Now in our mid-sixties, we “children” of the South Carolina
foothills gather under the beer tent at the annual Oktoberfest
celebration. Over half a century has
passed since we shared school days in the little German-settled hamlet of
Walhalla. Two boys and six girls gather round and catch up with one another.
We
share reports of our children, of work and retirement, marriage and divorce and
punctuate it all with lighthearted references to the decline of our physical
selves.
The two men treat us to beer and they behave very much like
the boys we knew: funny, flirty and a little inappropriate around the
edges. The mood is festive. The German
band plays lively polkas and the audience claps in rhythm and some hearty souls
take to the dance floor. Suddenly the band switches to the strains of “The
Happy Wanderer.” Spontaneously the eight of us burst into song:
I love to go a-wandering,
Along the mountain track, And as I go, I love to sing,
My knapsack on my back. Chorus:
Val-deri,Val-dera,
Val-deri,
Val-dera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha
Val-deri,Val-dera.
My knapsack on my back.
We sing…pitch-perfect, smiling faces, lively waving of
drinks, and with all the correct lyrics. I exclaim, “Wouldn’t Ms. Brandt be
proud of us?” One of the boys says, “I believe she would.” Suddenly we are ten
again, marching around the gymnasium, our knapsacks slung across our young
backs as Ms. Brandt hammers out the accompaniment on her piano. For me it was a sacred moment when the joys
of the past re-visit in a very real and intimate way.
Henrietta Brandt was the music/choral teacher from
elementary years through high school in Walhalla. She put together productions
replete with costuming to showcase her students’ accomplishments. She taught us
songs of different eras and educated us on the historical context of each song.
It was a rich and happy time, connecting with human experience through the ages
through song. Love songs, war songs,
patriotic songs and just-for-fun songs.
I cannot say that any geometric theorem, knowledge of
chemistry, physics or good grammar has enhanced my life the way music has. Make
no mistake; I am not a vocally or instrumentally talented person. But time
after time I pull from the recesses of my mind a melody or a set of lyrics that
treat my soul to what it needs. Planting a song in a child’s heart is a worthy
calling. Thank you, Ms Brandt, for enriching our lives.
Oh, may I go a-wandering
Until the day I die!
Oh, may I always laugh and sing,
Beneath God's clear blue sky!
