The sixth Moravian Music Festival was “subtitled” Ohio Moravian Music Festival, for it was held in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, June 22-25, 1961. Moravian music truly was “on the move” for this Festival, not only because this was the first Festival held outside of Bethlehem or Winston-Salem, but even more so because the Festival concerts were held in different locations – at the High School in Dover; at Sharon Moravian Church, near Tuscarawas; at Heckewelder Memorial Moravian Church in Gnadenhutten; and at Schoenbrunn State Park in Schoenbrunn. Assisting the musicians from the choirs and bands of the Ohio Moravian Churches were members of the Moravian Band from Winston-Salem; the Tuscarawas County Philharmonic Orchestra, and others, directed by Austin E. Burke, Jr. Concerts included …
- Thursday, June 22, at the High School in Dover, with music by Peter, Riepel, Latrobe, Haydn, Mozart, and Meder;
- Friday, June 23, at Sharon Moravian Church, with music by Antes, Dencke, Müller, Michael, Wranitzky, Bechler, and Herbst;
- Saturday, June 24, at Heckewelder Memorial Moravian in Gnadenhutten, with music by Pleyel, Dencke, Müller, Miachel, J. C. Bach, Bechler, Herbst, and Peter;
- Sunday, June 25, at Schoenbrunn State Park, with music by Hovhaness, Antes, Grimm, Vaughan Williams, Bechler, Peter, E. W. Leinbach, Müller, along with hymns for congregational singing.
This Festival had a lively committee, with Co-Chairs the Rev. Richard E. Michel and Tom R. Scheffer; Rev. Wilfred W. Harke, Executive Secretary; William Drumm, Secretary-Treasurer; Barbara Fuerst, Registrar and Office Secretary; a Finance Committee chaired by Tom Scheffer; a Publicity Committee chaired by Rev. Gordon Stoltz; a Housing Committee chaired by Rev. John Morman; and a number of other committees – of critical importance, of course, was the Transportation Committee chaired by Florence Gray!
