They disagreed. Some took the position that Jesus was “begotten” of God the Father from his own being and therefore had no beginning. Others believed that Jesus was created out of nothing, therefore having a beginning. They couldn’t agree when Easter was to be celebrated. They couldn’t even agree how to run the church. And…
Author: Gail Masinda
Yep, that's me. Faith, family, music, history and gardening pretty much sums me up.
“Every Time I Feel the Spirit”
It is not always possible to find the story behind a song. Songs classified as African-American spirituals, like this one, were typically created by slaves living in the southern United States in the pre-Civil War era. The tunes and words were passed down for generations before even being written. If we try to guess what…
Masinda
I am married but I use my maiden name. Why? Because years ago I promised my father I would. When I was writing for Sheet Music Magazine, I received a lot of reader write-in mail, all with music related comments or questions……except for one. It was addressed to me, marked ‘Personal’. The letter writer introduced…
Bunte Blätter, Opus 99, by Robert Schumann
Between 1838 to 1841, German composer Robert Schumann wrote the fourteen piano pieces which later became collectively known as Opus 99, Bunte Blätter (Colorful Leaves). It is an unusual collection, consisting of Stücklein III (Three Small Pieces), five untitled Albumblätter (Album Leaves), and six individual piano pieces. Schumann was first a composer for solo piano. …
“Brethren, We Have Met to Worship”
Brethren, We Have Met To Worship is one of the oldest published American folk hymns. George Atkins wrote the lyrics and first published them in 1819. The traditional tune, HOLY MANNA, is a pentatonic (5 tone) melody in Ionian mode originally published by William Moore in 1829. Brethren, we have met to worship And adore…
Music Plate Engraving
Maybe you selected a song to learn, purchased it, and have spent hours looking at it while practicing. Maybe you found some old pieces of sheet music in a piano bench. Have you ever give stopped to think how that page of music was printed? There were — and still are — multiple ways to…
“Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”
The eyes are the windows to the soul. Do you believe it? I do. I remember the first wonderful eye contact with my children, the bonding, the joy, the somehow instantly knowing this little person. My focus was entirely on the baby. At that moment, nothing else existed. I remember the last eye contact with…
Making Music with My Friends
2013-14 was the first year for a music program at the school where I teach general music and choir to middle and high school students. Our spring concert was last night, and I am incredibly proud of the great progress made by these students in just one year. They performed the music wonderfully, stood tall,…
“O God, Beyond All Praising” (THAXTED)
It was during the turmoil of World War I that English composer Gustav Holst completed The Planets, arguably one of the most popular orchestral suites ever written. The suite has seven movements, each named for a planet. While experiencing the complete suite is certainly ideal, movements are sometimes performed individually. In the case of…
It’s Showtime!
Sometimes, all roads lead to Rome. For me, all roads led to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Many years ago, I was the editor of a journal for the International Association of Organ Teachers. IAOT was having their annual convention in Valley Forge in tandem with a Home Organists Adventure, produced by Bill Worrall. A month or…
The Story of Laurens Hammond
e Book: Biography What is the connection between an electric clock that doesn’t tick, a device to watch a movie in 3-D, a card table that shuffles the cards for you, and a musical instrument? Learn the true story of the mischievous boy who followed his dream to become an “independent inventor” with over 100…
A day in Hammond Organ history
When U.S. Patent 1,956,350 was issued to Laurens Hammond on April 24, 1934, for an “electrical musical instrument,” the world of music changed forever. My first organ was a Hammond. My Aunt Vina, my school, my church and just about everyone else I knew who had an organ, had a Hammond organ. Do you know…
Gail Masinda (History Heights & Maestro Heights) 