Free piano leads to historic Blaine music discovery

Following a Craigslist lead, Todd Gallahar, pastor of Northwood Chapel in Blaine, picked up a free piano for his wife, Amanda. The old upright was made by the Farrand Co. in Holland, Michigan. 

Inside the piano bench was a pile of old piano music. Ruffling through the sheet music, Gallahar found two songs he thought were of local significance. 

One was a two-page piano piece called the “Blaine Two-Step,” and the second piece was titled the “Semiahmoo Waltz.” Both were published 115 years ago in 1909.

Gallahar contacted me, a longtime pastor and former pianist at Semiahmoo Resort, to see what I knew about the music.

The catchy and intermediate-skill piano pieces were composed by a woman, presumably local, named Harriet Rogers Owen. One piece was dedicated to her mother; and the other to a Mrs. W.H.T. Barnes.

An internet search revealed nothing about the composer or the occasion of the music. Both Gallahar and I hope that The Northern Light readers may be able to solve this mystery.   

I have recorded both pieces and posted them on YouTube, available for listening at bit.ly/4dsNVwk. The Semiahmoo Resort plans to frame and post the music, along with other historical regional photos displayed at the local resort.