Adam Geibel was the son of Adam Geibel and Louisa (nee Frey) Geibel. Geibel caught a cold that settled in his eyes
when he was nine days old. A doctor who was not an oculist and did not give orders for its proper use prescribed a
caustic wash. The treatment was left to Geibel's father who, not knowing the substance he was applying, caused
Adam's eyes to go blind. In 1862 the Geibel family immigrated to America, and settled in Philadelphia. In 1864 at age
nine, Adam was enrolled at the Pennsylvania Institution for Instruction of the Blind and studied music. Adam Geibel
won a gold medal prize for his Anthem to the Twenty-Third Psalm and A Rondo for Piano in 1874. He published
his Evening Bells in March 1874. Geibel graduated with honors in 1875. On July 4, 1875, his Good-night, my Love,
Good-night was performed at Machinery Hall being built as part of the upcoming Centennial Buildings. In July 1876,
Geibel's Centennial Ode was sung in Independence Square as part of the celebration. Geibel was church affiliated
as a Presbyterian.
During 1881 in Philadelphia, Adam Geibel married Kate Anna (nee Rink) Geibel. She died between 1908 and 1910.
While she was alive, the couple lived at 3430 North 21st Street, Philadelphia. In 1885, Geibel organized the J.B.
Stetson Mission and conducted the Stetson Chorus of Philadelphia.
Geibel served as instructor of music at the Pennsylvania Institution for the Instruction of the Blind. Appointed in 1884,
he served until 1901. Adam Geibel maintained a life-long friendship with his 'teacher of teachers', David D. Wood
who, besides being a teacher at the institution, served as organist for St. Stephen's Protestant Episcopal Church and
Temple Baptist Church during the pastorate of Rev. Dr. Russell Herman Conwell, 1843-1925. Geibel served as
Wood's assistant organist. His cantata Bethuel's Daughter, or Isaac and Rebecca was performed at Temple
Baptist Church in May 1894.
His 1893 The Geibel Album, a collection of twelve duets for soprano and alto, was published in London by J. Curwen
& Sons and in Boston by Oliver Ditson & Company. Geibel's Quartettes for Male and Mixed Voices was published
by White, Smith Publishing Company of Boston from 1891 to 1894.
Geibel was a successful organist, conductor, and composer of Gospel songs, anthems, cantatas, and two light
operas. He dictated his work to student, secretary and assistant Florence W. Williams, 1875-After 1930. He founded
the firm of Geibel & Lehman that became the Adam Geibel Music Company after July 1906, later it evolved into the
Hall-Mack Company, and later merged to become The Rodeheaver Hall-Mack Company.
After Florence W. Williams married George G. Falconer, Jr., about 1906, she became Florence Williams Falconer.
Florence and George named their first child Adam. In 1910, Adam Geibel, who was then 54-years old, resided with
the four-member Falconer household. By 1919 his name appeared in print as Dr. Adam Geibel, having received a
Music Doctor degree from Temple University in 1911.
Adam Geibel's cantatas included The Nativity, The Incarnation, Light out of Darkness, and The Light of Life. His
popular secular songs included Sleep, Sleep, Sleep; Little Cotton Dolly; and Kentucky Babe.
Copyrighted in 1897 by White-Smith Music Publishing Company, Little Cotton Dolly and Kentucky Babe, were the
subjects of a 1908 law suit and subsequent appeals by White-Smith versus Apollo Company, a manufacturer of
player pianos and player piano rolls. White-Smith published the songs in sheet music form, and Apollo later made the
songs into player piano rolls. The United States Second Circuit Court of Appeals for the Southern District of New
York, on February 24, 1908, dismissed the appeals because White-Smith did not have standing in equity, and found
that only Adam Geibel had equity as the songs' composer. Text source : Wikipedia (Hide extended text) ... (Read all)
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