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Gayle Skidmore's ode to her hymnist ancestor
Philip Bliss and his wife perished in the Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster
A fire so devastating, the firefighters wouldn’t move in to put it out. Sounds outrageous. Sounds horrifying. But that’s the move an alcoholic fire chief made — or rather, didn’t make — at the Ashtabula River in Ohio, four days after Christmas in 1876, when a bridge collapsed just as an express train passed over it. Among the 92 dead (according to the official count) were the famous writer of hymns Philip P. Bliss and his wife Lucy. Now, 149 years later, San Diego’s Gayle Skidmore, a distant relative of Bliss, has summoned his gospel spirit on her new album of solo neoclassical piano, commemorating The Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster.
Video:
The Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster
According to many accounts, says Skidmore, Philip Bliss actually survived the initial train crash. “Because he had been in a different car than his wife Lucy, he went back to try to extricate her from the wreckage. When he was unable to do so, he chose to stay with her and perish. It is an utterly gut-wrenching tale. Every element is dramatic and deeply affecting. I was struck by how the people of the town came together to try to rescue the victims of the tragedy in unimaginable conditions. When the fire chief refused to give the order to fight the fire that broke out in the wooden cars, fueled by the lanterns and stoves on board, the townspeople attempted to fight the fire themselves. There are so many stories of great loss that reflect the beauty of life and humanity in an unthinkable situation. This tale has every element that could make you pause to reflect on the meaning of life — the beauty and frailty. I was captivated by it, and it only made sense to create something inspired by the story.
Skidmore (who’s coming to Lestat’s on April 26) grew up in San Diego, and she’s recently back home after a stretch in the Netherlands, where she wrote and recorded the new album. “Spring Valley, where I grew up, was a mellow neighborhood in the suburbs. There was a small, walkable shopping center, but no real third space nearby. When I moved to North Park, I flourished in many aspects of my life. North Park still had a great community vibe, and I enjoyed walking or riding my bike to shops and restaurants. I miss that neighborhood, but it has changed quite a bit with all of the high-rise apartments moving in. Since I've been back, I've been in Rolando, which is an incredible little community. The nightlife is not the same as North Park, but so far it has been welcoming and friendly.”
Skidmore started piano lessons at four, and by seven, she was knocking out variations on “Greensleeves” on her parents’ upright Yamaha. She’s been releasing music since 2002, and she plays 22 different instruments. “The piano is my favorite, as it is the one I know the best, and have dedicated the most time to — but I love playing the banjo, and am attempting to learn the [Earl] Scruggs style this year.”
She studied theology at Azusa Pacific University and later at Oxford University. As to where she ended up spiritually after all that study, “There are a ton of assumptions made almost immediately, that really miss the mark of what I believe and why. One reason is that religion has become intertwined with politics in a way I cannot understand. I ended up where I started, hopefully with more humility.”
Throughout that journey, the family connection to hymns stayed with her. “Bliss is our family name on the paternal side of my family, and was almost my middle name. My grandma, Mary Bliss Skidmore, taught me about Philip Bliss from an early age. I thought he was my great-great-grandpa or something, but it turns out the relationship is much more distant. After hearing about him my whole life and singing many of his hymns, I finally discovered the story of his untimely demise during the Covid-19 lockdown. Delving deep into my family history was my pandemic pastime.
She’ll bring a mix of new material and old to her April 26 gig at Lestat’s. “I have many fond memories of shows there. [Sound engineer and booking agent] Louis Brazier is very missed. Back in the day, he would always let me sneak in through the back entrance to sold-out shows that I wanted to attend.” As for new projects waiting in the wings, “I'm working on finishing up my Prague EP, and then wrapping up both an electro-swing collaboration, and a gypsy jazz swing tune with Quel Bordel.”
Here's something you might be interested in.
Gayle Skidmore's ode to her hymnist ancestor
Philip Bliss and his wife perished in the Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster
Gayle Skidmore's ode to her hymnist ancestor
Philip Bliss and his wife perished in the Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster
A fire so devastating, the firefighters wouldn’t move in to put it out. Sounds outrageous. Sounds horrifying. But that’s the move an alcoholic fire chief made — or rather, didn’t make — at the Ashtabula River in Ohio, four days after Christmas in 1876, when a bridge collapsed just as an express train passed over it. Among the 92 dead (according to the official count) were the famous writer of hymns Philip P. Bliss and his wife Lucy. Now, 149 years later, San Diego’s Gayle Skidmore, a distant relative of Bliss, has summoned his gospel spirit on her new album of solo neoclassical piano, commemorating The Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster.
Video:
The Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster
According to many accounts, says Skidmore, Philip Bliss actually survived the initial train crash. “Because he had been in a different car than his wife Lucy, he went back to try to extricate her from the wreckage. When he was unable to do so, he chose to stay with her and perish. It is an utterly gut-wrenching tale. Every element is dramatic and deeply affecting. I was struck by how the people of the town came together to try to rescue the victims of the tragedy in unimaginable conditions. When the fire chief refused to give the order to fight the fire that broke out in the wooden cars, fueled by the lanterns and stoves on board, the townspeople attempted to fight the fire themselves. There are so many stories of great loss that reflect the beauty of life and humanity in an unthinkable situation. This tale has every element that could make you pause to reflect on the meaning of life — the beauty and frailty. I was captivated by it, and it only made sense to create something inspired by the story.
Skidmore (who’s coming to Lestat’s on April 26) grew up in San Diego, and she’s recently back home after a stretch in the Netherlands, where she wrote and recorded the new album. “Spring Valley, where I grew up, was a mellow neighborhood in the suburbs. There was a small, walkable shopping center, but no real third space nearby. When I moved to North Park, I flourished in many aspects of my life. North Park still had a great community vibe, and I enjoyed walking or riding my bike to shops and restaurants. I miss that neighborhood, but it has changed quite a bit with all of the high-rise apartments moving in. Since I've been back, I've been in Rolando, which is an incredible little community. The nightlife is not the same as North Park, but so far it has been welcoming and friendly.”
Skidmore started piano lessons at four, and by seven, she was knocking out variations on “Greensleeves” on her parents’ upright Yamaha. She’s been releasing music since 2002, and she plays 22 different instruments. “The piano is my favorite, as it is the one I know the best, and have dedicated the most time to — but I love playing the banjo, and am attempting to learn the [Earl] Scruggs style this year.”
She studied theology at Azusa Pacific University and later at Oxford University. As to where she ended up spiritually after all that study, “There are a ton of assumptions made almost immediately, that really miss the mark of what I believe and why. One reason is that religion has become intertwined with politics in a way I cannot understand. I ended up where I started, hopefully with more humility.”
Throughout that journey, the family connection to hymns stayed with her. “Bliss is our family name on the paternal side of my family, and was almost my middle name. My grandma, Mary Bliss Skidmore, taught me about Philip Bliss from an early age. I thought he was my great-great-grandpa or something, but it turns out the relationship is much more distant. After hearing about him my whole life and singing many of his hymns, I finally discovered the story of his untimely demise during the Covid-19 lockdown. Delving deep into my family history was my pandemic pastime.
She’ll bring a mix of new material and old to her April 26 gig at Lestat’s. “I have many fond memories of shows there. [Sound engineer and booking agent] Louis Brazier is very missed. Back in the day, he would always let me sneak in through the back entrance to sold-out shows that I wanted to attend.” As for new projects waiting in the wings, “I'm working on finishing up my Prague EP, and then wrapping up both an electro-swing collaboration, and a gypsy jazz swing tune with Quel Bordel.”