Saturday, July 5, 2014
I am Hellmut's oldest son. Thank you for your kind tributes. Another thing that should be recognized was Dad's love of music, which I share. Though not religious, he recognized the beauty of great music, and could not help joining in with his superior tenor voice, during his semiannual visits to church in Yorkton. Everyone would turn around and look - and the priest. Dad would listen to classical music on CBC on Sundays in Yorkton. There, he was leader of the Barbershoppers (SPEBSQSA). His parents had him educated in violin, and he gave recitals in rural Saskatchewan. He later took voice training at the time he went to University. My grandparents were among the last of the "old people", as those who grew up before WW1 in the old Austro-Hungarian Empire were known; they helped impart to him a love of fine music. In those days, it was what is broadly called classical music. Go on to YouTube, and listen to Richard Tauber singing in German - as he could - that was the caliber of his voice.
