Junior Girl/Explorer Pep Song 1920

[Bernard Gui]

My grandfather Heber H. DePriest and his father-in-law William Orson Crowther lived in the LDS colonies at Sanford and Manassa, Colorado.

They were both musicians. William played violin, Heber played violin, cello, clarinet, and saxophone. Heber was a also a member of the Denver

and Rio Grande Railroad Band that played concerts up and down the rail line between Denver and New Mexico.

They played for dances and in bands in their church and community. William's daughter, Mabel, Heber's wife, played

and taught piano and also performed in the bands. The Manassa Mormons were mostly immigrants

from Tennessee (Cane Creek Massacre area). Heber's dad James was the Cane Creek branch president, but left for Zion with his family and

his brother and his family just before the massacre. They got as far as Denver when Brigham Young sent instructions to head south

and establish Mormon colonies in southern Colorado. The Crowthers had immigrated from Denmark and England and had been sent

to Fountain Green, Utah, and then to Colorado. [EDIT] Sanford (not Manassa) was famous for it's dance hall...the Mormon settlers built the floor on carriage

springs so that it bounced up and down when they danced. It was also famous as the birthplace of the boxer Jack Dempsey. My grandfather

knew him as a boy. The Church sent music missionaries to the colonies to teach piano, organ, singing, and instrumental music. Mable was

trained on the piano by Spencer Cornwall, Tabernacle organist. She was a very good pianist who served her ward for at least 60 years and taught most of

the kids in Manassa how to play. She exchanged lessons for food during the Depression. William and Heber wrote many of their fiddle tunes and some

songs in four music folio books. My mother saved them, and now I am transcribing them to a digital form to preserve them for posterity. I finally get to

make some practical use of my MA in music history. I just completed a very interesting song that offers a peep into the lives of some second-generation

Mormons living in the colonies. It's called The Junior-Explorer Pep Song, words and music by Mark H. Nichols. I haven't researched him, so I don't know

anything about him. I'm guessing the song comes from around 1910-1920. I am attaching the song so you can see it, and perhaps sing it with some friends or with the youth....

 

 

 

Edited April 28, 2017 by Bernard Gui

[Calm]

Love the history (out of points )

[bsjkki]

10 hours ago, Calm said:

Love the history (out of points )

I gave him a point for you!

[Calm]

They renewed so your post popping this up again let's me give him one too, so double thanks.

[Bernard Gui]

Anyone try singing the song?

[USU78]

Adorable.