Gilbert Raynolds Combs (January 5, 1863 – 1934) was an American pianist, organist, and player of stringed instruments; a composer of music for orchestra, piano, voice, and violin; a teacher; and an orchestral and chorus conductor.
His father, Gilbert Combs, was one of the Vice Presidents of the Handel and Haydn Society in 1858 and served on the committee appointed by the United Presbyterian Church General Assembly to prepare its “Book of Praise” in 1872.
Though originally intended for the medical profession, he made such rapid progress, both at home and in Europe, that he decided to adopt music as his life-work.
It was highly organized for efficiency and offered a wide range of opportunity for instruction from elementary to advanced grades.
He was part of the movement among conservatory directors to model their society after the social, intellectual, and artistic clubs devoted to Enlightenment Idealism.
He believed that the Sinfonia expanded because it responded to a unique sensitiveness and sensibility of musicians, and that its present and future growth would disprove the critics’ impressions “that musicians spend much of their time in mutual quarrellings and recriminations.”[13] Combs was “a member of all Masonic organizations.”[14] The Pennsylvania Grand Lodge, having record of his attendance but not record of his initiation, believes that he may have been made a Mason while he was studying in Europe.
His Ritualistic Music for the 32nd Degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, for men's voices and organ, was written for the Philadelphia Consistory and first presented in 1917.