1634: Turn Your Radio On (10 page)

After the last of the music, Brother Fischer walked on stage carrying the church rocking chair.

"As Brother Chalker would say," Fischer jiggled his jaw and puffed his cheeks before continuing in a scratchy voice, "Well, I guess it's time we got started."

After enjoying the laughter at the dead-on impression, Fischer continued, "First, let's thank Brother and Sister Slater and Phyllis Dobbs for hosting our Bible study in their barn throughout the winter. I also wanted to convey Reverend Chalker's best wishes and to let you know that he continues to improve and hopes that the doctor will let him sit here before you on Monday night real soon."

Fischer continued with a list of prayer requests for individuals associated with the church, and thanks for answered prayers. After briefly bowing his head and saying thanks for the Lord's work, he came to the big announcement about the radio program. There was a lot of applause at this. Fischer outlined how the church was going to handle it, how they would be holding auditions with the finalists featured on the program to be chosen right here before weekly Bible study. He finished by asking for volunteers to help get everything ready.

"I want you all to pray for Elder Jennifer Copenhaver. She's agreed to the chore of being in charge of all the musical parts of this new venture. Since she's dropping her pre-nursing course, I guess that will leave the nursing duties in the Copenhaver family to her sister-in-law, Gloria. Let's all let Jennifer know how grateful we are for this sacrifice." After leading the prayer, Fischer continued with the Bible study passages for the night.

Susannah finished cleaning up the dinner plates and was walking back into the barn. Looking around, she again noticed the two girls she'd seen earlier sitting in back and eased into an open spot on the bench right beside them.

As they followed along in their own Bibles, Susannah studied the girls more carefully. They did not have the hands of commoners, they certainly weren't up-timers, and while those clothes looked in place, the stitching was much better than what could be seen in most clothing not produced by a sewing machine.

One innovation Fischer had brought to Bible study was to give time for those in attendance to discuss an occasional passage amongst themselves after he had given his thoughts. This allowed Susannah to introduce herself to these young women.

Their names were Constanzia Garb and Catharina Sulzer. Cousins on their mother's side, Constanzia had been visiting her cousin and her family in Badenburg. Constanzia had gotten a job teaching Italian and French at the high school through Constanzia's older half brother Johann Martin Sulzer who had been teaching science at the school for over a year. Catharina had gotten a job at the school library. Still no explanation of the clothing, but Susannah figured that if these girls could survive in a high school with a bunch of teenagers, they must be good girls. And they were single.

After Bible study, Susannah found it very easy to keep Constanzia and Catharina engaged in conversation as she subtly guided them to the front of the barn. Catching Fischer's eye, she waved him over. "Reverend Dieter Fischer, I'd like to introduce you to two guests. This is Constanzia Garb and her cousin Catharina Sulzer. They are teachers at the high school!"

Fischer smiled warmly as he shook hands with the women, "Thank you for coming, ladies. You're always welcome at our church."

"Thank you, Reverend. We heard you on the radio a few weeks ago and visited last Sunday. I've been trying to get my cousin here." Catharina grinned at her cousin. "She hasn't had as much time as I have to get used to the open approach to religion that the up-timers brought us."

"I understand completely." Fischer smiled. "Before coming to Grantville, I was a Lutheran pastor myself. The revelation that Reverend Chalker and this congregation have shown me is that God directly guides each of us. We must honor the guidance being given to all, even if it seems to contradict what He has in mind for us."

So it is true he had been a Lutheran pastor, Constanzia thought. Maybe my family won't object if I were to get to know this man better.

At the same time Catharina thought, No, not for me, but this man is fine husband material.

****

Back when Gayle Mason had been married, her truck-driving husband arranged for a few days off between loads in Memphis, Tennessee. Gayle flew down to join him and they did a whirlwind tour of that rockabilly Mecca. In addition to Graceland and rubbed barbecue, they paid homage to the place it all began, 706 Union Avenue, the home of Sun Records.

So when Gayle decided to finish her new home's basement for her electronics workshop and ham station and saw the exact style of acoustic tile used in the recording studio where everyone from Johnny Cash to Jerry Lee Lewis to the King himself recorded their breakout hits, how could she turn it down? It took some more research to find the exact dimensions of the main recording studio at Sun Records, but down to the positions of the doors and windows and electrical plugs, Gayle's new basement was a complete clone.

She set up her control room in the area under the front porch, where the only deviation was in keeping the two diamond shaped windows that overlooked Buffalo Creek.

Now, on this Saturday night for the very first time since Gayle had finished her basement-remodeling project, the perfect studio was about to be used as it was meant to be. Microphones were set up in several corners of the room so one act could follow another seamlessly. People were sitting around tuning guitars and fiddles and adjusting their drums.

By the time Jennifer Copenhaver arrived to warm up the voices of her handpicked studio choir, even Sam Phillips wouldn't have known that he wasn't in Memphis.

****

"All right now," Jennifer said with five minutes to show time. "Everyone sounded great last night at the dress rehearsal and everyone will sound great tonight. Just remember that the trick to performing in front of an audience isn't to get rid of those butterflies in your stomach, but to get them all to fly in formation!"

When the old public speaking joke brought the intended laughter, Jennifer felt that her part of the show at least, would run smoothly.

Fischer's part was more complicated. After he was introduced, he pretty much had to orchestrate the rest of the show. He had written a script, which had sounded a little stiff to him last night, but the rest of the cast assured him it was fine.

In the control room, first night jitters were in full display as well. Jacob Blackman read his news like normal. But, Deanna Dee Matowski and Jennifer Hanson were present to oversee anything they might have forgotten in the run through. Jon Fredric, the normal Saturday night DJ was on his best behavior. In fact, all week he had been staying after the station went off the air, practicing up for this, the biggest production that VOA had attempted so far. Just to be sure, in the recording studio stood two other VOA employees ready to replace a faulty mike or to move a pesky cord.

All those present, cast and crew, seemed to look to one another for reassurance that everything was going to be okay when Jon flipped a switch starting up the VOA end of news sounder, held his hand up over his head and counted down, "Five, four, three, two . . . "

****

"Turn your radio on . . . " Jennifer held the note just a bit longer before she cued her choir to come in. "Turn your radio on. (Turn your radio on)."

Over the sound of the choir, Thomas Werner, another down-timer congregant who had been drafted due to his rich baritone voice, broke in, "Welcome to the first performance of
The Ole Timey Radio Hour
on Your Voice of America! And now, your host, the Reverend Dieter Fischer!"

As Jon cut back the microphones to the choir, Fischer introduced the various members of the cast that would be performing tonight. He closed out by introducing the next act, which played "Guitars Pickin', Fiddles Wailin'!"

When they broke for the first set of commercials, everyone looked relieved. With their confidence restored, they were all excited to begin again. Song after song went smoothly.

During the children's story segment in the second fifteen-minute block, one child decided that he'd rather play with the drums than sit and listen to the story. Deanna had to pick him up and stick a piece of candy in his mouth to keep him quiet. They had decided not to use a lot of scripted humor on this first show. It was too risky, but the other segues they put between acts worked as they were written.

After the local newsbreak at the bottom of the hour, Fischer announced the contest for a chance to perform live on the air. The first three contestants would be featured on the show right before Christmas with listeners' mail determining the winner. Finally it was time to perform the featured song of the night.

"Welcome back my friends," Fischer began again. "At some time in the future that was, a small congregation in Oberndorf, near Salzburg, heard a song that became the favorite Christmas season song for centuries to come. Tonight, join us as Jennifer Copenhaver performs what we believe is going to become your favorite song of this season accompanied only by her choir. Here then is 'Silent Night.'"

Jennifer began slowly singing the first verse of that old standby. By the time the choir joined in with the chorus, listeners all over were absolutely quiet. Most were hearing this remarkable composition for the very first time. By the final verse, in family rooms and public places all over the coverage area of VOA, you could hear voices joining in singing the chorus on their own.

When Jennifer finished up the last line, Fischer stepped up to the microphone, "Wouldn't you love to have a copy of that beautiful song for you and your family to share? That's the featured song of tonight's show and we'll send it to you. Free and without any postage costs either way, if you'll just write into us asking for Featured Song, Show One, Care of Voice of America, One Mountaineer Lane, Grantville, United States of Europe. It's our gift to you this special season."

After repeating the address and offer a second time, Fischer cued Jennifer and her choir to sing the closing song as he bade goodbye to the listeners.

****

Marc Kronzburg pushed the overlapping canvas flaps out of the way as he made his way into the Thuringen Gardens outside patio. Or formerly outside patio. The original patio had been outside. Now, a massive roof was supported by four thick stone walls that contained six oversized coal-fired fireplaces, which allowed it to be used during the harshest of winters. None of this had done anything to change the original name.

Spotting Irv Sonderman at his usual table near the outside bar, Marc made his way over to his quarry. "Happy Holidays, Irv! Got a minute?"

The manager of Thuringen Gardens gestured to a chair and continuing to deal with the lunch paperwork, replied, "Sure thing, Marc. "Edith! Would ya get Marc here a beer? Thanks."

Irv Sonderman had been a long haul truck driver before the Ring of Fire. Then, during the celebrations that initiated Thuringen Gardens, he found himself in the right place at the right time with a pocket full of cash and a tractor full of beer. Of the eleven founders, only Willie Ray Hudson, Irv, and a couple of others still were involved in the business.

Turning back to Marc as he set down his pencil, Irv crossed his forearms on the table, "So, what's the word, Marc? We gonna be able to do business or what?"

"Of course, we'll be doing business, Irv! I told you that." Marc beamed, "The Voice of America would be proud to have
Live from the Thuringen Gardens
on our air following
The Ole Timey Radio Hour
. It's just technicalities have to be worked out."

"Like money," Irv commented flatly. "I told you, Marc. You ain't getting into my till."

"But you've got to see our point, Irv. So far, our deal with the Pentecostals is close to doubling our revenue from that hour from the overage alone. I've already raised the rate on the spots that run during the show and I've still got a waiting list."

Marc held up his hands and shrugged his shoulders. "When I talked it over with Mr. Grover, he agreed. We only gave them that small of a percentage deal because they were a religious organization. We can't offer the same deal to you. If you want on, we need to make sure we get a comparable deal factoring in the commercial benefits to the Gardens."

Irv scowled and took another sip of his beer. "I don't see how it's worth it to the Gardens. We're already the biggest bar in town. Everyone already comes here. I just don't need the show all that much."

"True, but Tip has also been asking about the time and with the big hall he's built so close to the Deborah trolley stop, he's been pulling in more and more customers from Saalfeld and the workers from the river industrial park."

"Bah! Tip's is a Swedish hang out. They might as well paint the place yellow." A waitress came over and handed Irv a ticket. Irv stood up, craned his neck to look at the patron who was asking for the tab, and scribbled his okay on the paper.

This gave Mark the opportunity to change the subject. "Maybe not, Irv. Listen, why don't we deal with this after New Year's? Maybe we can work something out then.

"By the way . . . " Marc reached into his bag and pulled out the book he had borrowed from Irv last summer. "Here's that baseball book you loaned me. Great stuff.

"You were right, Irv. The statistics in baseball are unlike anything I've seen before. I did see one statistic you had circled that confused me a little though. Why did you circle the 226 sacrifice hits record?

"Oh, you mean the Yankee team record." Irv beamed. "That's the sole remaining record from a player that my granddad loved. Wally Pipp. He was traded from the Yankees to the Cincinnati Reds late in his career. He had been a great hitter, led the American League twice in home runs and was one of the original members of the Yankees infamous Murderers Row with 996 runs batted in for his career."