February's episode of Wish You Were Here with Eliza Blue takes viewers to snowy, scenic St. Peter-on-the-Prairie, a non-profit community center located outside Madison, South Dakota.
The St. Peter Lutheran Church Congregation was formed in Orland, South Dakota in 1884. The stone church was built in 1948 after the congregation outgrew the original wooden building. Stones were brought to the church through a stone-hauling bee with local farm families transporting the stones from their fields.
Over the years neighbors gathered at St. Peter to celebrate their faith, but the loss of farms surrounding St. Peter eventually took its toll and the remaining members decided to close in 2016. They evolved into the nonprofit organization St. Peter on the Prairie in 2017 to carry on the church’s legacy by preserving the buildings and grounds and providing a welcoming place for all to gather in a beautiful rural place.
For this episode, Eliza will be hosting the JAS Quintet, a five-piece instrumental group that specializes in original jazz music. They will be sharing some of their own winter-themed compositions, as well as backing Eliza, including on a song by the legendary folk musician Gordon Bok. Band members Jim Spiers and Andrew Reinartz will also share about their work with the grassroots organization, Arts South Dakota.
Wish You Were Here with Eliza Blue airs Thursday, February 9th at 8:30 p.m. (7:30MT) on SDPB TV-1 and streaming at SDPB.org, Facebook, and YouTube.