Gabriel Blow Your Horn...

I started my life in music as a horn player. I am low brass player, a tuba player. When on a recent visit to Europe I toured a number of churches and what caught my eye was the various depictions of Gabriel blowing his horn. Looks like he was lucky enough to be a trumpet player and to signal the Second Coming, the Rapture or the Resurrection of the dead you know a guy has just got to be playing the melody. 

Just a little internet research on old Gabe and we know he is mentioned in various faiths and religions. He appeared to foretell the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus. In the Book of Daniel he is referred to as "the man Gabriel."  In Luke he is called an angel. In the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Anglican faiths he is a Saint. In Islam he is an archangel who reveled revelations to several prophets including Mohammad.   

Gabriel is not specifically mentioned as a trumpeter in the Bible. The Good Book just says God will, sound the trumpet, seven angels with blow, or simply the voice of the Son of Man will sound. It's not until the 1300s, 1400s and 1600s when Gabe is mentioned as a horn man in various writtings and art. Somehow this filtered through time to become a prominent feature of old Black spirituals as well as "The Eyes of Texas."   

What ever, I'll be listening.