The Rainbow Orchestra

It was the small child balanced precariously on a chair that sold it. Otherwise it was just an unremarkable postcard of a man and woman standing behind ten young kids seated with band instruments. But the child holding a baton added a lighthearted quality that made it a better photograph. Were they a school band? A church ensemble? A musical family? Their ages from around 6 to 20 years seemed too broad for a school. They clearly were not British, or American, or even French as the helpful caption was written in an unfamiliar language. Who were they?

Māc. V. Fetlera gimenes orkestris
„VARAVĪKSNE”

The language turns out to be Latvian. The translation in English reads:

Pastor (mācītājs) V. Fetlera family orchestra
"RAINBOW"

Ten children makes quite an impressive family band! Postcards of musical groups from Eastern Europe are not common. What year could this be? 1950s? 1930s?

A second photo postcard shows the same group but this time the caption is in a different language - Swedish.

Familjen Fetlers "Regnbågen" - orkester.

Now the Rainbow Orchestra has 12 children! All lined up neatly by height, Pastor Fetler and his wife stand proudly just behind them. Their instruments and dress now suggest 1930s. Are they from Latvia or Sweden?

The next postcard shows the line reversed this time and the shortest boy is on the right. They wear matching outfits but have no instruments. A small portrait of the pastor and his wife is inset in the corner. The caption is now in English.

The Rainbow Family Orchestra of Riga
(Pastor and Mrs. William Fetler's Children)

Are they Latvian, Swedish, English, or American?

The second boy from the right in the last photo is Jacky Fetler. He had his own solo postcard as the "Bandmaster" of the Rainbow Family Orchestra, Riga. He wears a pair of Bavarian style lederhosen and looks to be about age 8.

The Rainbow orchestra are now 13 children! The ten boys and three girls are seated in this next postcard which has the title:

The Fetlers Family Band of Riga, Latvia
Thirteen Children of Rev. & Mrs. Vaseely Andreyevich Fetler-Malof

They wear black shirts and white ties in a sophisticated fashion that seems less European than the earlier photos. There is a reason for that, as they are very far from Riga now.

Reverend William Fetler was born in 1885 in Talsi, Courland, as this part of Latvia was then known. His father was a pastor of a Baptist church and William took up the calling too. He went to London to study theology and graduated in 1907 from Spurgeon’s Pastors’ College.

The religious history of Eastern Europe is far too complicated to describe here, but suffice it to say that the people of the Baltic nations were destined by geography to be entangled in the long struggle between empires and the Lutheran, Roman Catholic, and Russian Orthodox faiths. Evangelic Baptists did not find favor with any of these dominant religions, and were consequently subject to discrimination, limitations on property rights,  and sometimes very harsh treatment for their beliefs.

When he returned to Riga, Latvia, Fetler ran afoul of the Russian Orthodox church for his charismatic Christian zeal, so the Tzarist government banished him from the country in 1914. He narrowly escaped from being exiled to Siberia, and instead emigrated to America, living in New York and Philadelphia during the war years where he helped establish a Missionary Aid Society for the Russian community. After the war, he and his family returned to Latvia and in 1923 he took over the Golgotha Baptist Church in Riga and each Sunday preached three services to Latvian, Russian, and German congregations.

Around 1933 he also began to include his talented children as a musical ensemble for his evangelical services. When the politics of the new government of Latvia became too authoritarian, the Fetler family moved to Sweden where they discovered that they could make money with concerts of a family band. The children already knew several languages, so they put together a show of songs and instrumental music that toured Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Holland, Germany, and Switzerland. In 1938 they found themselves in Munich, Germany where Pastor Fetler picked up on the ominous signs of the Nazi programs and decided it was time to leave.

They boarded a ship in Copenhagen and sailed for America.

On the back of this postcard the children had their signatures printed.

• Jacky
• Paul
• John
• Philip
• Elisabeth
• Andrew
• Peter
• David
• Mary
• Lydia
• Timothy
• Daniel
• Joseph

and their parents:

• Barbara Fetler
• William Fetler. 

You will also note that they now make their home in Evanston, Illinois.

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The Gettysburg, PA Times - July 20, 1939

In July 1939, the Fetler family arrived in New York. Pastor Fetler had arranged for them to attend the International Baptist World Alliance convention in Atlanta. They came with 80 pieces of luggage and needed two seven-passenger cars to travel south to Gerogia. A family band like this had a great advantage for promotion, and their appearance was featured in newspapers across the country. Even Time magazine had an article on the Fetler band in Atlanta.

In this last postcard, the Fetler children are once again lined up by height, but with new hair styles and matching open neck shirts that make them look very modern Americans. Their band instruments are no longer European but are distinctly American made designs, like the trumpet, melophone, euphonium, and tuba.

After the Baptist convention in Atlanta, William Fetler and his Rainbow family stayed in America. They started their concert tours again, often providing music to their father's lecture/sermons. One appearance in the November 2, 1939 edition of the Danville, VA The Bee included the same photo of young Jacky Fetler and a detailed program.

Russian folk songs, religious anthems, folk songs of several European countries - the group has made its home in 12 different countries and speaks seven languages and a talk by Rev. Fetler on "The Revolution and Religion in Russia" constitute their unique program.

Little James (Jacky) Fetler, eight year-old bandmaster, will lead the orchestra in several numbers. The 12 children - instruments include Daniel - 24, trumpet; Timothy - 23, clarinet; Lydla -22, cornet; Paul - 19, trombone; John - 17, second trombone; Philip - 16, bass horn; Elizabeth - 15, altohorn;  Andrew - 14, baritone horn; David - 12, cornet; Peter - 9, drums; James (Jacky) - 8, bandmaster; and Joseph - 5, the cymbals.

Opening with a Latvian march conducted by Jacky, this program will continue with "The Twelve Robbers"; an old Russian cloister song; "Concerto In B Flat Major"; a clarinet solo; the ever popular "Russian Volga Song"; "Ey Uchnyem"; Richard Wagner's "The Pilgrim's Chorus" from "Tannhauser" arranged by Daniel.

"Jamshtshlk", Rusian coachman's song will be followed by "Bethlehem", a Czech song featuring trombone solo by Paul; a spiritual "I Ain't a'Gonna Grieve My Lord Any More"; the Gospel according to St. John 3:16 in thirteen languages; "The Rainbow March" composed by Paul; "Mein Herzchen soll Seln, Wie Die Lilie so Rein, German nursery song; and "They Come From the East and West".

Dunkirk NY Evening Observer - July 20, 1939

During that summer of 1939, some newspaper editors even added the Fetler family photo to the front page in an effort to let a small light shine through the dark clouds of impending war. Only one month later on September 1, 1939, the German army invaded Poland and lives everywhere were changed forever.

Pastor Fetler and his family band performed at churches around America until at least 1944, but like every family, their aspirations and priorities changed. In 1941 the Soviet Union assimilated the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, so they could not return to Riga. Instead, the Fetler family made America their new home. Latvia would not regain full independence until 1991 with the fall of the Soviet Union.

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I have found several sources for research on the Fetler family history, but I would like to cite three as very important to this story. One was a memoir of Robert Tarziers who considered Fetler to be his mentor. Robert Tarziers had quite an exciting life too, and I recommend the Tarziers family website for those who like exciting family history.

Lydia Fetler, who was the third oldest of the thirteen Fetler children, died in 2008 at age 91. The Washington Post carried a beautiful obituary and tribute to her life, and it is still available online and includes a reprint of the second postcard.

The Metropolitan, an arts journal for the Rochester NY Arts & Cultural Council, published an article in the Fall of 2010 (page 13) on David Fetler, who went on to study music at Julliard and the Eastman School of Music, and become a successful conductor and composer. He now lives in the Rochester area. The article reprinted an image of the first postcard.

David Fetler was the little boy standing on the chair.

This is my contribution to Sepia Saturday
where Amazons stand guard this weekend.