Brass Bands

[KATE1880]

Hello Everyone,

I am in need of some help here. I am on a committee for "General Grierson Days" held in Jacksonville, IL every June. This year they are wanting to have a Brass Band Contest where Authentic Civil War Bands will compete for a large cash prize. Problem #1 is that I don't know very many bands around here. I know 1-2 but that doesn't make for a big competition.

Does anyone know a great band that may be interested in doing this? It's the third weekend of June (Father's Day Weekend). General Grierson Days is the largest Mounted Calvary event in central Illinois. Grierson lived her before the war and after. He also taught music here, so they would like the competing bands to play one song of his, and then one of their choosing. (We will provide music that was written by him).

Please let me know if you have any suggestions, or if you are in a band that is interested. More details and rules will be given further into the planning stages.

Thanks,
Cheri Fry

[Danny]

Re: Brass Bands

That would have to be the 1st Brigade Band, if at all available and you could afford them. Their last amazing performance this year was in Rockford IL, in the Veterans Memorial Hall, and earlier at a Lutheran Church.

They employ original instruments, only reconditioned as necessary to make them playable.

Find out more at

http://www.1stbrigadeband.org/1_home.html

- Dan Wykes

[KATE1880]

Re: Brass Bands

Dan
Thanks for your help
I will find out more about them, and hopefully they can make it.
Thanks
Kate

[KATE1880]

Re: Brass Bands

I also have heard that asking for "BRASS BANDS" might be too specific, anyone got any suggestions if it was just "CIVIL WAR BANDS"???
KATE

[ElizabethClark]

Re: Brass Bands

Kate, don't forget to sign your last name to your posts, as well as your first name.

The problem with asking for Civil War Band is that you'll get a huge mix, and not necessarily what you're looking for. CW Band might range from a fiddle and two banjos playing "olden tyme musick" to a fully accurate string ensemble that specializes in waltz pieces, with everything in between!

If the goal is to have lots of exciting brass music, but not neccessarily from folks in accurate costumes on accurate instruments, you might consider contacting the local high school band leaders about getting select groups of kids involved in a civic performance of mid-19th century brass band music. This would be a non-period display portion of the event, but would still sound neat.

[Rmhisteach]

Re: Brass Bands

kate ,

I agree with the above mentioned post about Civil war bands. You may have more success bringing in groups of a handful of fellas that play and sing together as opposed to a full band like the 1st brigade or the 33rd Illinois.
I have attended the Gierson days event before.

I believe Grierson was a band guy at IC before the war right? Is that why you all are trying to do a band thing ?

I hired the 97th rgimental string band for several performances last summer . they do a fine job. You may want to do more of a festival than a contest.

Just my .02

Rod Miller

[Tapsbugler]

Re: Brass Bands

The Federal City Brass Band

http://www.jvmusic.net/FCBB.html

The Forum NCO wrote:
"If the goal is to have lots of exciting brass music, but not neccessarily from folks in accurate costumes on accurate instruments, you might consider contacting the local high school band leaders about getting select groups of kids involved in a civic performance of mid-19th century brass band music. This would be a non-period display portion of the event, but would still sound neat."

Miss Clark

I actually am kind of surprised to see a reply like this from a moderator on a forum called "Authentic". Why would one go to a High School and get non-period instruments and music to play for a request for participants in a "Brass Band Contest where Authentic Civil War Bands will compete.."?? Why put the notion to have a non-period portion at a period event? There are enough CW brass bands around (in the Mid US there are number of good ones) to provide very good historic recreations of how the music sounded and how the bands looked. I would also think that many band members, like many of the people who portray soldiers from the Civil War, would take umbrage at the notion that we are wearing “costumes”

There is a link to many CW Brass bands on our site plus we and the Wildcat Band of PA are working together to sponsor a Civil War Brass Band Festival in the summer of 2008 to be held in the Middle Eastern US. Hope to get 12-15 brass bands there. Want to have a real authentic band at an event? Get a brass band to play for you! Check out our sound files on our site.

Best Regards

Jari Villanueva, Principal Musician
The Federal City Brass Band

[csabugler]

Re: Brass Bands

I have to agree with Jari.
Patrick

[ElizabethClark]

Re: Brass Bands

I'm a Missus, actually. :)

I'm glad to know there are enough brass bands willing to travel a good long distance for a competition or performance that may or may not be able to cover travel expenses (depending on whether or not one wins the large cash prize). It would indeed be a fascinating thing to have a dozen dressed out brass bands in attendance. I hope you will contact Ms. Fry and volunteer the band's services at the upcoming event.

I use the term "costume" consistently with references in primary sources. Many times, clothing for a specific purpose is termed a "costume", as in "costume for a watering place", "costume for the shore," "costume for working women," "costume for patriotic displays," etc. In modern life we may equate "costume" with a less-than-accurate set of clothing, but I do not find that connotation in primary sources so far. No offense was meant by the term.

The suggestion to utilize local high school bands was not meant as a slight to period-styled bands, or as a "farb it up" alternative--rather, I suggest it only in the event that there are not sufficient accurate bands regionally to actually have a competition at this event, and if the Powers That Be for the city/organizers do not wish to change the competition to exhibitions of the smaller number of accurate, costumed bands. Quite often, city-wide event weekends have a wide mix of goals, with a good many "carpe eventum" options, even if the structure as a whole is not quite "authentic" the whole weekend. There's nothing "farb" in admitting that different events, and different portions of the same large event, may have different goals, and suggesting a good resource if the primary goal is not going to be reasonably possible.

It sounds like the primary goal may indeed be possible. May I encourage you to contact Ms. Fry and sign up for participation if it fits with the band member's schedules? I think it's wonderful that bands from the East coast are willing to drive to Illinois on Father's Day weekend to support the event. It would be a really neat thing to hear, personally! (But Idaho is a bit far from Illinois for a quick jaunt out... :) ) It could also be incredibly instructive for local high schools to do a demo/workshop for local brass players before or after the event schedule--just might encourage a few players that didn't even know historic music was a real option for band participation.

Cheri, I would definitely keep searching under BRASS BAND. As mentioned above, the term CW Band may encompass far more styles that those desired for this particular event.

[cwdoc45]

Re: Brass Bands

Contact the Naperville Light Guard Band a 1859 band that is a small group of the Naperville Municipal Band in Naperville, Illinois. They might come & play. 630-778-9994 or Band Leader Ron at info@napervilleband.org. They have fancy period band uniforms and play at civic events & the Naperville Settlement Reenactment on the third weekend in May every year!!!

[ElizabethClark]

Re: Brass Bands

CWDoc, don't forget to configure your auto-signature. Your first and last names are not showing up in your post.

[KATE1880]

Re: Brass Bands

Gosh, I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the help you all have been. The posts and the several private messages.

I am going to stick with CW Brass Bands, as the competition is being dedicated to General Grierson and I'd like to keep it as period as I can.

The local HS does provide a string quartet to play in one of the gazebo's during the weekend, but alas they are not what we are looking for for this particular contest.
I have not heard what the prize money is going to be as yet, but I do know that we're getting sponsors to up the ante as much as we can to draw in as many period bands as possible.

More details will be available as the new year arrives, but I just wanted to thank those of you who have contacted me directly. THANKS!

And for those of you who haven't contacted me as yet, you have plenty of time to do so before the event.
Thanks again, and let me add that I look forward to the competition and now I'm wondering if I can get some committee member to video tape the performances as I am sure they will be to die for, well not literally, but grand no less!

[jachenba]

Re: Brass Bands

Greetings,

I am a member of the 33rd IL Volunteer Regiment Band out of Bloomington, IL. We have played Grierson Days several times in the past. You can contact our Band Manager, Carl Bennett, by email - carlb33il@yahoo.com. Our website, currently in a state of repair (or disrepair) is www.33rdband.org.

Let me know if I can be of further service.

Jim Achenbach
33rd IL Volunteer Regiment Band
Collinsville, IL

[KATE1880]

Re: Brass Bands

Ok guys, I just received an email today from the Director of Operations of Grierson Days and he told me that we're having to post-pone the brass band contest for now. It seems they lost a major sponsor and they don't want to have the contest unless they have some major prize money to give away. They don't want to just get by they want a big fuss.

So I'm sorry to say that until further notice the contest is done. Rest assured that I will be the first person back on here to let you know if we pick up another sponsor and the contest will be back on. Hopefully it will be soon so that all you great bands can still fit us into your schedule. CROSS YOUR FINGERS.