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Irene was sitting on the bench at the organ of the First Lutheran Church in probably 1961 when I first heard her play. At that time First Lutheran was just down the hill from Church Corner -- Third East and Camp Street. I just happened to enter the church that afternoon? Or was it because someone told me she’d be there? She was practicing but took a break to visit with me. I asked if she could play the organ solo from the Del Shannon hit “Runaway.” No problem for this 12 year-old musician. I was impressed.
Then there was the student talent show in our senior year at Memorial High in 1967. Among the highlights was Irene at the Washington Auditorium grand piano performing a medley of songs from the recently released Beatles album “Revolver” -- a medley she had arranged. She, 131 other members of the Class of 67, and I marched across that stage a few weeks later.
Irene enrolled at Gustavus Adolphus College and studied and practiced music. And practiced some more. From St. Peter she took her solid skills to New York City where she began playing and singing in the Big Apple. As a ‘67 grad of EHS, she returned for our 10-year reunion and wowed her classmates with her keyboard skills. In 1980 I was in NYC on business and was able to attend one of her gigs at the Grand Finale, an upscale nightclub in Manhattan.
“Begin with You,” on her albums, “The Blue Period,” was professionally recorded there and can be heard on many online music services today. It was cool to see my prom date on the big time stage. Not only did she play in the Big Town, she also played in Las Vegas, Sweden and on Holland America cruise ships.
After sharing her music away for decades, Irene returned to our hometown in 2002 and has been deeply active in the Ely music scene since. She’s played solo and group gigs at various venues, accompanied others, graced church services with her flawless play, and played and sung with the Mesabi Symphony Orchestra. She has been the music director on local productions.
Last summer four of us joined the crowd and enjoyed her solo concert at the Lake Vermilion Cultural Center in Tower (to which she will be returning on June 21). The concert featured her voice and keyboard virtuosity. I loved her arrangement of “Yellow Brick Road.”
In 2014 my mother died. Irene warmly accepted our family’s request that she play the organ and piano for Mom’s service, which was especially meaningful to Irene since her own mother had passed recently. One of Mom’s vocal students, Frank Levar, returned from Boston to sing to Irene’s accompaniment. Together they performed “Panis Angelicus” with Irene at the organ. Later in the service they moved to the piano and soothed us with “Come To Jesus.” Our family remains grateful. We know Mom heard them.
These days Irene stays musically active and contributory. She’ll be one of a number of Iron Range vocalists in Mesabi Orchestra’s “North of Broadway” concert later this month and, of course, handle keyboard duties.
Recognizing Irene’s years of music contributions to the city, the Ely Music and Drama Club awarded this year’s Community Service to the Arts Award to Irene Hartfield.
Well deserved, my friend. PS: After hearing Irene’s concert, the only noble thing I could do was go home and burn my piano.
Doug Luthanen grew up in Ely and graduated from Memorial High School in 1967. He wrote a weekly viewpoint column for the Northwest Arkansas Times for four years and is an occasional contributor to The Ely Echo.
