Timeline of Music at Gettysburg College

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Click on the photos and images to enlarge.

Early music organizations at Gettysburg:

The Glee Club

The Guitar and Mandolin Club

The Spectrum staff replaced the "philharmonic's" heads with those of Gettysburg professors for some humor in the music section.

The College Band.

The College Orchestra.

"The College Band, B.F. Derr, leader, gave a concert in the portico of Old Dorm on Friday evening. The program was rendered in a pleasing manner and all present considered that the Band is a credit to our school."

Future Conservatory of Music benfactor F. William Sunderman led the Army Band on campus in 1918 (far left front).

Sunderman also served as the leader of the student orchestra in 1918.

Bertand Saltzer

The College entrusts a newly-formed “Musical Organization" to three faculty members: Bertrand Saltzer, Robert Fortenbaugh, and Jerome Jackson.

Robert Fortenbaugh

Jerome Jackson

Spirit of Gettysburg march, with music by Saltzer and lyrics by Fortenbaugh.

Gettysburgian—April 12, 1934
"Professor Frederick Shaffer, head of the Greek department, will speak on the subject 'Church Music, Ancient, Medieval and Modern' . . . Professor Shaffer, who is recognized as an accomplished pianist, is a member of the Faculty Committee For College Musical Organizations. For more than a year he had conducted a series of Sunday evening musicales in the Y.M.C.A., in which he has brought forth much musical talent."

Shaffer also taught music appreciation courses, the first music courses offered at Gettysburg College.

Gettysburgian—October 12, 1935
"A Gettysbug College Choir, open to both men and women, under the direction of Mr. Parker B. Wagnild, a former member of the famous St. Olaf Lutheran Choir of which Dr. F. Melius Christiansen is the director, will be organized Wednesday night, October 16, at 7:00 in Brua Chapel. The decision to create such an organization . . . was made by the faculty music committee of Professors Shaffer, Saltzer, and Larkin."

Parker Wagnild

Parker Wagnild with the first Gettysburg College Choir.

"Presenting three numbers from the repertoire of the famed St. Olaf's choir, the recently organized a capella choir of Gettysburg College . . . effectively made it's initial appearance on the Gettysburg campus last Sunday evening in a program of special Christmas music sponsored by the Student Christian Association in the chapel."

The first Gettysburg College Choir rehearsing in Brua Chapel

Directed by Parker Wagnild, the Gettysburg Choir sings at the dedication of the Martin Luther memorial in Baltimore on October 31, 1936.

The 1936 G Book, Gettysburg
College’s student handbook, was dedicated to Professor Shaffer, "in recognition of his activity and zeal in promoting interest and participation in the fine arts." It also described the musical organizations on campus…

G Book:
". . . on the many trips [the a capella choir] has made into surrounding towns . . . has proved itself to be an organization of which Gettysburg may well be proud."

G Book:
"The band, under the firection of Bertram H. Saltzer, is the most popular of the musical organizations on campus."

Gettysburg Times—April 1937
"Parker B. Wagnild, director of the Gettysburg College A Capella Choir for the past two years, will have charge of the choir for the next year and also will assist in the department of the Bible . . . The college choir has recently concluded a most successful season. Appearances were made in N.J.; York, Carlisle, Harrisburg, Waynesboro, and Thurmont, Md."

Sunday Evening Musicale program featuring the College Choir, Orchestra, and other student and faculty performers.