Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Solid as 'Steel' - An instrument and its music birthed in churches, get praises
From the Ocala Star-Banner
There's a lot of musical tradition right here in our own back yard, from The Royal Guardsmen of Ocala to Gainesville's Tom Petty and Sister Hazel. But one example that is lesser well-known - but quickly gaining popularity - is the Sacred Steel tradition.
In the 1930s and '40s, lap steel and pedal steel guitars began finding their way into gospel services within the Pentecostal House of God denomination. Originating on the streets of Ocala, the non-fretted instruments (think luaus and honky-tonk licks) lent themselves perfectly to the quartertone vocal inflections of traditional gospel music. Unlike a fretted guitar, piano or organ, the lap and pedal steels could mimic the human voice much more effectively, making them a perfect vehicle for rejoicing.
Dubbed "sacred steel" by Gainesville's Bob Stone - who is outreach coordinator for the Florida Folklife program - the tradition was immortalized on the Sacred Steel CD compilation, which was eventually re-issued by the Shanachie label.
Saturday is the perfect opportunity to experience this music firsthand, as the Matheson Museum in Gainesville showcases Stone's documentary " 'Sacred Steel': The Steel Guitar Tradition of the House of God Churches" at 7 p.m. The program is free, and will be followed by a performance by Alvin Lee and Roosevelt Collier of the Lee Boys, Florida's own Sacred Steel group.
The movie was filmed in several churches and traces the development of the music through interviews, performances and historic footage.
Star-Banner
There's a lot of musical tradition right here in our own back yard, from The Royal Guardsmen of Ocala to Gainesville's Tom Petty and Sister Hazel. But one example that is lesser well-known - but quickly gaining popularity - is the Sacred Steel tradition.
In the 1930s and '40s, lap steel and pedal steel guitars began finding their way into gospel services within the Pentecostal House of God denomination. Originating on the streets of Ocala, the non-fretted instruments (think luaus and honky-tonk licks) lent themselves perfectly to the quartertone vocal inflections of traditional gospel music. Unlike a fretted guitar, piano or organ, the lap and pedal steels could mimic the human voice much more effectively, making them a perfect vehicle for rejoicing.
Dubbed "sacred steel" by Gainesville's Bob Stone - who is outreach coordinator for the Florida Folklife program - the tradition was immortalized on the Sacred Steel CD compilation, which was eventually re-issued by the Shanachie label.
Saturday is the perfect opportunity to experience this music firsthand, as the Matheson Museum in Gainesville showcases Stone's documentary " 'Sacred Steel': The Steel Guitar Tradition of the House of God Churches" at 7 p.m. The program is free, and will be followed by a performance by Alvin Lee and Roosevelt Collier of the Lee Boys, Florida's own Sacred Steel group.
The movie was filmed in several churches and traces the development of the music through interviews, performances and historic footage.
Star-Banner
# posted by Dave Sichak @ 9:54 AM 
