KNOCHE, Bethel (DAVIS)

DAVIS, KNOCHE, FRISBIE, TREAT, HOUSTON, GLEASON, DEMPSTER

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 1/30/2016 at 20:33:25

Biography ~ Bethel (Davis) Knoche
Graceland University, Lamoni, Iowa

Famed American organist, Bethel (Davis) Knoche was born on December 24, 1919, Arcadia, Kansas, the daughter of Archie and Hazel (Frisbie) Davis. She graduated from William Chrisman High School, Independence, Missouri, where she was a flutist and accompanist for the high school band. Bethel was a student of Edna Treat (at Graceland), Powell Weaver (1890-1951), Ray Berry, Harold Gleason (1892-1980), Catharine Crozier (1914-2003), and Herman Berlinski (1910-2001).

Bethel served on the faculty at Graceland University, University of Central Missouri, University of Missouri-Kansas City, and the Raytown, Missouri, C-2 School District. She was a recitalist (1950-1970), and played many new instrument dedicatory recitals. She served as the first principal organist at the Community of Christ Auditorium and in this capacity oversaw the design and installation of the Aeolian-Skinner organ that was completed in 1959. Bethel was also a well-known radio broadcast pioneer, minister of music, teacher, pedagogist, accompanist, workshop instructor, and scholar.

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A huge organ pipe is hoisted into place in the general conference chamber of the Reorganized Church of Latter Day Saints auditorium in Independence. The pipe, about 25 feet long and made of zinc alloy, was the last of the larger pipes installed yesterday by workmen. The installation will cost more than $115, and will include 6,309 pipes, with some as small as one-quarter of an inch long. It was designed for the world headquarters of the church by the Aeolian-Skinner Company of Boston.
~ The Examiner, Independence, Missouri, July 17, 1959

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The Kansas City Star
Kansas City, Missouri, April 08, 1960.

New Organ's Noble Voice Tells the Church's Message
By Joe Lastelic. (A Member of The Star's Staff.)

SOUNDS of a mighty pipe organ, a sympathy orchestra and a 52-voice choir soared together majestically last night for the world premiere of the cantata, "Song of the Restoration." The program opened at 7:30 o'clock Thursday night at the R.L.D.S. Auditorium in Independence.

The sacred cantata, commissioned by the R.L.D.S. church, was composed by Warren Martin, musical director of the Westminister Choir college, Princeton, N. J. The text was selected from modern revelations of the church by Mrs. F. Henry Edwards of Independence, a great-granddaughter of Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the church. She was in the audience and was applauded.

An overflowing crowd of more than 6,000 persons filled the Auditorium of the Reorganized Latter Day Saint church in Independence for the concert and dedicatory service for the new $115,000 pipe organ.

Tell the Gospel Story

In narration, choral speaking solos and song, the sacred work, based on modern revelations of the church, told of the gospel to be preached to all people and of God's servants, the prophets.

Softly it began, telling the people to listen, thenrose in a crescendo of voices echoed by the organ. In the recitation the choir tells of the call to the prophets, the soloists give their answers and in a martial-like air the followers march forward singing praises of the Lord.

Striking to the listener are words of Christ, "I am the light and the life of the world," sung by a soprano produced a lyrical effect.

The orchestra, organ and choir brough the work to a thundering climax of sound.

Mrs. Knoche at Console.

Franklyn S. Weddle directed the Independence Symphony orchestra, Mrs. Bethel Knoche, staff organist, was at the console. Soloists were Marilyn Corley, sporano; Jean O'Neal, contralto; Henry Anderson, tenor; and Maurice Bottom, baritone. Arthur J. Rock was the narrator.

Organ Dedicated

The new organ was dedicated during the program. Mrs. Knoche played a fanfare by Alec Wyton and Francis Poulenc's "Concerto for Organ in G Minor" with the orchestra.

The orchestra also played the first movement of Braham's Second symphony and "Passacaglia and Fugue," a piece by William Graves of Clarkesdale, Miss Graves was the guest conductor.

Other works of the night included a composition, The Offertory by William Graves, who conducted the playing of the work. He is a member of the church and is supervisor of instrumental music in the Clarksburg, Miss., public schools.

During the Amboy Centennial conference of the church this week, daily organ recitals have been given at the Auditorium from 1 to 1:40 o'clock. The organists, in order of appearance Monday through Saturday are: Oliver Houston, Jr., Lamoni, Ia.; Mrs. Joy Browne, Lawrence, Kans.; Graham Cook of the Broadway Methodist church here; Drexel Mollison, Aurora, Ill.; Rosemary Lentell and Mrs. Knoche, both of the Auditorium staff.

"The official dedication of the new Auditorium Organ took place April 7, 1960. Mrs. Bethel Knoche, staff organist of the World Church Music Department, was featured in a concert with the Independence Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Franklyn S. Weddle and the Auditorium Chorale directed by Frank Hunter. The organ has been described as 'one of the truly fine organs in the country and the finest in the Midwest.'" ~ Harold Gleason, Graceland College

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The Kansas City Star
Kansas City, Missouri, September 22, 1963.

ORGAN MUSIC ON RADIO

KXTR-FM to Carry R.L.D.S. Auditorium Series

A series of Sunday evening radio broadcasts of the organ at the R.L.D.S. auditorium, Independence, will begin at 10 0'clock tonight over station KXTR-FM.

At the organ will be Mrs. Bethel Knoche, staff organist for the R. L. D. S. church. The Aeolian-Skinner organ built especially for the auditorium, was installed in 1959.

Mrs. Knoche is on the faculty of the Conservatory of Music.

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The Examiner
Independence, Missouri, 1962

Lesson Earned as A Boy Put Organist at Pinnacle

A chance to play an organ for five minutes as a reward for completing a good piano lesson as a small boy has led to an outstanding career for a church and concert organist.

Frederick Swann, organist for the world-famous Riverside church in New York, said yesterday his first interest in playing the organ was generated when he was about seven years old. At 31 he is a noted concert performer.

"The organist at a church in Virginia where my father was minister allowed me to play the organ after each piano lesson," he said. "Then at the age of 9 I began organ lessons. I became church organist at my father's church when I was 10, and have been enjoying it ever since."

Swann said he continued as an active organist while he studied at Northwestern university. He was organist for two large Chicago churches. He has served in New York the last 12 years, being the Riverside organist nearly six years.

Swann said he was impressed with the 6,300-pipe organ at the Auditorium, where he will appear tonight in the fifth of the current series of oran recitals sponsored by the Reorganized Latter Day Saint church.

"This organ and chamber are perfect for each other," he said. "It presents an ideal combination for sound.

The acoustical setup is one of the best I've seen. The room can take the music, mold it and kick it around a bit before it reaches the ears of the audience.

The organ at the Riverside church, he said, is almost twice the size of that at the Auditorium. It is one of four in the huge church, which covers two city blocks. In his concert tonight much of the music will be classical. It will naturally have a religious tone, he said. The organ is a church instrument. That's the way the music is written.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE: In 1982, Frederick Swann became Organist Emeritus of the Crystal Cathedral and the First Congergational Church of Los Angeles (1998-2001). He is artist-in-residence at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church and University Organist and Artist Teacher of Organ at the University of Redlands.

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The Hawk-Eye
Burlington, Iowa, September, 1967

To Dedicate Organ Sunday

Bethel Knoche, RLDS Auditorium staff organist, will play a dedicatory organ recital Sunday, Sept. 24, at 8 p.m., at the First Methodist Church.

Mrs. Knoche provided the Auditorium organ radio broadcasts, heard each week over approximately 100 stations in this country and abroad and sponsored by the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Mrs. Knoche is noted for her extreme sensitivity in musical interpretation and professional competency. The selection of Mrs. Knoche, by Dr. G. Dempster Yinger, pastor of the church, was due to the recommendation of N. Frederick Cool, designer of the Burlington organ and owner of Temple Organ Co.

The Burlington organ is a 3-manual instrument with pedal, 30 registers, 36 ranks and 2,032 pipes. The pipes were made to exact specifications in Germany, with all voicing done by the Temple Organ Co.

The nave of the 80-year-old church building is being redecorated as the new organ is installed.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE: During the early morning hours of April 27, 2007, fire ravaged the church. Only the stone exterior walls were left standing. After much planning, the congregation rebuilt the fire-damaged building. The arsonist was apprehended, convicted and sent to prison. Six years later, a new organ had been installed and services resumed on August 25, 2013.

Bethel married Joseph T. Knoche (1914-2004) who also was a well-known radio broadcast pioneer.

Bethel died on April 27, 2003. Bethel and Joseph were interred at Mound Grove Cemetery, Independence, Missouri.

The Examiner, Independence MO, September 10, 2013
There are about twenty-five volunteer organists on the staff of the Community of Christ World Headquarters, and principal organist Jan Kraybill.

SOURCES:

"To Dedicate Organ Sunday." The Hawk-Eye. Burlington IA. September [unknown], 1960.

"Rebuilding of Historic Burlington Church To Begin." The Globe-Gazette. Mason City IA. November 23, 2009.

"Burlington Church Ready to Serve Again After Arson." The Globe-Gazette. Mason City IA, August 21, 2013.

n.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Swann

Bethel Davis Knoche obituary. Kansas City Star. Kansas City MO. April 30, 2003.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, January of 2016

Biography ~ Bethel (Davis) Knoche
 

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