Continuing in John Hallett: From A to ZP = Piano
(Photo: Highland Lake Bible Conference, undated)
John Hallett and the Piano. They were inseparable….except when he was conducting. But, then he could conduct from the piano, too! John composed at the piano. Sitting on his piano was a holder with probably a dozen sharpened pencils, always ready in case a musical idea came along. John wanted to be ready to write! He no only composed at the piano, but performed. One thing that John was a strong proponent but also a practitioner of was accompanying.
A native of Binghamton, N.Y., John Hallett began his musical career at the age of six by studying piano at the Binghamton conservatory. Later training included organ, harmony, conducting and composition. He studied piano at Moody Bible Institute.
In his early years, he was most interested in baseball. Music too, of course, and he was the substitute pianist and organist at Calvary Baptist Church in Binghamton.
When John was 5 years old, he learned to play on an old player piano. The first song he played was called “It’s Three O’clock in the Morning.” John said that he had better learn to play some hymns—not the song of a few drunks! So, the first hymn he learned was called, “A Volunteer for Jesus.” He said, “As a young kid I enlisted.”
A friend was quoted as saying, “…he was the hottest piano player anyone in junior high school ever heard. He practiced assiduously! I don’t know any who didn’t like him.”
John was very faithful to Sunday School and church, in addition to his study of the piano.
One friend said that he was an outstanding pitcher in baseball, and if he hadn’t been so interested in music, probably would have made the Big Time. He also was “a very neat dresser. I never saw him look sloppy in my life.”
His discipline in school and at the piano paid off.
John wrote in an un-dated article: “I was always impressed with the music of the late Jimmy Davis, a trumpet soloist, pianist and superb tenor soloist. He and Evangelist Harry Vom Bruch were conducting Revival Meetings at our church. Jimmy usually accompanied himself at the grand piano. One day. Jimmy called me and said, “I hear you play piano. Come down to church and let me hear you play.” I accompanied Jimmy for several hours that afternoon. He showed me a lot of interesting things about accompanying. I had never accompanied anyone of that rank before.”
Later on when he went to Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, he began traveling with Dr. Harry Vom Bruch in evangelistic campaigns.
Kelly Bihl, a life-long friend said, “It was also at Moody that Johnnie developed his unusual skills as an accompanist. Now it’s one thing to play the piano as a soloist. It’s another thing to be an accompanist. I was already a gifted piano soloist, now he learned the wonderful ability to make a soloist sound good. And I use that grammar just as I mean it. He made the soloist sound good. Incidentally, while accompanying our class in conducting, (you know down, left, right, up, down) he was accompanying the class. Do you know Johnnie’s music? Do you know his chord structure? Do you know how he plays the piano? Or how he did? He plays better now, but how he did then? He had the most unusual chord structure of any pianist I’ve ever heard. I think he, he really must have found the lost chord, because he used it regularly.
(In class one day at Moody Bible Institute) Johnnie was playing the accompaniment and putting in his own kind of harmonies, the professor would stop the music, “Everybody stop.” While it was, (because he was that kind of professor), while it was as silent in that classroom as it is in this room the professor would say, “Hallett”, that’s how he said it, I was there, I heard him say it. He said, “Hallett, Charles Gabriel had some good chord structure too. From now on play the music as it is written.”
There are many stories that could be told of John at the piano. His playing and his musicianship inspired countless numbers of young people, including one lady who has gone on to become quite a pianist herself, Nancee Olsen, one of his students.
The Newly Weds "New" (Used) Piano
Ruth tells the inspiring story of how the newly weds, John and Ruth, acquired their first piano.
“Well, we were just newly weds and we were in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Johnnie needed a piano. I liked him to be with me and he had to go to the studio to practice and do his arranging.
And so we prayed for a piano. We were only married a short time, may be a month, may be less. And, so, it was war time and it was difficult to get a piano and these German men, Otto and Hugo had a baby...an upright piano. It wasn’t very pretty, but it was a piano. They wanted $125.000 for it.
But we prayed and said ‘If they will take a hundred than that would be for us,’ but Otto and Hugo wanted more. They wanted a hundred and twenty five.
So, we accept it is from God and we said, ‘No, we wouldn’t take it.”
And then my husband’s secretary, she said, ‘Well, we have a baby grand piano. We’re kind of tired of dusting it. May be my mother-in-law will sell it.’
So, Johnnie and I were so excited. We didn’t have a car, so we got on a bus and went some place where the piano was. And, of course, on the way over I said for our wedding gifts we had enough to pay $200.00 for a piano and I said we can’t pay any more.
So, he didn’t know if we’d get a baby grand for two hundred, but when we got to the woman’s house of course he fell in love with the piano. It was…we hadn’t had our dinner and the evening went on and on and it got to be about 11 o’clock.
We said, ‘We really have to go and could you tell us how much you’d like for that piano?’ And she hemmed and hawed a while and she said, ‘Well, I think I should get at least $200.00.’
So, we were so happy and we were praising the Lord all the way back. So, I said, ‘God taught us a lesson that His choice was much better than anything we could choose.’ So, that was one of the best lessons we learned as a bride and groom.”
John and Ruth learned many lessons in trusting the Lord. Time after time God came through in answers to their prayers and worked in marvelous ways.
A Defining Piano Moment
“Well, we were just newly weds and we were in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Johnnie needed a piano. I liked him to be with me and he had to go to the studio to practice and do his arranging.
And so we prayed for a piano. We were only married a short time, may be a month, may be less. And, so, it was war time and it was difficult to get a piano and these German men, Otto and Hugo had a baby...an upright piano. It wasn’t very pretty, but it was a piano. They wanted $125.000 for it.
But we prayed and said ‘If they will take a hundred than that would be for us,’ but Otto and Hugo wanted more. They wanted a hundred and twenty five.
So, we accept it is from God and we said, ‘No, we wouldn’t take it.”
And then my husband’s secretary, she said, ‘Well, we have a baby grand piano. We’re kind of tired of dusting it. May be my mother-in-law will sell it.’
So, Johnnie and I were so excited. We didn’t have a car, so we got on a bus and went some place where the piano was. And, of course, on the way over I said for our wedding gifts we had enough to pay $200.00 for a piano and I said we can’t pay any more.
So, he didn’t know if we’d get a baby grand for two hundred, but when we got to the woman’s house of course he fell in love with the piano. It was…we hadn’t had our dinner and the evening went on and on and it got to be about 11 o’clock.
We said, ‘We really have to go and could you tell us how much you’d like for that piano?’ And she hemmed and hawed a while and she said, ‘Well, I think I should get at least $200.00.’
So, we were so happy and we were praising the Lord all the way back. So, I said, ‘God taught us a lesson that His choice was much better than anything we could choose.’ So, that was one of the best lessons we learned as a bride and groom.”
John and Ruth learned many lessons in trusting the Lord. Time after time God came through in answers to their prayers and worked in marvelous ways.
A Defining Piano Moment
From my observation of John’s life, after reading stories and doing interviews, I believe there we one defining moment in his life that impacted not only his ministry but his concern to impact the lives of young people. This was the story of the time when he was eight years old. Here is John’s account:
“When I was 8 years old my Dad told me about a great evangelist who was coming to our home town. Binghamton, N.Y. His name was Billy Sunday.
One cold, blistery Sunday afternoon in January, my mother. Dad and I went to hear the famous evangelist. As we entered the tabernacle, dad said, “I want you to sit down front so you can listen to this outstanding preacher without distraction”.
The mammoth tabernacle was alive with anticipation. Walking down the isle, I felt the excitement of hundreds of people around me.. Two grand pianos were on the platform placed on either side of the podium. HOMER RODEHEAVER stood to lead the singing.
Alfred H. Ackley known as A.H., sat to the right and accompanied Mr. Rodeheaver as he played his trombone and sang. Alfred’s brother. Bentley D Ackley, or B.D. sat at the other piano. These two brothers wrote over 5500 hymns, many of which we sang today.
Listening to the Ackley brothers embellish the music with beautiful chords, watching Mr. Rodeheaver’s lively song leading and being swallowed up in the sea of a huge choir, enthralled me. As a little kit just 8 years old, it became the desire of my heart to play the piano like those two brothers, to be a song leader like Mr. Rodeheaver.
At the first part of the service, Mr. Rodeheaver yelled over to the pianist, “the song is a little too high for me, would you transpose it to a lower key?” The skilled accompanist switched to a lower key and played awe-inspiring music, just as if it were written out for him. Tears welled up in my eyes. I knew I wanted to become a musician.
I prayed. Lord, help me to be able to transpose music for soloists one day”.
One day, about 15 years after that blustery Sunday afternoon of my conversion, I received a call from Mr. Homer Rodeheaver who was in Evansville, Indiana at a large evangelistic center. “I am going to be giving a concert tomorrow night,” he explained. “I wonder if you would be able to come down and play for me.” I went down to Evansville and accompanied Mr. Rodeheaver, thrilled that God had allowed me to accompany the gentleman I admired so much during the time of my conversion. During the concert Mr. Rodeheaver yelled over to me at the piano, “Johnnie, the song is a little too high, would you please put it down a step?”
As I transposed the song, tears of joy spilled down my face. To think God would answer my prayer so precisely, using the very man who inspired it in that cold, Sunday afternoon in Binghamton. New York.
I composed a chorus: “I will give you the desires of your heart”
God has been so good to us through the years and has given us the desires of our hearts, the things we hoped for!”
So, never think a child is too young for God to speak to them! I believe God has put certain things within each on of our hearts. Part of the process of living is to discover those. He said that He gives us the desires of our heart. God certainly did that for John.
God is not only concerned about pianos, but also everything in our lives. Ruth told me that when they moved to California from New Jersey, it was up to her to find a house. John was in another state at that time. Regarding what kind of house to purchase, John told her ‘I don’t care what kind of a house you get, but make sure I have a large enough room for my piano (laughter)…to write music.’
And, God again supplied!
Concerning that piano, Ruth went on to say, “Johnnie and I would (sit here together)..he’d play the music. It was music, music, music everywhere. It delighted us and we’d talk about music and listen and enjoy being here together. When he’d play and compose, I sat on the bench next to him I saw so many beautiful songs created here in this room. And he loved this room. He’d go over there and write at that…what do you call that….his little desk. He was there and he’d look up there before he’d start writing and it (picture on the wall) says “Call upon Me and I will answer and show you great and mighty things which you know not.”
And he’d call upon the Lord to help him as he was writing, to put in his mind what He wanted him to say. But everything he wrote was to glorify Jesus. Every song was all about Jesus.”
Jesus, the piano and John! What a combination! When John sat to write and “called upon the Lord,” God did what He said He would do. He showed him great and mighty things he did not know. As a result, the world has been impacted with the message of songs that continue to live on through the decades!
Just as the keys of that Steinway and Sons piano submitted to the skillful hands of the pianist, John Hallett, so John Hallett submitted to the hand of God. As a result, beautiful music came forth from his life and it has inspired many!
If you have been impacted by John Hallett, I’d like to hear from you either with a comment on this site or by e-mail me at rthomass@cbcag.edu Tell me how John’s music and his life impacted you.
“When I was 8 years old my Dad told me about a great evangelist who was coming to our home town. Binghamton, N.Y. His name was Billy Sunday.
One cold, blistery Sunday afternoon in January, my mother. Dad and I went to hear the famous evangelist. As we entered the tabernacle, dad said, “I want you to sit down front so you can listen to this outstanding preacher without distraction”.
The mammoth tabernacle was alive with anticipation. Walking down the isle, I felt the excitement of hundreds of people around me.. Two grand pianos were on the platform placed on either side of the podium. HOMER RODEHEAVER stood to lead the singing.
Alfred H. Ackley known as A.H., sat to the right and accompanied Mr. Rodeheaver as he played his trombone and sang. Alfred’s brother. Bentley D Ackley, or B.D. sat at the other piano. These two brothers wrote over 5500 hymns, many of which we sang today.
Listening to the Ackley brothers embellish the music with beautiful chords, watching Mr. Rodeheaver’s lively song leading and being swallowed up in the sea of a huge choir, enthralled me. As a little kit just 8 years old, it became the desire of my heart to play the piano like those two brothers, to be a song leader like Mr. Rodeheaver.
At the first part of the service, Mr. Rodeheaver yelled over to the pianist, “the song is a little too high for me, would you transpose it to a lower key?” The skilled accompanist switched to a lower key and played awe-inspiring music, just as if it were written out for him. Tears welled up in my eyes. I knew I wanted to become a musician.
I prayed. Lord, help me to be able to transpose music for soloists one day”.
One day, about 15 years after that blustery Sunday afternoon of my conversion, I received a call from Mr. Homer Rodeheaver who was in Evansville, Indiana at a large evangelistic center. “I am going to be giving a concert tomorrow night,” he explained. “I wonder if you would be able to come down and play for me.” I went down to Evansville and accompanied Mr. Rodeheaver, thrilled that God had allowed me to accompany the gentleman I admired so much during the time of my conversion. During the concert Mr. Rodeheaver yelled over to me at the piano, “Johnnie, the song is a little too high, would you please put it down a step?”
As I transposed the song, tears of joy spilled down my face. To think God would answer my prayer so precisely, using the very man who inspired it in that cold, Sunday afternoon in Binghamton. New York.
I composed a chorus: “I will give you the desires of your heart”
God has been so good to us through the years and has given us the desires of our hearts, the things we hoped for!”
So, never think a child is too young for God to speak to them! I believe God has put certain things within each on of our hearts. Part of the process of living is to discover those. He said that He gives us the desires of our heart. God certainly did that for John.
God is not only concerned about pianos, but also everything in our lives. Ruth told me that when they moved to California from New Jersey, it was up to her to find a house. John was in another state at that time. Regarding what kind of house to purchase, John told her ‘I don’t care what kind of a house you get, but make sure I have a large enough room for my piano (laughter)…to write music.’
And, God again supplied!
Concerning that piano, Ruth went on to say, “Johnnie and I would (sit here together)..he’d play the music. It was music, music, music everywhere. It delighted us and we’d talk about music and listen and enjoy being here together. When he’d play and compose, I sat on the bench next to him I saw so many beautiful songs created here in this room. And he loved this room. He’d go over there and write at that…what do you call that….his little desk. He was there and he’d look up there before he’d start writing and it (picture on the wall) says “Call upon Me and I will answer and show you great and mighty things which you know not.”
And he’d call upon the Lord to help him as he was writing, to put in his mind what He wanted him to say. But everything he wrote was to glorify Jesus. Every song was all about Jesus.”
Jesus, the piano and John! What a combination! When John sat to write and “called upon the Lord,” God did what He said He would do. He showed him great and mighty things he did not know. As a result, the world has been impacted with the message of songs that continue to live on through the decades!
Just as the keys of that Steinway and Sons piano submitted to the skillful hands of the pianist, John Hallett, so John Hallett submitted to the hand of God. As a result, beautiful music came forth from his life and it has inspired many!
If you have been impacted by John Hallett, I’d like to hear from you either with a comment on this site or by e-mail me at rthomass@cbcag.edu Tell me how John’s music and his life impacted you.
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