Sängerfest - Early Days in 1800s
As it has been already announced, on September 28, the German Choirs of Fredericksburg host the 2024 Sängerfest - the German Singers' League Festival.
In connection to that, we are going to tell you more about the beginnings of the Texas Sängerbund and the early Sängerfest gatherings.
In 1846, the first Texas singing society was created - 8 immigrants of German background, who met under a live oak tree by the Comal River, in the colony of New Braunfels, decided to meet occasionally to sing German songs. In that way, the first German Texan singing society was created.
A few years later, more singing societies came into being in the region.
March 2, 1850 - Germania was founded. Around that time, the San Antonio, Sisterdale, and La Grange singing societies were created as well.
In connection to that, we are going to tell you more about the beginnings of the Texas Sängerbund and the early Sängerfest gatherings.
In 1846, the first Texas singing society was created - 8 immigrants of German background, who met under a live oak tree by the Comal River, in the colony of New Braunfels, decided to meet occasionally to sing German songs. In that way, the first German Texan singing society was created.
A few years later, more singing societies came into being in the region.
March 2, 1850 - Germania was founded. Around that time, the San Antonio, Sisterdale, and La Grange singing societies were created as well.
1852 - the Deutsche Männerchor was organized in Austin.
July 4, 1853 - New Braunfel's Germania, the singers of San Antonio and Austin got together to celebrate the holiday with German songs. At this occasion, the idea of forming the Sängerbund - Singers' League came up. The League members were invited to come to New Braunfels for a Sängerfest on October 15/16th, 1853.
In the month of October of that year, heavy rains fell which made the roads muddy and rivers impossible to cross. Despite that, the German singers did their best to keep the Sängerfest appointment. The group of San Antonio, with great difficulties, managed to cross the creeks of Cibolo and Salado. The society of Austin were stopped at the bank of the overflown Blanco River. Risking their lives they finally succeed in getting to the other bank of the river. However, their belongings, including the music sheets, were taken by the river waters. Only the group's banner was saved.
Despite all the difficulties, the Sängerfest participants came to New Braunfels on time. Then they continued their travel through mud and water by wagons/on horse back to the singers' hall.
In the month of October of that year, heavy rains fell which made the roads muddy and rivers impossible to cross. Despite that, the German singers did their best to keep the Sängerfest appointment. The group of San Antonio, with great difficulties, managed to cross the creeks of Cibolo and Salado. The society of Austin were stopped at the bank of the overflown Blanco River. Risking their lives they finally succeed in getting to the other bank of the river. However, their belongings, including the music sheets, were taken by the river waters. Only the group's banner was saved.
Despite all the difficulties, the Sängerfest participants came to New Braunfels on time. Then they continued their travel through mud and water by wagons/on horse back to the singers' hall.
On October 16, 1853 - the German Texas Sängerbund was founded during the First Sängerfest, and the Bund constitution was adopted. It was decided then that Sängerfest was to be an annual event, and every year organized in a different city/hosted by a different singing society.
The gathering participants were the singing societies of New Braunfels (Germania - 24 singers), San Antnio (20 singers), Austin (13 singers), and Sisterdale (8 singers).
May 14/15/16, 1854 - San Antonio - the Second Sängerfest took place.
Participating choirs (besides the one of San Antonio) came from New Braunfels, Sisterdale, La Grange, Colettoville (Nowadays Meyersville), Indianola, and Victoria.
The gathering participants were the singing societies of New Braunfels (Germania - 24 singers), San Antnio (20 singers), Austin (13 singers), and Sisterdale (8 singers).
May 14/15/16, 1854 - San Antonio - the Second Sängerfest took place.
Participating choirs (besides the one of San Antonio) came from New Braunfels, Sisterdale, La Grange, Colettoville (Nowadays Meyersville), Indianola, and Victoria.
May 28/29 1855* - New Braunfels - the Third Sängerfest.
Participants - the choirs of New Braunfels, San Antonio, Austin, La Grange, Columbus, Indianola, and Sisterdale.
October 12/13, 1856 - the Fourth Sängerfest was at first to be celebrated in Austin. Later, the plan was changed and it took place in New Braunfels again. Germania did not take part in the Festival and announced that the Saengerfest would not take place due to lack of means/funds.
Finally, it was organized and hosted by "Liedertafel" the second New Braunfel's singing society. Other participants - singers of San Antonio, La Grange, and Austin.
October 1857 - the Fifth Sängerfest took place in New Braunfels. Participating choirs came from San Antonio and Austin + two singing societies of New Braunfels. A few delegates representing the singers of Fredericksburg arrived and invited everybody to the town for the next Sängerfest to their town. By that time, the singing society of Sisterdale had been dissolved.
May 29/30/31, 1859 - the Sixth Sängerfest was organized and hosted by the singing society of Fredericksburg.
Despite the hardship of a trip by wagon and on horseback (75 miles from San Antonio and New Braunfels/90 miles from Austin) in a dangerous area of the Hill Country wilderness, the singers of San Antonio, Pedernales, two societies from New Braunfels (Germania and Liedertafel), Grape Creek, and Austin came to Fredericksberg for the annual Singers' Festival.
March 26/27/28/29, 1860 - the Seventh Sängerfest was held in New Braunfels again. During this Festival, for the first time, a mixed choir (Concordia of New Braunfels) presented their songs as well.
Although the next Singers' Fest was to be organized in Austin, it did not come into being as the time of the Civil War came. Many singers perished during the war, the time of festivities was gone, the time of hardship and mourning happened.
October 1857 - the Fifth Sängerfest took place in New Braunfels. Participating choirs came from San Antonio and Austin + two singing societies of New Braunfels. A few delegates representing the singers of Fredericksburg arrived and invited everybody to the town for the next Sängerfest to their town. By that time, the singing society of Sisterdale had been dissolved.
May 29/30/31, 1859 - the Sixth Sängerfest was organized and hosted by the singing society of Fredericksburg.
Despite the hardship of a trip by wagon and on horseback (75 miles from San Antonio and New Braunfels/90 miles from Austin) in a dangerous area of the Hill Country wilderness, the singers of San Antonio, Pedernales, two societies from New Braunfels (Germania and Liedertafel), Grape Creek, and Austin came to Fredericksberg for the annual Singers' Festival.
March 26/27/28/29, 1860 - the Seventh Sängerfest was held in New Braunfels again. During this Festival, for the first time, a mixed choir (Concordia of New Braunfels) presented their songs as well.
Although the next Singers' Fest was to be organized in Austin, it did not come into being as the time of the Civil War came. Many singers perished during the war, the time of festivities was gone, the time of hardship and mourning happened.
Except of the local Sängerfest gatherings in Texas, the German Singers' Festivals were also organized all over the country.
Clipping source:
Evening Telegraph (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 36, No. 69, Ed. 1 Saturday, June 18, 1870,
newspaper,
June 18, 1870;
Houston, Texas.
(https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth232587/:
accessed September 2, 2024),
University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu;
crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.
To be continued.
*Sources vary, regarding the month of 1855, in which the third Sängerfest took place. The newspaper announcements, included above, specify the info on that.
Source:
1. Galveston Tribune. (Galveston, Tex.), Vol. 29, No. 109, Ed. 1 Friday, April 2, 1909, newspaper, April 2, 1909; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1350882/: accessed September 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rosenberg Library.
2. Biggers, Don Hampton, 1869-1957. German Pioneers in Texas; A Brief History of Their Hardships, Struggles and Achievements, book, 1925; Fredericksburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth29394/: accessed September 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting University of Texas at Arlington Library.
3. Texas Handbook Online
4. Tiling, Moritz, 1851-1916. History of the German Element in Texas from 1820-1850, and Historical Sketches of the German Texas Singers' League and Houston Turnverein from 1853-1913, book, 1913; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth28597/: accessed September 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting University of Texas at Arlington Library.
Source:
1. Galveston Tribune. (Galveston, Tex.), Vol. 29, No. 109, Ed. 1 Friday, April 2, 1909, newspaper, April 2, 1909; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1350882/: accessed September 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rosenberg Library.
2. Biggers, Don Hampton, 1869-1957. German Pioneers in Texas; A Brief History of Their Hardships, Struggles and Achievements, book, 1925; Fredericksburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth29394/: accessed September 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting University of Texas at Arlington Library.
3. Texas Handbook Online
4. Tiling, Moritz, 1851-1916. History of the German Element in Texas from 1820-1850, and Historical Sketches of the German Texas Singers' League and Houston Turnverein from 1853-1913, book, 1913; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth28597/: accessed September 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting University of Texas at Arlington Library.
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