Person Results

Switch back to the old search page.Advanced Search

Showing 1 - 10 of 20Results Per Page: 10 20 50

James R. Murray

1841 - 1905 Person Name: J. R. M. Composer of "[Jesus, when he left the sky]" in Pure Delight L.P.M. (1905, April 12). Obituary. New Church Messenger, p.209. Murray.--At Cincinnati, March 10, 1905, James Ramsey Murray. Funeral services in the Church of the New Jersualem, March 13th. James R. Murray was widely known in the musical world as the author of many songs and song books, and in the New Church in Chicago and Cincinnati as an affectionate, intelligent, and loyal New Churchman. He was born in Andover (Ballard Vale), Mass., March 17, 1841. In early life he developed musical talent, and composed many minor pieces for local and special occasions. Later at North Reading, Mass., he attended Dr. George F. Root's School of Music, and was associated with William Bradbury and Dr. Lowell Mason. He enlisted in the Fourteenth Regiment of infantry, commonly known as the Essex County Regiment, and afterwards was changed to the First Regiment, Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, which was engaged in most of the battles fought by the Second Army Corps up to the surrender of General Lee. "Daisy Deane," the first and most popular of his early song successes, was composed in 1863 in Virginia while in camp, words by his cousin, Thomas F. Winthrop. This song is known all over the world, and the Salvation Army is using an arrangement of it for one of their war cry songs. In 1868 Mr. Murray married Isabella Maria Taylor of Andover; and they removed to Chicago. Here three children were born to them, two passing early to their heavenly home, the youngest, Winthrop Root Murray, is still living. It was during these first years in Chicago that Mr. and Mrs. Murray became interested in the New Church, while he was engaged with Root and Cady as editor of the Long Visitor, afterwards merged with the Musical Visitor. After the great fire of 1871 Mr. and Mrs. Murray returned East, where he was engaged in teaching in Lawrence and Andover, and as organist at the Old South Church in Andover. In 1881 they removed to Cincinnati and Mr. Murray became the editor of the Musical Viistor [sic] and head of the publication department of the John Church Company. Among the most popular of his books are "Pure Diamonds," "Royal Gems," "The Prize" and "Murray's Sacred Songs." The following titles will recall some of his best loved sacred songs: "At Last," "Calm on the Listening Ear of Night," "I Shall Be Satisfied," "There Shall No Evil Befall Thee," "Thine, O Lord, Is the Greatness," "The Way Was Mine," "How Beautiful Upon the Mountains," "Angels from the Realms of Glory." His last great labor in the publishing department of the John Church Company was the seeing through the press five volumes of Wagner's music dramas, with full score and original German text, and an English translation. The immense and careful labor involved in the preparation of these volumes, with a really smooth and excellent English translation, had perhaps, as it was done under pressure, something to do with Mr. Murray's breakdown. Although for some reason Mr. Murray's name does not appear on the title page of these volumes, his friends knew of the place the work held in his affections and ambition. Mr. Murray was a member of the Church Council of the Cincinnati Society for the last four years and took a deep interest in the building of the New Church, and in the inauguration of services, with all the changes looking to the improvement of the musical part of the service. The vested choir, organized by Mr. and Mrs. Lawson, which Mr. Murray as councilman had urged from the beginning, in their entrance to the church each Sunday singing the processional hymn participated in the funeral service, with a congregation of brethren and friends, all moved by deep love and profound respect for the consistent life and faith of a worthy Churchman and beloved friend. --DNAH Archives =================================== For a discussion of Murray and the tune MUELLER, see: Stulken, M.K. (1981). Hymnal companion to the Lutheran Book of Worship. Philadelphia : Fortress Press, p.170. =================================== Also available in the DNAH Archives: 1. An excerpt from Christie, George A. (1927). New Free Church. In Music in Andover. Papers read at "Fagot Party" of the Andover Natural History Society. 2. Unsourced essay about Murray written soon after his death, likely from Andover, Mass., perhaps authored by Charlotte Helen Abbott.

Chas. H. Gabriel

1856 - 1932 Person Name: Charles H. Gabriel Composer of "[Jesus, when He left the sky]" in Timeless Truths Pseudonyms: C. D. Emerson, Charlotte G. Homer, S. B. Jackson, A. W. Lawrence, Jennie Ree ============= For the first seventeen years of his life Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (b. Wilton, IA, 1856; d. Los Angeles, CA, 1932) lived on an Iowa farm, where friends and neighbors often gathered to sing. Gabriel accompanied them on the family reed organ he had taught himself to play. At the age of sixteen he began teaching singing in schools (following in his father's footsteps) and soon was acclaimed as a fine teacher and composer. He moved to California in 1887 and served as Sunday school music director at the Grace Methodist Church in San Francisco. After moving to Chicago in 1892, Gabriel edited numerous collections of anthems, cantatas, and a large number of songbooks for the Homer Rodeheaver, Hope, and E. O. Excell publishing companies. He composed hundreds of tunes and texts, at times using pseudonyms such as Charlotte G. Homer. The total number of his compositions is estimated at about seven thousand. Gabriel's gospel songs became widely circulated through the Billy Sunday-Homer Rodeheaver urban crusades. Bert Polman

John R. Sweney

1837 - 1899 Person Name: Jno. R. Sweney Composer of "[Jesus, when he left the sky]" in Junior Songs John R. Sweney (1837-1899) was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and exhibited musical abilities at an early age. At nineteen he was studying with a German music teacher, leading a choir and glee club, and performing at children’s entertainments. By twenty-two he was teaching at a school in Dover, Delaware. Soon thereafter, he was put in charge of the band of the Third Delaware Regiment of the Union Army for the duration of the Civil War. After the war, he became Professor of Music at the Pennsylvania Military Academy, and director of Sweney’s Cornet Band. He eventually earned Bachelor and Doctor of Music degrees at the Academy. Sweney began composing church music in 1871 and became well-known as a leader of large congregations. His appreciators stated “Sweney knows how to make a congregation sing” and “He had great power in arousing multitudes.” He also became director of music for a large Sunday school at the Bethany Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia of which John Wanamaker was superintendent (Wanamaker was the founder of the first major department store in Philadelphia). In addition to his prolific output of hymn melodies and other compositions, Sweney edited or co-edited about sixty song collections, many in collaboration with William J. Kirkpatrick. Sweney died on April 10, 1899, and his memorial was widely attended and included a eulogy by Wanamaker. Joe Hickerson from "Joe's Jottings #9" used by permission

Franz Xaver Schnyder von Wartensee

1786 - 1868 Person Name: Xavier Schnyder von Wartensee. (1786-1868) Composer of "HORTON" in Messages of Love Hymn Book

Anonymous

Person Name: Unknown Author of "Little Ones Like Me" in Special Radio Selections In some hymnals, the editors noted that a hymn's author is unknown to them, and so this artificial "person" entry is used to reflect that fact. Obviously, the hymns attributed to "Author Unknown" "Unknown" or "Anonymous" could have been written by many people over a span of many centuries.

J. H. Hall

1855 - 1941 Composer of "[Jesus, when He left the sky]" in Crowning Day No. 2 Jacob Henry Hall, 1855-1941 Born: January 2, 1855, near Harrisonburg, Virginia. Died: December 22, 1941. Buried: Dayton, Virginia. Son of farmer George G. Hall and Elizabeth Thomas Hall, Jacob attended singing schools taught by Timothy Funk when he was a boy. As his love of music progressed, he earned money by trapping quail and bought a German accordion; he soon learned to play one part while singing another. After he and his brother jointly purchased an organ, he taught himself to play hymn tunes, Gospel songs, and anthems. He went on to study music theory, harmony, and composition in Harrisonburg and elsewhere, and in 1877 attended a Normal Music School in New Market, Virginia, taught by Benjamin Unseld and P. J. Merges. Afterward, he partnered with H. T. Wartman for two years to conduct singing schools and conventions. In 1890, Hall attended Dana’s Musical Institute in Warren, Ohio, and a normal school run by George & F. W. Root at Silver Lake, New York. He later served as principal of the National Normal School of Music. Hall’s works include: Hall’s Songs of Home, 1885 The Star of Bethlehem (Dayton, Virginia: Ruebush-Kieffer Company) Musical Million (assistant editor) Spirit of Praise, with William Kirkpatrick & Charles Case (Dayton, Virginia: The Ruebush-Kieffer Company, 1911) Hall’s Quartettes for Men, 1912 Biography of Gospel Song and Hymn Writers/em> (New York: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1914) Sources-- Hall, pp. 329-34 Lyrics-- Glorious Morning Dawns, The O Thou Whose Matchless Power Controls --hymntime.com/tch

Friedrich Filitz

1804 - 1876 Composer of "CAPETOWN" in The Presbyterian Book of Praise Friedrich Filitz PhD Germany 1804-1876. Born at Arnstadt. Thuringia, he was a German composer and musicologist. He collected church music. He also studied philosophy. In 1833 he worked in Berlin as a music critic and at other employment. He was also a music historian. With Ludwig Erck, he published a collection of 15th & 17th Century chorales in 1845. He moved to Munich and published a chorale book in 1847. His legacy of vauable church music was donated to the Bavarian State Library, where it has made many forgotten works available once again. He died in Bonn, Germany. John Perry

Joseph Haydn

1732 - 1809 Person Name: Haydn Composer of "[Jesus, when he left the sky]" in Sacred Songs for Little Singers Franz Joseph Haydn (b. Rohrau, Austria, 1732; d. Vienna, Austria, 1809) Haydn's life was relatively uneventful, but his artistic legacy was truly astounding. He began his musical career as a choirboy in St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna, spent some years in that city making a precarious living as a music teacher and composer, and then served as music director for the Esterhazy family from 1761 to 1790. Haydn became a most productive and widely respected composer of symphonies, chamber music, and piano sonatas. In his retirement years he took two extended tours to England, which resulted in his "London" symphonies and (because of G. F. Handel's influence) in oratorios. Haydn's church music includes six great Masses and a few original hymn tunes. Hymnal editors have also arranged hymn tunes from various themes in Haydn's music. Bert Polman

W. T. Giffe

1848 - 1926 Person Name: W. T. G. Composer of "[Jesus, when he left the sky]" in Glory Bells Born: June 28, 1848, Portland, Indiana. Died: July 13, 1926, Seattle, Washington. Buried: Mount Hope Cemetery, Logansport, Indiana. Giffe grew up in College Corners, Indiana (near Portland), and served in the Army during the closing days of the American civil war. After the war, he attended Liber College, and studied law for two years. While in college, he was a member of the college glee club, and took lessons in the college singing school. Later, he studied with teachers such as J. W. Suffern, George Root, Luther Emerson, Horatio Palmer, and Henry Perkins. Giffe had a fine baritone voice, and was in demand as a concert singer. He soon became popular as a chorus director and convention conductor. His first book for singing schools was New Favorite, which sold thousands of copies. The Oliver Ditson Company of Boston, Massachusetts, published many of his early works, but Giffe went on to form his own publishing house, the Home Music Company, in Logansport, Indiana. He also edited the Home Music Journal for several years. Later, Giffe became supervisor of music in the public schools in his home town. And he was one of three men selected to deliver an address in Logansport, Indiana, at the memorial services for assassinated president William McKinley. Giffe and his wife Nancy had no children. His works include: The Brilliant, 1874 Crown of Gold, with Frank Davis (Logansport, Indiana: Home Music Company, 1892) The New Deal, with Louis Eichhorn (Logansport, Indiana: Home Music Company, 1898) A Practical Course in Harmony and Musical Composition --www.hymntime.com/tch

Asa Hull

1828 - 1907 Composer of "[Jesus, when He left the sky]" in The Gem of Gems Asa Hull USA 1828-1907. Born in Keene, NY, he became a music publisher in New York City. He married Emma F Atherton, and they had a daughter, Harriett. He wrote many tunes and authored temperance rallying songs. He published 33 works, of which 21 were songbooks, between 1863-1895. He died in Philadelphia, PA. John Perry