Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Death of Bishop Dean Wengreen

http://walkersanderson.tributes.com/obituary/read/Arthur-Dean-Wengreen-101736664
http://www.heraldextra.com/lifestyles/announcements/obituaries/arthur-dean-wengreen/article_5a8839bd-c1e6-534f-9b98-56e776f8602a.html
The Wengreen family actually moved into Hyrum shortly after we did.  We enjoyed participating in sports with their sons.  Jeff and Sid would come over and be part of the baseball leagues we would put together in our neighborhood, and played in the lot next to our house (which is now a couple of houses.)  We would also go to their house and play football.  They had three homes with backyards together, and it made a nice football field of maybe some 40 yards, although somewhat narrow. 
Dean Wengreen was called as our bishop shortly after they moved in, which I thought was rather odd.  He was the bishop after we moved to Illinois for two years.  During the first year, Sister Wengreen was killed in an auto accident.  My oldest sister came home to be with her friend, Debra.  When we moved back a year later, Bishop Wengreen was still bishop, but he had remarried and the family shortly moved into the Barton home.  One neat thing about that house is they made a basketball court and we went there to play from time to time.  Bishop Wengreen supervised the demolition of the old chapel and the construction of the new.  We met in the first ward building after we moved back from Illinois. 
I had another experience with the Wengreen family.  Bishop Wengreen taught at the institute in Logan.  They invited me to go to a production of the Wizard of Oz at the institute.  Many of their kids were in the show.  I traveled to and from with them.  Must have been before we moved to Illinois. 

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Battle Hymn of the Republic, Tribute to Athletics, Skyview High School

I was going to participate in football my sophomore year at Sky View, but I had broken my arm the summer before playing baseball.  I was too shy to call the coach and explain what had happened and why I was missing practice.  I showed up to school the first day, and had seventh period athletics, but was asked to transfer out by the coach.  Who needed someone in athletics with a big cast on his arm.  That is how I got into Spanish as an alternative, which was pretty fun.  After I got my cast off, I tried out for wrestling.  It was harder not having seventh period, as everyday I showed up late and then had to catch up as best I could.  I didn't have the stamina or whatever I needed to continue at that pace, and thus ended my athletic career at Sky View.  I never got back into it after that one halfhearted attempt.  However I admire those who had the gumption, and the talent, to stick to it.  find the song here

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Skyview A Cappella Choir 1975 Ain't Got Time to Die

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMCy8bX-uBM
Tony and I sing this song every once in while.  I always thought we might record it, but now that I have posted this copy featuring Chris Jensen, there is no need.  Chris does an excellent job as the featured soloist.  The last time I saw Chris was at University of Utah.  I happened to run into him on campus.  He was there to study graduate school music, and I was studying social work.
If anyone knows of Chris' doings now please let me know.  I imagine he followed in Stratford Loosli's footsteps and is teaching choir someplace.
The visual emphasizes those who served, costumes, set and publicity for the performances, sound, service organizations and clubs.  These people are often not seen, but are so important and this video gave me an opportunity to honor them.    

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Skyview Teachers and Adminstration 1975

This short presents Skyview's coaches and teachers.  There were many good teachers at Skyview.  My favorite was Señor Oswald.  He had the task of teaching us Spanish.  I took Spanish all three years at school.  We use to give Senor Oswald a hard time, coming into class saying, "Vamos a tener fiesta hoy."  We would do that every day, until finally Senor Oswald got upset with us.   However he was a patient man.  He had to be to put up with us.  I think the people I knew the best at Skyview were those in Spanish class with me.  We were together three years, and Senor  Oswald had special names for us.  Mostly our names pronounced in Spanish, but not always.  Some of us were Tigre Barker, Jose Carreido, Claudia Houston, Patricia Apelskog and Gregorio Johnson.  My first couple years I was also involved in Spanish club.  We were able to practice dance, and even put on a couple programs.  We went to North Cache on one occassion.  I loved the Mexican Hat Dance.  

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Skyview Choir 1975, Jonathan Livingston Seagull Medley

This is a very excellent medley, and very likely one of the most enjoyable pieces we put together as a choir.  We sang this as three different numbers for the Fall Concert.  The Front Porch Majority group took the three songs, and combined the into a medley.  That is why in this number I feature pictures of the Front Porch Majority, including their band and their sound people.  Ryan Tew performs the solo in the last piece of the medley.  This material is likely protected by copyright, and in no way do I want to infringe on the rights of Neil Diamond who wrote the music.  However I want to share what we did together as a choir, and this is one of our highlights.

Our High School Hymn: Where the Mountain Peak Meets the Starry Sky

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH4cevLI1xk
Concert version performed by the A Capella Choir 1975

Where the mountain peaks meet the starry sky,
Where the green hills meet the blue,
Stands a place close by with its standards high,
It's our school, our own Sky View.
There's the blue and white and a golden hue
We will long remember, too.
It's a place close by, with its standards high,
It's our school, our own Sky View.
We will always say as we go our way,
And of this it can be told,
The friendships dear we have made while here
Are a treasure more than gold.
Where the mountain peaks meet the starry sky,
Where the green hills meet the blue,
Stands a place close by with its standards high,
It's our school, our own Sky View.


While I was serving my mission in Argentina, Dean Samuels also served there.  Our paths overlapped for a few days in the same ward, Barrio Uno Liniers.  Dean is a terrific pianist, with the ability to play by ear and add his own accompaniment to a melody.
While in the church one day, I heard our school song playing.  Dean was in the primary room, on the piano there, playing this song.  It was one of times I felt nostalgic for home, and enjoyed his song very much.

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Skyview High School Christmas Concerts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1dvFdC2Y1I
Handel's Hallelujah Chorus, Sky View High School A Cappella Choir 1975
Both years I sang in the choir we performed two songs from Handel's Messiah, "The Hallelujah Chorus" and "For Unto Us a Child is Born."  We also traveled to Salt Lake and sang at malls during Christmas, West Vally mall and Cottonwood Mall.  One year we also sang on t.v.
We performed a couple special numbers our senior year.  I don't have a program, but I remember we sang a vocal version of "The Night Before Christmas."  It had a lot of small vocal parts.  Leslie Wengreen sang one of these.  We also sang a song, "Give a Little Something Special" which was an attempt get us to think about our gifts.  We should put love in our gifts.  I still have nightmares of this song, particularly with regards to giving toy guns to the kids.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLAVuDddPKQ


Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Skyview High School A Cappella Choir 1975, 'The River Song" from Tom Sawyer

At the first of Tom Sawyer there is a choral number.  This is the presentation of this number by the Sky View High School A Cappella Choir 1975.  This is one song we sang in the Logan Tabernacle.

Monday, September 1, 2014

Memoriam Skyview Class of 1975

This is a memorial to those form the class of 1975 who have passed on.  Dean has maintained a list on the Sky View High School class of 1975 Facebook group. The song is from the album made by the choir that year and is entitled "Time is my Friend."  Sorry about the crackling.  If you stand back it sounds OK.
CLASS OF 1975
Bonnie Ashment [Gosnell], October 23, 2011 (complications from diabetes) 
Todd Bair, 25 January 2007
Mike Barrett, 30 September 1982 (motorcycle accident)
John Benali, February 1985
Brad Blair, 24 January 2007 (natural causes)
Boyd Bodily, 17 February 1995
Mike Calderwood, 29 August 1994 (car-train accident)
Richard Chugg, 20 January 2014 (spinal cancer)
Leslee Clawson [Layne], 22 May 1997 (illness)
Jerry Cowdin, 30 March 1977
Randy Vance Douglass, 3 October 2013 (auto-pedestrian accident)
Roberta Drury, 20 October 1984 (fire)
Debra Falslev [Blau], 9 October 2008
Melvin Grandy, 20 December 2011 (long illness)
Scott Griffin
Mike Hall, 17 June 1994 (long illness)
Jill Howard, 7 July 2012 (cancer)
Kyle Hyden, 17 August 1999 (asphyxiation)
Janette Jensen
Layna Jensen, 9 May 1981 (motorcycle accident)
Cathy Kendrick, 28 June 1994 (illness)
Michael Krogh, 16 April 2008 (cancer) (attended SV briefly but not sure if graduated)
Andrea Maughan, 12 May 1985 (cystic fibrosis)
Phil Maughan, 10 September 2011
Marty McClendon, 29 June 2012
Donna Miller [Summers], 3 July 1987 (ATV accident)
Jeff Olsen, 28 September 1998
Jed Parkinson, 12 January 2012
Cindy Purser [Tuthill], 15 September 1993
Wendy Wardle [Thomas], 5 February 2010
Jed Watterson, 14 March 1975 (car accident)
I could not find pictures in the Senior yearbook for all.  Vance Douglas is from junior year.  He lived in our ward.  Wendy Wardle Thomas also lived in our ward.  The picture is from a musical we did together in Vernal.  One time I accidentally broke her nose in a performance.  Leslee Clawson lived a few doors down from me when we were young, second, third and fourth grades.  I danced with her in third grade for the May Day Festival.  Donna Miller also lived in Hyrum.