A church in South Australia has celebrated its 150th anniversary with a special performance featuring handwritten sheet music that was recently uncovered in an old chest. Local historian Sam Doering, who is working to establish the exact age of the material, suspects that the music had not been performed for over half a century prior to this weekend’s event.
In honor of the milestone, the church’s iconic golden spire, originally constructed in 1912, was also restored. Doering likened his discovery to finding a treasure chest, as he rummaged through the Point Pass Immanuel Lutheran Church last May while conducting research for a book about the church’s history.
While exploring the Sunday school building, where Adelaide’s Immanuel College was founded, he stumbled upon a two-foot-wide chest that was covered in dust. Upon opening it, he found an impressive collection of musical material, primarily in German and mostly hand-written. “I was astonished; such items rarely survive the passage of time,” he remarked.
The sheets of music included names of parishioners from St. Peter’s Church, a congregation that separated from Immanuel in 1885 and later reunited in 1960. Many of the hymns were familiar to the German community that settled around Eudunda during the 1860s.
This past Saturday, the Tanunda Liedertafel choir performed several of these hymns, including “I Worship the Power of Love” and “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded,” along with other choral pieces. Doering, a descendant of German immigrants, emphasized the strong choral tradition established by these settlers, which remained prominent from the 1920s until the 1950s.
He mentioned that while there is still much to learn about the origins of the music, it is evidently religious in character. “The names of those who kept the choir alive are attached to this music. Some members of the congregation were aware of the box’s existence, but it had been gathering dust for nearly 50 years. We’re uncertain how it transitioned from St. Peter’s to Immanuel, but we’re grateful it did,” he added.
Matthew Falland, the conductor of the Liedertafel, noted that the music had been “affectionately transcribed for the choir.” He described the original materials as small booklets filled with handwritten notes and lyrics. “The handwriting was clear, and it was simple enough to find the lyrics online for cross-referencing,” he said.
Falland expressed his delight in performing pieces that had been rarely sung, stating that it creates a bond between the past and the present that remains relevant today.
In addition to the musical discovery, Doering’s research revealed broader historical events, including the 1885 Australian Lutheran split, during which some dissenting members attempted to forcibly enter the church on multiple occasions. One incident involved two men who broke in and were startled to find the pastor and congregation already assembled for a service, leading to an unexpected and tense situation that ended peacefully after several hours.
As the church celebrated its anniversary, the congregation looked forward to the future. The recent refurbishment of the golden spire was completed with the help of a crane, showcasing the church’s commitment to preservation. Despite Point Pass’s small population of 123 recorded in the last census, over 200 attendees joined the festivities.
Among the guests was Gordon Schutz, a 101-year-old who had spent over three decades teaching Sunday school. His family has been part of the congregation since its founding. Reflecting on the changes in the church, he remarked, “Oh, yes. In my younger days, men sat on one side and women on the other. Services were conducted entirely in German. I was confirmed in German with 13 others on September 18, 1938, and I am the last one still alive.”
Church elder Bruce Schutz, a family member, noted that the regular attendance has decreased to about 40, but he remains optimistic due to the presence of younger members. “It’s smaller than it used to be, but we have many young people now, which gives me hope for the future of the church,” he stated. When asked about the possibility of a 300th anniversary, he expressed confidence in the building’s condition, stating that it has been well maintained and can continue to thrive for years to come.
