of the High School Band. Mid-year found all those who took part in the pilot program placed in the band. Most of us were totally unaware of the up-coming appearances and were tremendously excited and thrilled just to perform with the high school students. SHOW BOY and FOOTLIFTER were the first two marches we were to master before our first rehearsal with the full band. That was a glorious moment in our young lives. WHAT A SOUND...WOW! . That first rehearsal left most of us with a sense of wonderment and dedication to go home and practice, for however long it may take, to be able to sound as many musical spots as possible. Remember AMERICAN PATROL, 1812 OVERTURE, MORNING NOON AND NIGHT, STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER, GOD BLESS AMERICA, DREAM CASTLES, 1 1

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During the school year of 1939-40, we began working on solos and small ensembles and were excited when told that if we could memorize our music, we could enter the State Music Festival in Missoula. Mr. Boess drove his new blue Ford with five aspiring musicians crowded into front and back seats, hardly leaving enough room for our director driver. To this day, it is difficult to fathom where we stowed our instruments, let alone an over-night bag and toothbrush. The trombone quartet, consisting of Willis Welty, Ruth Hansen, Joe Quinn, and Dean Courtnage, performed. Joe Quinn played SOUL OF THE SURF (trombone solo) and Bob Green performed the trumpet solo, CARNIVAL OF VENICE. We were eighth-graders at the time. One of our adjudicators was the band director of the Montana State College Bozeman Bobcat Band, Mr. Edmond Sedivy. We were so proud with the results and our ratings of SUPERIOR. Imagine, SUPERIOR ratings in competition with high school students. Is it any wonder why we seized every opportunity to go down to the band room and practice? We were allowed the opportunity to sign out of study hall and to go practice, even if the instructor was not present. It comes to mind now that there would be very little chance of any teacher being able to hear our musical efforts any place in the main building. This suggests a genuine trust teachers had for those of us who were aspiring to become proficient musicians. It was common to get to school before first period and practice for an hour, then commence again during study hall and practice during the regularly scheduled band period. Then, if basketball or other sports were not demanding our time, some returned to practice after school. Many evenings during the week, regular evening rehearsals allowed us another two hour stint. Thus, it was possible to average from four to six hours of practice every day of the school week. This was much of our entertainment.... and we loved iti Until some form of music enters our lives, some way, we cannot hope to claim full understanding of the peace and happiness that can be attained by mankind. --Robert L. Green JUNIOR-SENIOR PROM 1944 May 13, 1944 was the date we, as Juniors, gave the annual prom in honor of the Class of 1944 . At 6:30 a banquet was served by the Sophomore girls which had been prepared by some of the Juniors' mothers and aided by Mrs. Bertha Smith. The girls serving wore white blouses and dark skirts. The tables were arranged in a V-shape and decorated with roses which were later given to the Juniors and Seniors to wear as corsages and hair 1 3