Dr. & Mrs. COPY Elmer Copley ~ Remembering them and their 29 years of dedication to that Bethany College "Messiah" tradition of excellence

aaaa"The Other Swedes"
~ Honoring Them and Their Works ~

Reworking 7 1 21

Dr. & Mrs. Elmer Copley
(1925-1991) (1924-2010)
~ Remembering them and their 29 years of dedication to that Bethany College "Messiah" tradition of excellence

5 conductors from brase leaving in 1946 to copley's starting in 1960

---The hightlights of two of his predessors who added great growht to the ongoing performances, like himself, were most notably that of Samuel Thorstenberg and Hagbard Brase.
Of the most prominent and internationally known of the 28 Messiah conductors to date (2021), Elmer Copley was the third whose tenure lasted for 29 years from 1960 to 1988; Samuel Thorstenberg (1871-1938) was first whose tenure lasted for 11 years from 1898 to 1909; and Hagbard Brase (1877-1953) was second whose tenure lasted for 31 years from 1915 to 1946.

was charaterized by the growth of the Messiah chorus from 183 to 487 with the first European opera singer appearing in 1899 with dozens to follow while audiance attendence grew in the thousands.as the Ladies Home Journal noted in 1900.  Then there was Hagbard Brase (1877-1953) the most famous Swedish born, conductor for 31 years who was noted at "one of the last of the finest type of European music masters in America, scholled at College of Skara, Stockholm's Royal Conservatory of Music and in Germany was the conductor for 31 years, 1915-1946, under which the popularity and celeberty of the Messiah performances grew expotentionally

born in Lindsborg and graduating from Bethany, who held the baton for 11 years from 1898 to 1909.

He continued his music studies in Stockholm, England and New York City. Under his leadership and the support of college founder and president Carl A. Swensson and his wife Alma Swensson rehearsals support, the Messiah chorus grew from 183 to 487 and was the first international opera singer from Milan, Italy, soloist Eloise Vitti performed in the Messiah in 1899 while as well attendance grew to thousands flocking to Lindsborg .joined the in 1899 to sing in the Messiah. This was the beginning of international opera singers and musicians flocking to Lindsborg to sing in the Messiah. It was reported in 1900 Ladies Home Journal that the Messiah Festival "can bring together ten thousand people during Holy Week , , , "

When he retired as conductor, one international critic wrote solemnly that had raised his baton for the last time."  In 1947, he was Knighted by the Swedish Crown+    And then Elmer Copley was the 3rd most distingued conductor who was very familar with the messiah perfromances at his augustana college, which was the birthplace for the Lindsborg Bethany College Messiah performances. of the who, it seemed was spledidly destined along with the Oratorio Society to continue this tradition in a big way from 1960 to 1988.

These two had exceptional training by the best teachers and attended the best college that would provide the Lindsborg Messiah background so perfect for them to easily step into this world of Messiah performances. The college was Augustana College and they met on a choir tour.

If the founder of Lindsborg and Bethany Church who became the 3rd President of Augustana College, Olof Olsson, and the founder of Bethany College and second pastor of Bethany Church, Carl Aaron Swensson, would have known this couple would be involved with the Messiah performances the way they were, they would hav been totally thrilled. Why? Because, it was Pastor Olsson who started the Messiah performances in Augustana and Swensson who was a graduate of Augustana started them in LIndsborg. Because, they totally had more of a connection to these performances than any other conductor due to Augustanta. They were married in the same church that Alma and Carl were married in and where Alma was an organist.

The couple had met at Augustana College on a choir tour. They married in 1951 in the same church that and after graduation they headed for New York City for Elmer to study at Juilliard School of Music under the chairman of the voice department teacher Bernard Taylor from 1952 to 1953. While there their daughter Rebecca Copley was born. They returned to Augustana College in 1953 for Elmer to join the faculty there becoming conductor of the Augustana Seminary Chorus and assistant to Dr. Veld, his former professor who was to become one of the greatest conductors in the country. Ruth would become member of the music faculty and pianist for the choirs at Augustana College. She also had continued graduate studies at Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, studying organ with Katherine Crozier Gleason, a leading American concert organist and teacher.

until 1960.

He also studied at the University of Colorado and the University of Iowa where he received the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Vocal Performance with his scholarly treatise on the Lindsborg Bethany College Messiah Festival history up to his time as conductor.  When he retired in 1988, he had hopes to write "a much-wished-for history of the Messiah Festival at Bethany College, perhaps this treatise is more than enough!

and the conductor for 26 seasons due to three sabbatical years that included guest conductors, Dr. Henry Veld in 1968 and Dr. Walter Pelz in 1978, Wayne Mitchell in 1985.
1960-1988Elmer Copley
1968Henry Veld, sabbat. replacement
1978Walter L. Pelz, sabbat. replacement
1985Wayne Mitchell, sabbat. replacement

He was also a professor of voice, and the director of the college choir. Dr. Copley started national and international periodic tours for the Bethany College Choir, with its first national tour debut being in New York City's Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall in 1973. He and his wife, Ruth Marie Anderson Copley, created the college's music department's annual holiday concert, "An Hour of Christmas," known now as "Juletide" for the community of Lindsborg and the surrounding area.
.

28 years after his retirement

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Sources: Information on Dr. Copley has come from many sources such as Bethany Magazines, Recording Albums, Dr. Lindquist's Bethany In Kansas, the story of a college, the Lindsborg News-Record, and Copley family information.

>>  The "First Lady" of the Dr. Elmer Copley Messiah era, 1960-1988

Dr. & Mrs. Elmer Copley
(1925-1991) (1924-2010)
~ Remembering their 29 years of dedication to that Bethany College "Messiah" tradition of excellence

The "First Lady" of the Dr. Elmer Copley Messiah performances era, 1960-1988

f Davenport, Iowa ,and Ruth Marie Anderson, of Moline, Illinois, both graduarates of Augustana College.
Ruth Marie Anderson was a Canandian Swede who was baptized in Winnipeg, Manitoba, by her father who was a Lutheran pastor.
Later, she was confirmed and married to Elmer in the First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Moline, Illinois, a few miles from their Augustana College,that in the earliest days the professors and students had made their church when it was first named the Swedish Lutheran Church

. It was the church in which Aaronn Swensson married his Moline bride, Alma Christina Lind Swensson and it was in this church that

Elmer and Ruth, most assuredly would have been very familiar with the historical past of Messiah Performances at Augustana annually since 1881 also, for it was from this during


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-- * An 1986 press In short, Dr. Copley was born to conduct these performances as he was gifted greatly with a passion "to do something special during [Easter] Holy season."*
release from ?

Of English descent, born in Davenport, Iowa, his college years were spent 4 miles away, just across the Mississippi River, at Augustana College, a sister Lutheran college of Bethany College. The idea of these Messiah performances was "first" established at Augustana College by third president Pastor Olof Olsson, the founder of Lindsborg and Bethany Church. So his hearing the sacred music there, most likely directed him into the career he was to have.
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In addition to the “first time ever award,” the Kansas Governor's Arts Award for Performing Arts award he received for the Oratorio Society, Dr. Copley was the recipient of the Bethany College "Pierson Distinguished Professor of Music" award.
<> BMs  There are 3 sections on this most dynamic conductor, Dr. Copley. Go Here to begin the first section. REWORKING THE ABOVE: 6 8 21

--ORGINAL
Dr. Elmer Copley, ACG -- (1925-1991) -- "Conductor" for Oratorio Society of Bethany College Centennial 1981 Messiah  performance, which on its Delta Record recording credited him for "the national prestige currently enjoyed by the Oratorio Society, and the development over the past two decades, . . ." This performance and the one in 1986 were significant in regards to viewership. They were both televised worldwide and the count of viewers in 1981 was 25 million, no doubt the count would have been similar in 1986. However, it was in 1976, that he created an Oratorio Society performance from selections of Handel's Messiah to be performed before His Majesty, Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, the most historic Swedish and Swedish American event in Lindsborg and Bethany College history!  In "that" standard of Bethany College "Messiah" traditional excellence, Dr. Copley and his Messiah performances would excel throughout his tenure from 1960 to 1988. During this time, he was a professor of voice, director of the college choir, and conductor of festival music. He initiated "Choir Tours" around the country and in Europe. For the people of Lindsborg, he and his wife Ruth Marie Anderson Copley, an acclaimed pianist and organist, created the annual "Hour of Christmas," referred to now as "Juletide. "

Of English descent, born in Davenport, Iowa, his college years were spent 4 miles away, just across the Mississippi River, at Augustana College, a sister Lutheran college of Bethany College. The idea of these Messiah performances was "first" established at Augustana College by third president Pastor Olof Olsson, the founder of Lindsborg and Bethany Church. So his hearing the sacred music there, most likely directed him into the career he was to have. After graduating from Augustana, Dr. Copley continued his studies at Juilliard School of Music in New York City from 1952 to 1953, and returned to Augustana College as an assistant to Dr. Veld and was conductor of the Augustana Seminary Chorus from 1953 to 1960. His studies would continue at the University of Colorado and the University of Iowa where he received the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Vocal Performance with his scholarly treatise being the narrative on the Lindsborg Bethany College "Messiah" Festival history. The greatest Kansas award was accepted by Dr. Copley for the Bethany College Oratorio Society was the Governor's Arts Award for Performing Arts at the Statehouse Rotunda in Topeka, Kansas. This was a "first time" ever award!  <> BMs  There are 3 sections on this most dynamic conductor, Dr. Copley. Go Here to begin the first section. REWORKING THE ABOVE: 6 8 21

Mrs. Ruth Marie Anderson Copley, ACG -- (1924-2001) -- Wife of Dr. Elmer Copley, she would prove an irreplaceable resource and support for her husband and in her responsibilities to him, his students and to Bethany College. Here she served as music office secretary and pianist for the Bethany Choir and for the annual Easter Holy Week Messiah Festival guest soloists, as well as organist for the annual "An Hour of Christmas." As an intermittent music faculty member, she taught keyboard studies.   Like her husband, she also graduated from Augustana College where she studied music and

Before the couple arrived in Lindsborg in 1960, some of her performances as a pianist included the major concert halls in Boston at Symphony Hall; in New York City at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, in Washington, D.C. at Constitution Hall, where the Washington Post's critically acclaimed music editor Paul Hume wrote in 1950, “No better proportions or support has attended choral work on this stage for some time. Her anticipation for the singing is nearly wizardry, and her ability to merge background and interlude without jar or shock, was unusually satisfying."  As an accomplished organist, during her career, Mrs. Copley served as organist in Illinois at Moline's Calvary Lutheran, First Evangelical Lutheran and Trinity Lutheran Churches and at Rock Island's Saint Johns Lutheran Church; in Minnesota at Minneapolis' Mount Olivet Lutheran Church; in Kansas at McPherson's Trinity Lutheran Church, at Salina's Saint John's Lutheran Church and at Lindsborg's Messiah Lutheran Church.

She would host a BIG ENTETAINER

(NOTE: Among other things, I am hoping that if I report your information correctly that the Bethany College Music Department professor(s) who are teaching voice, etc. will find your section a "good outline" from "one of their own" to share with their students who may have a desire to work towards becoming a successful opera singer or musician as a career goal.)

* This Bethany Magazine was produced from the OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT: Director, Institutional Advancement: R. Jay Ribble; Director Alumni Relations: Doug C. Talbott; Director, College Relations: A. John Pearson; Director, Planned Giving and Church Relations: Dr. Donald E. Trued; Secretary, Advancement and Alumni: Jane Asche; Financial Secretary: Sherrlyn Sanborn; Secretary, College Relations: T-Ann Kerschner; Special Projects Coordinator and Editor, Bethany Magazine: Nancy B. Peterson.
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Sources: Information on Dr. Copley has come from many sources such as Bethany Magazines, Recording Albums, Dr. Lindquist's Bethany In Kansas, the story of a college, the Lindsborg News-Record, and Copley family information.
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