Hanson and his sisters were invited to entertain the gathering as a family band, sounding off instruments from the trombone to alto and tenor saxophones.
Shirley Sorensen was asked to warble gospel music with her four songbird sisters. The five girls had been singing hymns Saturday mornings on a hometown religious radio show and were, by then, seasoned performers.
A half-century later, music - from planned duets to melodies hummed back and forth in the quiet moments of the night - remains the sturdy backbone of their marriage.
But for the last eight years, it's been a good deal more organized.
Eldon and Shirley Hanson play music in a brass and woodwind band, along with three other members, called The A-Tones - “as in atonement,” according to Shirley.
And what began as a joyful belting of liturgical music at Missoula's Atonement Lutheran Church has now branched out to include performances in retirement homes and on center stage at life's landmark occasions, such as weddings and birthdays.
Shirley Hanson remembered back to that Saturday afternoon in the 1950s, when she and her four sisters auditioned for a local radio show in the front yard of her Sidney home.
“There was a new pastor in town who wanted to start a religious radio show for kids. He saw us playing out front, and asked if we could sing,” said Hanson. “We auditioned with ‘Jesus Loves Me' and were invited to perform Saturdays, live on KGCX radio in Sidney.”
From fifth grade on, she also played in a band and learned to master everything from the baritone to the French horn to the piano, even dabbling in a bit of accordion music along the way.
“I took lessons from a little Italian man in Sidney,” she said. “But I mostly chorded on it and was self-taught.”
Meanwhile, Eldon Hanson was busy practicing music with his own sisters. His father encouraged the burgeoning musical talent of his offspring, and enjoyed listening to the four of them play.
One day, the choice became a simple tossup between sports and music.
“Dad asked me if I was going to want to play basketball, and I told him I was thinking about it. He said that even if I got to play in high school, rather than sit on the bench, once school was over, that would probably be it for sports. But if I chose music, it would last a lifetime,” Hanson said. “When put that way, I guess it was an easy choice.”
These days, the Hansons play gospel, ragtime and Dixieland in venues from choir lofts to festival grounds and backyards as part of the A-Tones. The A-Tones, whose members also include local farrier Glen Johnshoy on tuba, and Dianne and Grant Thrailkill on clarinet and trumpet, say they love entertaining.
Glen Johnshoy has been playing with the A-Tones from the start. Unlike the Hansons, who never stopped playing music, he hadn't taken his tuba out of its case for some 35 years before the band formed.
“Then I had a midlife crisis, and it was either the tuba or skydiving.”
“And he didn't bounce,” chimed in Atonement pastor Mitch Jones.
Jones said the A-Tones are part of a musical rotation of groups scheduled for Sunday services.
“People just love their music. It's very uplifting, and they're neat people too,” he said. “People walk out of service a little lighter in step.”
The Hansons love all kinds of music, from the '20s, '30s, '40s and even the '50s. But ragtime excites them most, they said, as they leafed through a notebook brimming with more than 100 songs and arrangements.
“Oh, let's see, we play songs like ‘Darktown Strutter's Ball,' ” said Eldon, turning a page.
“I love playing nursing homes because these are the songs they don't hear anymore and they tap their feet right along with it,” Shirley said.
Eldon bobbed his head in agreement.
“They sit in their wheelchairs, and they'll be rocking forwards and back,” he said.
“They're the best audience to play for, really,” she agreed.
There isn't much the pair have disagreed on over the course of five decades. This past summer, they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in front of a gathering of 100 people, and played music.
“It just makes us feel good inside,” she said. “I always say that I'll enjoy playing all of it until I can't. Then I hope someone will want to play for me.”
Reporter Lori Grannis can be reached at 523-5251 or lori.grannis@lee.net.
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Chris wrote on Oct 24, 2008 11:27 AM: