1789, Philip Phile (d. ca. 1793) [Brass Band Journal, 1854]
Originally titled “The President's March” it served in that capacity until the mid 19th Century when Hail To The Chief replaced it. Hail Columbia is now the official march of the Vice President. The tune was so popular to the Federalists, Gilbert Fox, a singer at the New Theatre in Philadelphia, urged Joseph Hopkinson, whose father, Francis, was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, as well as the first native American composer, to compose words for it. He wrote the poem Hail! Columbia in 1798.
Hail to the Chief
The “March & Chorus from the Dramatic Romance of the Lady of the Lake” is the inscription on the 1812 American publication of this tune, based on Sir Walter Scott’s poem. Possibly derived from an old Gaelic air, it was used in Sanderson’s musical play of 1812, in a gallant boating scene honoring highland chieftain, Sir Roderick Dhu. It was played at Martin Van Buren's inauguration in 1837 and later became the Official March of the President of the United States during John Tyler’s administration.
1860, William A. Wray / J.P. Webster [26th NC, C.S.A. Band]
William A. Wray was a member of Campbell Minstrels, and in 1853, composed the banjo song and minstrel walk-around Happy Land of Canaan to be a never-ending comment of the events of the day as delivered by a Heavenly messenger. Over 100 verses were printed on period broadsides. (see also Lorena)
The Harp that once thro Tara's Halls & Erin's my Home, QS
T. Moore (1779 – 1852) & Thomas Haynes Bayly [A. Squire]
Irish immigrants came to America in waves that reflected the hardships of life in Ireland. In particular, the famine of the 1840's caused a large influx of Irish working class. More than 144,000 Irish-born soldiers served in the Union army during the Civil War. With them came their songs. Thomas Moore was an eminent singer, songwriter and music preservationist. He collected many folk songs, set new words to them, and published them for the whole world to enjoy. The tune for Erin's my Home” is called “Gramachree.”
185-, Claudio S. Grafulla (1810 – 1880) [4th New Hampshire, Manchester Band Books] (#43)
18--, Carl Faust [Alfred Squire]
Sub-titled “Ueber Stock und Stein” (Over Stick and Stone), the piano music cover shows a whimsical caricature of a pathetic horseman, hanging on to the steed’s mane and tail, while the beast races through scattering pigs.
1862, Charles Stein / C.D. Benson [26th NC, C.S.A. Band Books]
The title of this Confederate camp song is one of those soldier expressions which crop up in every war in the manner of “Kilroy Was Here” if the WW2. Infantrymen used the phrase to taunt cavalrymen. The phrase, originally, is believed to have had some connection with the disappearance of livestock and goods whenever John Hunt Morgan's raiders pitched camp in any area. Since the song appears to have been particularly popular in Tennessee and Kentucky, and since the tune was further identified with Morgan in a subsequent parody, this theory seems eminently plausible. The song tells the story of a farmer who comes to camp to sell milk and eggs to the troops. During his visit to camp, his mule wanders off and the soldiers tease him by calling from one end of camp to the other, saying “Mister, Here's Your Mule.”
18--, Henry Schmidt [Elias Howe collection]
1844, Marshall Spring Pike (1818 - ) [26th North Carolina C.S.A. Band Books]
Composer and minstrel M.S. Pike was best known to the stage as a “wench.” His specialty was the comedic portrayal of Negro women. Pike also wrote the lyrics to the song, which details the joy of returning home from across the sea.
Home Again & Mockingbird Walzer
This charming waltz medley was found with the books of the 1st Brigade Band (3rd Wis., Brodhead).
Mockingbird
Winner was from a musical family in that his father was a violinmaker and his brother, Joseph, was also a composer (The Little Brown Jug). Septimus was a storekeeper and music teacher in Philadelphia where he would hear “Whistlin' Dick” Milburn, a Negro boy, serenading people in the street with his guitar and bird-like warbling. Some sources also say Winner was a barber. Winner used one of Dick's melodies for Mockingbird and gave him prominent credit on the published music. He published it under his mother's name, Alice Hawthorne. He also gave Dick a job in the store. Lacking foresight, Winner sold the rights to the song for $5.00 after slow initial sales. The song sold millions of copies over the next 50 years. Later editions removed the credit to Milburn.
1823, Sir Henry Rowley Bishop (1786 – 1855) [Dodworth's Brass Band School, 1853]
This most popular song is from the opera Clari; or, The Maid of Milan and is based on a Sicilian Air. The American actor, John Howard Payne, wrote the opera. The opera was mediocre, at best, and did not remain on stage for long. The song, with all its nostalgia, persevered. There are several accounts of the song being sung and played by opposing troops in close proximity. Since this song is not sung loudly, one can only imagine how close these camps were to one another. Shortly after the Battle of Fredericksburg, a Federal band struck up the tune, which was quickly followed by a Confederate band from across the Rappahannock. Then every other regimental band in the area began playing it. Noting there wasn’t a dry eye to be found, Frank Mixson, of the 1st South Carolina Vols. Said, “if there hadn’t been a river between them, the two armies would have settled the war on the spot.” Later that month (Dec. 1862) a similar event took place at Murfreesboro. After alternating tunes for some time, the bands played Home! Sweet Home! together. The next morning the armies slaughtered one another at the Battle of Stone’s River. 12,000 lives were lost in the 3-day engagement.
1865, William Withers [piano]
April 14, 1865: Brigadier General Robert Anderson raises the same flag over Ft. Sumter he was forced to remove exactly 4 years earlier when the Confederate bombardment ended. That evening, in Washington D.C., Pres. Abraham Lincoln is an honored guest at a performance of “Our American Cousin” at Ford's Theater. Due to a mix up in programming, a special piece of music, written for this very occasion, was pushed to a later spot in the evening's performance. Withers and some of the musicians went next door to get some food and drink. On his return to the theater's tunnel, Withers hears a loud crash on the stage above and is soon struck down by the fleeing actor, John Wilkes Booth. Booth's cowardly act, the assassination of the President, closed the theater and sent Withers' tribute into oblivion.
1788, Giovanni Paiseillo (1740 – 1816) /Walter Dignam [4th New Hampshire, Manchester Band Books]
This highly popular tune inspired many composers. Ludwig van Beethoven and Pleyel published piano editions, with variations. The popular air from Signor Paisiello’s original work L'Amor contrastato or La Molinara, has been turned into a tour
de force for Eb Cornet solo with band accompaniment by bandmaster Dignam. Though not a copy, the Dignam arrangement does emulate the Beethoven variations in basic style.
Hunter's Chorus from The Rose of Erin
1862, Sir Julius Benedict (1804 – 1885) [Stratton Military Band Journal]
Sir Julius Benedict was Jenny Lind's accompanist during her American tour. The opera is popularly known as The Lilly of Kilarney. John F. Stratton manufactured brass instruments in his factory in New York and was an advocate for the brass band movement. This arrangement may be by Stratton, himself, for he published band music through the mid 1870's.
18--, Kéler-Béla (Adalbert von Keller) (1820 – 1882) arr: C.S. Grafulla [3rd NH “Port Royal” Books]
The composer Adabert Paul von Keler-Bela was born in Bartva Hungary on 13 Feb 1820. He studied music in Vienna and played violin at the Theater an der Wein. In 1854, he was appointed leader of the famous (Josef) Gung’l’s Band and began his career as a conductor and composer. In 1856, he was appointed leader of the Band of the 10th Austrian Infantry in Vienna. He left the military in 1860 to form his own band and orchestra.. When that venture failed, he rejoined the military in Bavaria as leader of the 2nd Nassau Infantry Band in Weisbaden (1863-66) and directed the Weisbaden Spa Orchestra (1863-1872). Keler-Bela’s music is light, easy to comprehend and features cleaver istrumentation. His best-known work is his light and sprightly “Lustspeil Overture.” Keler-Bela died in Weisbaden, Bavaria on 20 November 1882. It is fun to have the audience sing along after the layered fanfares. The tune also appears in the books of the 26th NC, C.S.A. The words are easy enough: “Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!”