Pre-1910

Choirs
     no names known

Small groups
     Philomathian Quartette (1898?)
     Quartet (1899)
     Alexandrian Quartette (1899)
     Intercollegiate Prohibition League Quartette (1909)
     others unknown

Directors
     Adelaide L. Beers, Vocal Music.
     Otelia Rustad, Instrumental Music.

Notes

From its first year, Seattle Pacific has had a chorus as part of the curriculum. This is noted in the earliest yearbook still known to exist- "The Olympiad" from 1909. The first full year of classes started in the fall of 1893 offering studies to elementary and secondary students. At this time, the school was known as "Seattle Seminary". The first college courses were not offered until 1910-1911. The first vocal music instructor during these years (1893-1910) was Adelaide L. Beers, the wife of the institution's first president. Mrs. Beers seems to have taught a chorus during these years but occasionally took leave due to illness (as mentioned in the 1909 yearbook). One must assume that the instrumental teacher, Miss Otelia Rustad, taught the chorus in her place. Later yearbooks credit Mrs. Beers as vocal music instructor throughout the early teens, too. No specific information is available for the 1909-1910 school year.

The images here are the earliest known photographs of any vocal group at the Seminary. The first, from about 1898, is the Philomathian Quartette. On the far right is Joseph Peterson, a son of one of the school's founders, Nils Peterson. Nils Peterson donated the land for the school and assisted in writing the charter for the school. Peterson Hall is named after him. The others in the photo have not been identified.

The second image is a quartet from 1899 and again features Joseph Peterson, on the far right. Also in the photo, second from the left, is Henry Peterson, another of the Peterson children. On the far left is Charles McKinley, another significant figure in the school's history. McKinley Hall is named after him. Second from the right is William Cathey, later to become the director of the Seminary Chorus, the first chorus with college level students. An interesting feature of this photo is its location. Looking west towards Alexander Hall, the photographer was standing approximately at a place which is now in front of the current music building near the loop driveway. McKinley Hall is yet to be built and the trees are young in the photo. A new image would show how large the trees have become and much construction over the years.

The next photo is from 1899, is the Alexandrian Quartette, taken on June 3, 1899. The two Peterson boys are in this group as well. The photograph was taken by S. S. Ross. The neighborhood in which the campus is located was once known as Ross.

The last image of singers, from 1909, features a quartette representing the Prohibition League, a very active group on campus during the early 20th century.

The bottom photo is of the original men's dorm, taken in 1901. The significance of this photo is that after being a dormatory, this building was the home of the music department.