Echoes of the Past: The Civil War on Commercial Recordings September 16, 2010

Dr. Gregg Kimball, Director of Publications and Educational Services at the Library of Virginia, will give a talk at the MOC accompanied by the original cylinder recordings.

Free for members, $5 for non-members

The subject of Civil War music is more than sheet music and military bands. Few people realize that we can actually listen to music performed by Civil War veterans on early cylinder and disc recordings. In addition, certain songs of the Civil War era became staples of early recordings, especially patriotic songs such as “Dixie,” the spirituals of enslaved African Americans, and sentimental songs. Dr. Gregg Kimball’s talk will examine these echoes of the Civil War on popular recordings, and explore their meaning in the context of the Gilded Age, the Lost Cause, and Reunion. Attendees will hear the original recordings, not digital copies.

Official Website: http://www.moc.org/site/Calendar/1343473240?view=Detail&id=103181