Johannes Gelbke

Johannes Woldemar Gelbke (19 July 1846 – 1 March 1903) was a German composer, choir lieder, conductor and singer He became known especially in Germany for his song Horch! Die alten Eichen rauschen... ("Heimkehr"). He also worked as a composer, conductor, choirmaster and singer in the US, where he lived and worked from 1882.

Life

Gelbke was born in Radeberg. Father Ernst Ludwig Gelbke (1812 Radeberg - unknown) was "veterinarian and company blacksmith in the local Königl. Sächs. Brigade Reiter Artillerie" in the Radeberg garrison. quickly recognised the boy's musical abilities, introduced him to the ecclesiastical Tonkunst and gave him lessons in music theory.

Already here, the young Gelbke composed songs and church choir.

No specific information is available about his numerous compositions from 1882 onwards in Buffalo.

The home of Gelbke's choral society "Orpheus", the "New Music Hall Buffalo", burned down in March 1885, whereupon Gelbke handed over the direction of the choir to Carl Adam in November 1885. Gelbke was the conductor of the Buffalo Sängerbund for several years and also conducted the Central Sängerbund, which was made up of 12 regional choral societies, the Mendelssohn Club, the Beethoven Club, the choral section of the Buffalo Turnverein and many other choirs and choral societies. From 1884 to 1894 he was conductor of the "Niagara Falls Orpheus". At the "23rd North American Music Festival" in Buffalo in 1883, in which 72 choirs with 2,100 singers participated, Gelbke conducted the choir of the Sängerbund with 600 singers with great success. He also worked for the "Liedertafel" Buffalo. As director of the renowned singing society "Harugari Frohsinn" he led it artistically to high blossom. Text: (Orthography and typesetting according to original by Emil Schimpke in