Battle Hymn of the Republic from John Fulton on Vimeo.
The 33rd Illinois Volunteer Regiment Band performed The Battle Hymn of the republic at the 59th Lincoln Tomb Observance at the Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. Saturday, April 11, 2015. The 33rd uses vintage istruments and traditional arrangments, true to the period of the Civil War. The event is sponsored by the S.U.V.C.W AND THE M.O.L.L.U.S.
"This video was filmed July 6th, 2013, at the Saturday Night Ball during the commemorative reenactment celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, sponsored and hosted by the Gettysburg Anniversary Committee. More than 12,000 reenactors and over 25,000 spectators attended the events spread over four days.
In the words of one of those attending: "The ball Saturday evening, hosted by the 2nd South Carolina String Band was the most high-energy and exciting ball I have yet attended. I arrived at the end, and was told to stay around afterwards for some "ruckus." The 2nd South Carolina broke out into, arguably, the most catchy song ever: "Southern Soldier." After every verse, the Rebel Yell screamed louder and louder, to a volume I have never heard even on a battlefield up to that point; it truly made the hair stand straight and the shine shiver.
It was simply impossible to prevent oneself from joining in, whether Yankee or Rebel. And for the finale, the 2nd SC led the audience in "Dixie." I have never heard the song played and sung by so many people with so much energy. I've always loved both songs, but for the rest of my life, "Southern Soldier" and "Dixie" will continue to give me goosebumps as never before in remembrance of that dance.
FrazierC 1st Sgt. 'The 150th Anniversary GAC Gettysburg Reenactment' www.civilwartalk.com This work was created by the 2nd South Carolina String Band in grateful appreciation to all of our friends and fans who have been so kind and supportive over more than 25 years, and as a tribute to all who fought for their cause 150 years ago."
This song’s lyric refers to conditions in the Southern states in the winter of early 1865 (“We were hungry / Just barely alive”); the Confederate states are starving and defeated. Reference is made to the date May 10, 1865, by which time the Confederate capital of Richmond had long since fallen (in April); May 10 marked the capture of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and the definitive end of the Confederacy. Ralph J. Gleason (in the review in Rolling Stone 1969 explains why this song has such an impact on listeners: "Nothing I have read … has brought home the overwhelming human sense of history that this song does. It has that ring of truth and the whole aura of authenticity."
From The Civil War Parlor on Tumblr
Continue reading "The night they drove old Dixie down" »
"One of Rory's favorite songs on the new record is the opening tune, "Josephine," which was inspired by letters written by a Civil War soldier. "When we bought our farm house in 1999, I joined the historic society in our community," Rory says, "and one of the things I got to read were letters J.W. Robinson had written to his wife, Josephine."
Rory was extremely moved by the raw emotion in the letters. "He was missing his wife," Rory says. "The grammar was terrible and his spelling was terrible, but the way that he spoke to his wife and the way that he talked was so much more beautiful than any of it today.
He always ended every letter with something like, 'your loving husband while I remain among the living.' I just started writing and the whole song happened. A lot of it was straight out of the letters ...
As the story went on and he ended up saying, 'If I get killed, don't grieve me too long. Marry someone else and don't let him treat our baby bad. When you are making love to him, think of me' and it just killed me. It still kills me today. So when Joey wanted to record that on the album, I was thrilled to put a song like that on our record with hopes that people might hear it.""
Read more at The Boot
Chris Tally played Amazing Grace during the annual memorial service held at the Confederate Cemetery in Alton, Illinois. The memorial service is sponsored by the Lt. George E. Dixon Camp #1962, Sons of Confederate Veterans.
1354 Confederate Soldiers are buried in unmarked graves. Many died of Smallpox while being held as Prisoners of War.
Among the songs that M.J. Albacete, executive director of Canton Museum of Art, took from his personal collection for a program about “Music of the Civil War” is “The Conquered Banner,” a melody lamenting the South’s loss of the war.
By Gary Brown
Posted Sep 20, 2011 @ 07:00 AM
Music, it seems, was almost as important to Civil War soldiers as their muskets.
“Both North and South used music extensively during the Civil War to rally troops, as recreation, to march by, and many other reasons,” notes the introduction to a lesson plan on Civil War Music, adapted from Ken Burns’ documentary “The Civil War,” that PBS makes available at its website.
“Frequently both sides would borrow each other’s tunes or lyrics,” the website continues. “It was not uncommon for each side to serenade the other, or for battle to stop while an impromptu concert was held.”
Continue reading "The Monday After: Music of the Civil War" »