According to the typed sheet in the back of the secondo score, the Blue and Gold March was an original composition written by a Third Year Arts student, Mr. Charles Koester. It was accepted and named "The Blue and Gold March of Brandon College" by President J.R.C. Evans in April 1948.
The piece was the result of many years of work. The melody first entered Koester's thoughts during the war when he was an RCAF Flight Lieutenant in North Africa. It was first played as a piano duet by Miss Zen Koester and Mr. Gordon Sefton at regular Chapel service. In his remarks at the occassion, Charles Koester acknowledge the assistance he received from Zen Koester, Gordon Sefton and Professor E. Savage in arranging the music.
Charles Henry Koester attended Brandon College ca. 1911-1916 and served in Wold War I.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of the original score of the Blue and Gold March of Brandon College written by Charles H. Koester and arranged by Elizabeth Z. Koester and Charles H. Koester. Written as a piano duet, there is sheet music for the primo and secondo parts. At the back of the secondo score, there is a brief history of the March and a copy of "Hail Our College" (music and lyrics). Fonds also includes the sheet music for the B flat saxophone part of the march.
Notes
Description by Christy Henry, with help from Donna Lowe (2007).
Accruals
The Faculty of Music is planning to record the March and donate a copy of the recording to the Archives.
Repro Restriction
While technically copyright remains with Charles Koester, it is clear that he wrote this music for use by Brandon College. Individuals or organizations other than Brandon College or Brandon University are limited by the copyright provisions affecting this composition.
Storage Location
MG 2 Brandon College Students
2.17 Charles H. Koester
Margaret Menzies was born on July 30th, 1920, at a family farm located in Oakburn, Manitoba. She grew up on the family farm and attended school in both Oakburn and Shoal Lake. She married Donald Menzies on June 4th, 1941. Together they had four children. In 1959, the family moved to Brandon, Manitoba, where they lived for the rest of their lives.
Margaret Menzies was a longtime and active member of the International Toastmistress Club (ITC), and was also involved in the Consumers Association of Canada, Seniors for Seniors, as well as being a member of the Liberal Party of Canada and the Central United Church. Menzies did not graduate from high school in her early years, but managed to continue her education and receive a bachelor of arts degree from Brandon University at the age of 70.
Margaret Menzies passed away on June 9th, 2012.
Custodial History
Records in the collection were brought to the S.J McKee Archives on July 13, 2012, by Gerald Brown, on behalf of the family of Margaret Menzies.
Scope and Content
Collection contains of two scrapbooks created by Margaret Menzies. The scrapbooks contain various cards, itinerary's, and other documents associated with Menzies' membership in the International Toastmistress Club. The items in the scrapbooks date from the mid 1980's to the late 1990's.
Also included in the collection are four local history books. The first is a 100 year history of the town of Oakburn, Manitoba, from 1870 to 1970, published during celebrations of Manitoba's centenniary in 1970. Next is a book about the history of the town of Shoal Lake, Manitoba, which was published in 1959 on the 50th anniversary of the founding of the town of Shoal Lake in 1909. The last two books are the first and second volumes of Ripples on the Lake, which cover the history of the Shoal Lake municipality from 1884. The first volume covers the first 100 years of the history of the Shoal Lake region, being published in 1984. The second volume was published in 2007, covering the history of Shoal Lake since 1984, as well as including new information that was not published in the 1984 version of the book.
Finally, the collection contains one photograph of Margaret Menzies receiving her bachelor of arts degree from Peter Hordern, dean of arts of Brandon University.
Notes
Biographical information provided by obituary entry in the Brandon Sun, June 16, 2012. Description by Tyler Warren (October 2012).
