Historical Programs

More than a concert, each Historical Program brings to the stage an entertaining, educational presentation of surprising scope and variety. The band lives up to it's motto "Making History Live" with performances that create an atmosphere reminiscent of the 1860's–one to two hours of sights, sounds, and voices from the past speaking to the present. Superbly performed period musical selections are combined with narrated accounts, anecdotes, reports, tales and legends of the times. Like chapters in a book, aspects of both military and civilian life–the fervor, anguish, humor, pathos, love, longing and joy–become vivid and tangible. The band gets the audience involved in the toe-tappin', hand-clappin', foot-stompin', rally-the-troops, sing-along music of the good times–then tugs at the heartstrings with the harsh tragedy of war evoked by sentimental ballads, hymns and funeral music.

No two programs are exactly alike. More than thirty different "features" are available to present programs especially suited to the interests of any particular audience (A listing and brief description of the many "features" that are currently in our repertoire can be obtained from the bandmaster at bandmaster@1stbrigadeband.org ). Each program includes a number of recognizable tunes as well as selections that have been "lost" and are no longer familiar to modern audiences. Solo and ensemble vocal selections, instrument demonstrations, ballroom dancing–even a "snake oil salesman"–are generally included as part of the show.

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