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The songs, of course, reflected the temper of the armies: merry, homesick, melancholy, irreverent, and brave. It is hard to say which side had the musical edge-the North may have had the best lyrics (“The Battle Hymn of the Republic”), but the South had the best tune (“Dixie”), and both sides sang it whenever they got the chance. īobby Horton does not use the conventional language of the historian-he explains, for instance, that despite its Yankee genesis the lugubrious ballad “All Quiet along the Potomac Tonight” became popular around Southern campfires and thus was “a true crossover hit”-and yet his tape of Confederate Army war songs is an impressive and affecting piece of historical reconstruction.Ĭivil War soldiers were often poorly trained, poorly led, poorly fed, and poorly armed, but no two armies ever went into the field equipped with better songs. This is history come alive," says Oakes.By Bobby Norton Bobby Horton, 5245 Beacon Drive, Birmingham, AL 35210. It is fascinating to watch the boys' faces light up as they realize the very places and actions they are singing about took place right where they live. "The songs presented at this concert are a soundtrack of the Civil War, focused on several conflicts that occurred right here in our region. This concert will mark the third collaboration between the Chattanooga Boys Choir and Horton, who performed together in 20. Confederate or Union, North or South, these songs are about the human experience under the most extraordinary of circumstances," says Horton.Īlong with pianist Jeff Harbin, Horton will accompany the choir on banjo, guitar and fiddle, including some original period instruments dating from the 19th century. "I tell the stories of the people involved in the conflict. The program will conclude with the choir performing "O America" by Brendan Graham and William Joseph, a song made popular in recent televised specials by the Celtic Women. The choir will also perform "Battle Above the Clouds," an original song about the battle on Lookout Mountain by Tennessee composer Vicki Tucker Courtney, and Andrea Ramsey's arrangement of "Tell My Father" from the musical "Civil War" by Frank Wildhorn. Selections include "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," "The Battle Cry of Freedom," "Marching Through Georgia," "Let Me Fly" and "Goober Peas." He has produced and performed scores for 16 PBS films by Ken Burns, including "The Civil War" and "Baseball " two films for A&E network, and 21 films for the National Park Service.ĬBC Director Vic Oakes says repertoire for this program was chosen to represent multiple perspectives of the Civil War, including African-American spirituals, songs of the soldier and tunes popular among both Confederate and Union forces. He has performed with the musical-comedy trio Three On a String throughout the United States and Canada for more than 40 years. He began recording what became 14 volumes of authentic Civil War tunes in his home studio - singing all the parts and playing all of the era's instruments himself. While researching music from the mid-19th century, he uncovered thousands of tunes from that period. Horton was asked in 1984 to produce the score for a feature film set in 1863 in Southern Indiana.
#Bobby horton battle cry of freedom free
Horton will perform solo and with the choir during the free concert in Heritage High School's auditorium. Joining the choir will be guest Bobby Horton, nationally known historian and an authority on music of the Civil War period. 29, marking the 155th anniversary of the Civil War's Battle of Wauhatchie. The Chattanooga Boys Choir will present "The Blue and the Gray: Songs and Stories of the Civil War" on Monday, Oct. 29› Admission: Free› For more information: 42 pre-concert discussion with Bobby Horton, 7 p.m. › What: Chattanooga Boys Choir concert with historian Bobby Horton› Where: Heritage High School, 3960 Poplar Springs Road, Ringgold, Ga.› When: 6:45 p.m.
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