Finding Aid for From the Hearts of Men Video Production Records, 1974-1976 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Title: From the Hearts of Men Video Production Records, 1974-1976

ID: 12/9/145

Primary Creator: Blue, Harold (1937-)

Other Creators: Begian, Harry (1921-2010), Volkers, Karl (1940-), Warfield, William Caesar (1920-2002)

Extent: 0.25 cubic feet

Arrangement: Materials are organized in five folders: 1. Audio-visual materials; 2. Program materials: Shooting Scores and Sheet Music; 3. Program Materials: Production Notes; 4. Correspondence; 5. Financial Materials and Notes.

Date Acquired: 10/19/2015

Subjects: Band Concerts, Begian, Harry, Bicentennial, United States, Films, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Television Station - WILL, United States -- History and Geography

Formats/Genres: Audio-Visual Material, Financial Records, Motion Pictures/Videotapes

Languages: English

Consists of audio-visual recordings, sheet music, shooting scores, production notes, correspondence, budget records, brochures, and advertisements associated with Darrell Blue's production and performance of "From the Hearts of Men," a bicentennial salute to America's patriotic band music and composers, which was performed by the University of Illinois Symphonic Band under the direction of University Bands Director, Harry Begian,with narration provided by William Warfield.

In the year leading up to United States' Bicentennial, the University's Office of the President commissioned WCIA-TV to produce a patriotic musical broadcast, celebrating the country's establishment. While the music would be chosen and conducted by Harry Begian, the University contacted Darell Blue to produce the broadcast. Blue had experience producing remote telecasts and, at the time, led the University of Illinois' WILL-TV station.

The program, which was called "From the Hearts of Men," was produced in the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts under the direction of Darrell Blue, Harry Begian, and Karl Volkers, who was the resident audio engineer at the University's School of Music. While the original production plan called for recording both the video and audio together in Krannert's Foelinger Great Hall, it was determined that the the video footage should be recorded in Krannert's Colwell Playhouse. As a result, Blue and Volker convinced Begian to pre-record the audio in the Great Hall, and then videotape the band's performance without audio in the Playhouse. Both audio and video tracks were recorded in two days before the start of the final examination period of the Spring 1976 semester.

Although the original concept for this broadcast included only music selections by John Philip Sousa music, Begian suggested the performance should include other American composers' music. Begian's final program included the following music selections: Mortin Gould's American Salute, David Wallis Reeves' Second Connecticut Regiment March, Jerry Belkirk's Civil War Fantasy, Karl King's A Night in June, John Philip Sousa's Semper Fidelis and The Stars and Stripes Forever; and Katherine Lee Bates' America the Beautiful. William Warfield, who served on the University's voice faculty, served as the narrator for this performance and the Symphonic Band performed the music.

Following the final edit of the program, the University's Office of the President offered copies of this special Bicentennial program to TV stations around the country, and eventually broadcast by more than 250 television stations across the country as well as the Armed Forces Network.

Harold "Darrell" Blue (1937- ) was born in Decatur, Illinois. He graduated from the University of Illinois with two bachelors degrees in journalism and radio/television communications in 1961 and a masters degree in radio/television communications in 1967. Blue joined the staff of WILL TV in 1961. He married Jeffrey Ellen Farlow in 1959. He was amongst the first journalists to cover the US-USSR exchange program's Russian national gymnastics team's seven-city exhibition, which came to the University of Illinois on January 18, 1961. Soon after this, he began working with WCIA-TV in Champaign, IL. Here he produced programs like "Facts and Fun with Darrell Blue."

In 1976, he oversaw the production of the From the Hearts of Men bicentennial salute to America's windbands, featuring Harry Begian and the University of Illinois Bands in the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. After leaving Illinois, he joined a TV station in Spokane, Washington. From the early 1980s to his retirement in 2009, Blue served as Vice President and General Manager of two television stations in Yakima and Kennewick, Washington. Blue has been a member of the Yakima Rotary Club since 1987, serving as its president from 2004-2005. He has also served on the boards of the Memorial Hospital Foundation, The Cpitol Theatre, The Yakima Symphony, The United Way, and the Yakima County Development Association. Blue is a life member of the University of Illinois Alumni Association.

Band Concerts
Begian, Harry
Bicentennial, United States
Films
Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
Television Station - WILL
United States -- History and Geography

Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Acquisition Source: Darrell Blue

Acquisition Method: Gift