From Battle Creek to Detroit: 150 Miles & 103 Years Later
While music at the 1966 General Conference Session, held in Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan, mostly featured North American groups and soloists, there were some exceptions. Welsh contralto Kathleen Joyce, a widely known singer in both Europe and the U.S., and the Choral Arts Society of Japan Missionary College, a choral group directed by Francisco de Arujo, were highlights for many in attendance. The Yugoslavian Choir, a choral group that performed in native dress, were actually from the Yugoslavian SDA church choirs in Akron and Cleveland, Ohio. Most of their members, however, had been trained in their homeland.
Most of the East coast SDA colleges in the U.S. were represented by choral ensembles that performed separately and then together as the GC Collegiate Chorale. A GC Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Band also performed, staffed by players from across the country. Alfred Walters from La Sierra College and George Wargo from Pacific Union College directed the orchestra, and Melvin Hill from Union College and Norman Krogstad from Andrews University led the band.
Several male quartets performed, including those from Faith for Today and the Voice of Prophecy. The Chapel Four Quartet from Oakwood College, a group that had formed while its members were students at Pine Forge Institute, also sang. Numerous vocalists performed, among them being William Kim, a physician and well known tenor soloist who had sung for thousands of servicemen while in the armed forces; Alyne Dumas Lee, a noted opera singer who had sung with the Chicago Symphony and under Leonard Bernstein and Eugene Ormandy; and Del Delker and Jim McClintock, both associated with the Voice of Prophecy.
Charles Keymer, a minister from Northern California, chaired a music committee of sixteen members, half of whom were from the SDA college and university music departments in the United States. Wayne Hooper, served as vice-chairman.
In spite of the noise from the 11,000 in attendance in the main auditorium which never really quieted except for prayer and an occasional speaker, live recordings were made of the all music performances by Chapel Records. Twenty-three numbers were later selected from the many that were given and released as a souvenir record.*
An estimated 20,000 attended the 50th session of the GC during its ten days. It was just 150 miles from the site of the first GC meeting held by the church in Battle Creek 103 years earlier. 1,400 delegates representing 1,578,000 members worldwide were present.
ds
General Conference Music Committee
Charles Keymer, Chair, Wayne Hooper, Vice-Chair, H. L. Anthony, C. Warren Becker, O. A. Blake, Brad Braley, Charles Brooks, Paul Hamel, Gordon Henderson, Paul Hill, Norman Krogstad, Sunny Liu, Norman Roy, Neil Tilkins, Alfred Walter, Lloyd Wyman.
*Behold He Cometh, Chapel Record Golden Voice Series, ST 107, Mountain View, California