Religious Music and Recordings (Cylinders)

[Victrolacollector]

This is an area we really do not see alot of information on. I have a few religious recordings in my collection including The Hymns of Fannie Crosby set (2 cylinders).

What is your take on these types of recordings? Interest and Value?

[Victrolacollector]

I will be the first to respond. Here is my take on this subject of religious cylinder recordings:

I think they were very popular as the most preferred type of music in the early 20th Century, the period in which these machines were prominent. Today, the attitudes toward religion and religious music are different than lets say 100 years ago. I think these early recordings justified the machines being allowed into the home. In those early years, many religious people did not agree with or accept comedy, jazz, rags and other type of "sinful" music.

Today, we probably find more interest in the least acceptable music of the early 20th century, this can be attributed to the perceived declining interest in religion in this country and abroad.

Those early 2 minute songs such as When the Roll is called up Yonder and Just as I am do not attract buyers today as well as a copy of "Alexander's Ragtime Band" or "Stars and Stripes", and the same appears to hold true with Blue Amberols.

I think these religious recordings hold a place in our history and the history of recorded sound. The recordings of the Edison Quartet, Rev. Madison Peters and others give us a glimpse into the lives of people at the turn of the century.

[gramophone-georg]

I think you need to look at it in the cultural context of the times. In homes well enough off to afford a phonograph and records, Sundays were truly a "day of rest" and thanks spent indoors reading the Bible, etc. Today, not so much. I'd imagine that playing anything but hymns or recorded sermons on a Sunday was pretty much frowned upon back then.

[phonogfp]

There's a current thread about religious recordings here:

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... =2&t=28160

There's also an article in the current (Dec. 2016) issue of The Antique Phonograph on the topic.

Finally, there's a brand new book that breaks ground on early religious recordings. It's titled Waxing The Gospel, and you can read about it here:

http://archeophone.com/catalogue/waxing-the-gospel/



George P.

[52089]

A few years ago I bought a cylinder cabinet filled with 140 Blue Amberols in boxes. Roughly 35 of them were religious and another 10 were Christmas songs. There were no Murrays, no Collins and Harlan, no Ada Jones, and really no comedy or light entertainment of any kind. This was clearly the property of a very serious Christian family.

As it happened, shortly after buying this, I struck up a conversation with someone at Wayne who turned out to be a part-time pastor who used religious cylinders as part of his preaching. Less than 2 weeks later he bought all the above mentioned religious cylinders from me and was delighted to do so, even driving an hour or 2 out of his way to come to my house and pick them up in person. Nowadays, when I get similar material, I simply put it aside for him and give it to him as a gift whenever I see him.

I myself have very little religious material, and what I have tends to be more of the "classical" material - parts of Handel's Messiah on Diamond Disc come to mind - rather than hymns or "sacred" songs. I do have one Indestructible religious cylinder that I enjoy, partially because it is sung a cappella, and partially because it is one of the first cylinders I ever bought roughly 40 years ago.

I don't think there's much collector interest in hymns these days for a variety of reasons, including the fact that they are quite common and readily available. I know of one dealer who used to make up "beginner" lots of cylinders that would always include some religious material, because it was a tough sell by itself.

[Victrolacollector]

There may be an exception for a cylinder such as "Nearer my God to Thee", due to its significance to the Titanic.

[bfinan11]

I'd say the common hymns are abundant to a fault, and not all that interesting musically, except as a product of their time, and a window on the conservative middle- and upper-class audience that would have bought these records. (That being said, I'd take a hymn over a sentimental Heart song or Mother-song for sure)

However, there was obviously quite a range of religious music, then as now, and things like spirituals and gospel and whatever genre the Carter Family and similar were in the 30s -- as well as any religious records not from the mainstream Christian tradition -- are much more interesting to me, and many do have value comparable to secular records.

[Schlick]

I do not have what most here would call a "collection!" However, I have one Triumph I saved from my dad's collection with a 5 drawer stand [that has quickly filled up some how?!] No Sophie Tuckers but a Wm. J. Bryan here and there (dad was a relative).

But I like the Christian cylinders!! I have a keen interest in the fathers of faith who have gone before us and their cylinders. Although some of my roughest, they are some I listen to the most. I can only think of about a dozen, which don't even get pegs in drawers but instead sit out in a cardboard box, but they might be my most favored cylinders!

And if anyone has "cast-offs" and/or duplicates of religious cylinders I'd give them a warm welcome!!!

-Michael

[edisonphonoworks]

I also have several religious cylinders, and they came in great, when I played the phonograph at church. I find most collections of cylinders with machines usually have a few of these records, and for us who believe, they are wonderful old tunes that are loved.

[VintageTechnologies]

If the record is a religious song that I know from church, I'll collect it!

One of my favorites is "All Hail The Power of Jesus Name" by Frank C. Stanley on 2M Indestructible. His powerful voice really projects from a cygnet horn, and his performance sends shivers down my spine.