History

Anyone with historical memorabilia of the Club is invited to contact us (email: hillslady@internode.on.net) and your items can either be donated to our archives or copied for our records. Remember– history begins with yesterday. Your donation will be greatly appreciated!

The Club has an eventful history, and is a direct result of the love of singing, which may be found everywhere in Europe, particularly in Germany. When many German folk migrated to South Australia in the early days of settlement in this state, they brought their natural love of singing with them, and have handed it down to their descendants. It was formed in 1878 through the efforts of Mr. O. F. Schumann, a local schoolmaster, its first conductor. The Club’s original name “Lobethal Deutsche Verein” (which means German Club) is one that was held by a singing club in the part of Germany from whence many of the district’s pioneers emigrated. Founding members were Messrs G W Christoph, H D Mengersen, O Kumnick and G F Lauterbach.

Twelve months after its formation the Club was in a position to engage a professional musician, Herr C. Pauettmann, as its conductor. At this time practices were held in the Rising Sun Inn at Lobethal, thence the Centennial Hall and the Church of England Prince of Peace Hall, and now in the Senior Citizens’ Hall. After a very successful run the Lobethal Tweed Factory (later taken over by the Onkaparinga Woollen Co) was temporarily closed, many of the Club’s members were forced to leave the district. In time the Club dwindled in membership to a double quartet and thence to a quartet comprising O. Kumnick, O. Kleinschmidt, G. F. Lauterbach and H. R. Schubert.

In early 1911 numbers improved and the choir (known as “Lobethal Harmonia Club– 12th Feb 1911-2nd May 1927) was limited to 12 singing members, that is, three to each part – admission to Club membership being gained only after a successful audition. Subscriptions at that time were 1/- per month payable in advance. At about this time the name of the Club changed to “Lobethal Deutsche Harmonia Club”. Performing members at that time were.....

First tenor: O. Kumnick, F. Kleinschmidt, F. Lauterbach

Second tenor: N. Kumnick, H. Lauterbach, J. Mines

First bass: S. Burnley, S. Jantke, O. Kleinschmidt

Second bass: F. Koehne, R. Pfeiffer, H. R. Schubert

During the early to mid 1920s the Club was referred to many times as “Tweedvale Harmonia Club”. An early spelling of Lobethal was 'Loubeth Hall'. Local residents fought hard for the retention of the German name in 1916-1917, when the Nomenclature Committee's choice of the Aboriginal 'Marananga' was discarded in favour of 'Tweedvale', bestowed in recognition of the local woollen industry. Lobethal reverted to its original name by Act No. 2231-1935, assented to 12 December 1935.

Mr G. F. Lauterbach was the Club’s conductor and he continued to fill that position with great success and credit for the ensuing 16 years until his failing health compelled him to relinquish the position. Without his leadership, interest in the Club waned until 1936 when it was revitalised and Club membership rose to 42 under the leadership of the conductor, Mr. W. J. Slade.

At the commencement of hostilities (WW2), the Club members resolved to offer their services free of charge to any patriotic bodies anywhere in the district desirous of raising funds for the war effort. Subsequently, substantial amounts of money were raised. Around this time (18th September 1939) the Club changed its name to “Lobethal Harmony Club” and has since retained that name. Accompanists and Deputy Accompanists were Mrs Del Anderson, Mrs J. Rein Pfeiffer, Miss Frieda Lauterbach, Mrs Lou Pfeiffer, Miss Rose Pfeiffer, Mrs Beryl Powell, Miss Keatha Bransden, and Mrs Helen Schubert, amongst others ‘on call’ when required. Towards the end of the war, it was only with the greatest difficulty that the Club was able to continue, due to enlistments in the armed forces, shift work at the Woollen Mills and transport restrictions.

With his employment transfer to Freeling Mr Slade resigned as conductor in February 1940. Mr Stan Green, a Club member, was invited to accept the position and officiated thereafter for 42 years, relinquishing his post in May 1981, after conducting 500 Club performances. Stan immediately continued his involvement with the Club by singing in the First Bass section. In that same year his services to the Club were recognised – Stan was bestowed with the honour of M.B.E. The conductor-ship was extended to yet another member of the Club, Mr Geoff Pfeiffer, who officiated until his retirement in May 1995. Miss Keatha Bransden, A.T.C.L., retired after 44 years as the Harmony Club accompanist in October 1981. During that time she established a wonderful rapport with the choir. She was succeeded by our current accompanist, Mrs Helen Schubert, a direct descendant of a foundation member, in February 1982, fulfilling a childhood dream. From May 1995 the Club was conducted by Mrs Beryl Powell, also a direct descendant of a foundation member and an assisting artist for many years, being a mezzo-soprano singer and pianist. Her services to the Club for 60 years were recognised with an Australia Day Award. Beryl retired from the conductorship of the Club in 2008, after fulfilling that role for thirteen years, at many times over and above the call of duty. After the final concert for 2008 she relinquished the baton to Mrs Rosemary Nairn OAM, a well-known conductor, pianist and music teacher.

In the years shortly after, exchange concerts were arranged with the Tanunda Liedertafel. Throughout the latter decades the Club’s services have been in very great demand. Performances have been presented fortnightly from the beginning of March until the end of October, many of these being booked as much as two years in advance. The Club’s centenary year in 1978, the South Australian Sesquicentenary year in 1986 and the Australian Bicentenary in 1988 were particularly demanding years. The Club acknowledges the wonderful contribution made by our many Assisting Artists, vocal, instrumental and oratory, at all our concert performances.

The Lobethal Harmony Club has, in the time of its existence since 1878, passed through great periods of prosperity and has equally had to face vicissitudes and adversities, but the spirit which animated its founder, the love of song and music, together with a warm bond of friendship has been fostered in its members and it is due to this trait that the Club has weathered many a storm and ridden it out. Lobethal has since remained rich in the history and music of its founding German pioneers.

The love of music and song brought the first choir together....

And the rest is...