By Tara V. Kohlenberg —

Of the many things that New Braunfels’ founders brought with them, one of the greatest is their love of music. Men’s choirs, singing societies and bands of all types, have been the focal point of entertainment and social gatherings in New Braunfels for more than 175 years.

Now that we have made it through the parades and polkas this year, it is time for Christmas music. I am not talking “jingle bells, deck them halls and ho, ho, ho” as Lucy told Schroeder. I am talking about the beautiful hymns and sacred music of Christmas as presented annually at the Advent Vespers program by the New Braunfels Music Study Club.

For those unfamiliar with Advent Vespers, “Advent” pertains to the four-week season in the Church calendar anticipating and preparing for the arrival, or “advent,” of Jesus of Nazareth at Christmas. “Vespers” generally refers to evening prayers, based on the Latin word vesper, meaning evening. The New Braunfels Music Study Club has presented the annual sacred music program since 1959.

The Music Study Club was organized on February 24, 1928. Fourteen ladies met at the home of Mrs. Irene Guinn to establish a club promoting the study of music, encouraging musical education and maintaining a high musical standard in the community. The first order of business was the election of officers, with Mrs. Guinn, a well-established piano teacher, elected President, Miss Roma Koepp elected Vice-President and Mrs. Galle elected Secretary-Treasurer. They studied the opera “Il Troubadore” and Italian composer, Giuseppe Verdi, with multiple selections performed by club members.

The charter members were Mrs. J.F. Johnson, Mrs. M.C. Hagler, Mrs. Irma Guinn, Mrs. R.H. Ransopher, Mrs. U.R. Hellmann, Mrs. O.C. Bassler, Mrs. Arthur Zipp, Mrs. Emil Heinen, Miss Etelka Lucas, Mrs. G. Mornhinweg, Mrs. Ernie Eikel, Mrs. Harold Adams, Mrs. John Fuchs, Mrs. Bob Herring, Mrs. George Baetge, Mrs. Harry Galle, Miss Allene Ashenhurst, Miss Roma Koepp, Miss Loraine Tolle, Miss Gertrude Dietel, Mrs. Howard McKenna, Mrs. Pete Faust, and Mrs. Rennie Wright.

By November 1929, the New Braunfels club had become a member of both the Texas and National Federation of Music Clubs. The national organization was founded in 1898. It was chartered by the Congress of the United States and is the only music organization member of the United Nations. The NFMC is composed of over 90.000 members that include professional and amateur musicians, vocalists, composers, dancers, performing artists, arts and music educators, music students, patrons and music lovers of all ages.

Courses of study for the New Braunfels club were selected from those offered by the national organization. The courses followed specified categories of fine music study including opera, international music, folk music, parade music, sacred music and composers. Members selected the biography of a music master/composer, taking turns in presenting the information at a meeting while the music of said master would be performed by others in the group.

The New Braunfels Music Study Club monthly meetings were held in private homes. In the first years, operas were studied with members and guests performing appropriate music. Later, a ladies’ chorus was formed as well as a ladies’ string ensemble. First Protestant Church invited them to perform a Christmas cantata in the church, followed by a benefit concert for the Church Auditorium Building Fund. When Seele Parish House was finished, the club was invited to hold their monthly meetings there. They bought a grand piano for the parish house to be used for rehearsals, programs and Sunday School meetings.

The New Braunfels Music Club negotiated with the NBISD School Board to improve the music programs in the schools. They established a rhythm band at Carl Schurz Elementary and a choral program at New Braunfels Junior High School.

In the 1930s, the club established juvenile and junior music clubs, giving students the opportunity to compete in Federation festivals which were held in different cities in the district/state. Local student Glenn Richter (who went on to become the University of Texas Band Director) won a prestigious state scholarship to the National Summer Camp in Michigan.

During the ‘50s and ‘60s, music teacher members presented their students in a weekly 30-minute program on KGNB radio station every Saturday morning. In addition, member Franz Coreth presented outstanding opera programming every Sunday afternoon.

Over the years, the club has been led by numerous presidents including Shirley Jochec, Dorothy Johnson, Ann Kleeman, Jo Ann Lemmon and Robbie Borchers to develop outstanding projects. Not only have they supported the Federation by holding district conventions, district junior festivals and conventions, they have also hosted concerts showcasing choral groups, bands, soloists, and orchestras. In 1981, to honor their commitment to music education, the club established two annual scholarships to high school students seeking to continue the study of music in college.

The club’s most well-known project is a wonderful Christmas gift to the community: the Advent Vespers. It was originally touted as a Sacred Music Festival in 1959 with music performed by several church choirs. In 1960, choirs from First Baptist, First Protestant, New Braunfels Presbyterian, St. John’s Episcopal and St. Paul’s Lutheran churches participated, in addition to the Mass City Church Chorus directed by Melitta Frueh.

Melitta, the daughter of a Lutheran minister, the wife of a Lutheran minister, and a retired public school music teacher, combined her love of sacred Christmas music and grew the choral event for nearly forty years. The name changed to Advent Vespers about 1964. The massed choir has grown to more than eighty voices representing more than fifteen churches and organizations and is directed by Jody Leifeste.

The New Braunfels Music Study Club cordially invites you to prepare your heart for Christmas by attending this year’s Advent Vespers, to be held Sunday, December, 1, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. at Cross Lutheran Church Sanctuary, 2171 E. Common St., New Braunfels. As always, a free will gift is accepted.

Sources: Sophienburg Museum and Archives; Jo Ann Lemmon.

“Around the Sophienburg” is published every other weekend in the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung.