As part of its commemoration of the Sesquicentennial
of the Civil War, on September 22, the Simsbury Historical Society will present “The Greatest Hits of the Civil War: America’s Earliest Professional Songwriters.”
Third in SHS’s 2011 special series, this will be an
enjoyable and educational mix of music and history. Songs of the Civil War were a powerful expression of the destruction, heartache and upheaval caused by the
country’s deadliest war. Songwriters expressed their horror of war, cheered patriotism, celebrated daring deeds and commemorated the dead. A remarkable number of songs rose from this period in American history and still resonate
with present-day audiences, clearly conveying the turmoil, emotions, pride and hope of the 1860s.
Civil War music did more than just evoke memories of
home. Both the Union and Confederate armies used music to rally troops, to march to, and as an escape from stress of the struggle. Spirituals were a cry for freedom and, in some cases, codes to help slaves escape. And songs weren’t the exclusive property of one side or the other -- frequent borrowing of tunes and lyrics was practiced by both Yankee and Rebel; Abraham Lincoln’s favorite
song was Dixie, a Southern rallying cry.
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When Johnny came marching home again, North or South, “Greatest Hits” presenter Rick Spencer says, he had some
unforgettable melodies waiting for him, and he brought many back with him from the battlefield. Battle Cry of Freedom, The First Gun is Fired, Marching Through Georgia, Grafted Into the Army, and the Stephen Foster song,
a staple in elementary school chorus concerts -- Beautiful Dreamer -- are just a few examples.
Recently called “the Dick Clark of Civil War music” by The New Haven Register, Spencer says these songs and their composers constituted the first great wave of American pop culture. “These songs are in the collective consciousness of people today,” says Spencer, executive director of the Dr. Ashbel Woodward Museum in Franklin and a former Mystic
Seaport musical historian. On Thursday, September 22 at 7 p.m. these songs will come alive again when Rick Spencer
brings his guitar and banjo to the ballroom of The Phelps Tavern at the Simsbury Historical Society (800 Hopmeadow Street). Cost: $5.00 for members, $10.00 for non-members; children 12 and under are free. Reservations suggested, please call 860-658-2500 and leave a message. For more information about the Simsbury Historical Society’s programs and upcoming Centennial Celebration and Chili Cookoff: www.simsburyhistory.org.
