Civil War Band Collection: 1^st Brigade Band of Brodhead, Wisconsin

Commentary on Selected Pieces

The following notes provide some information on the pieces contained in the 1st Brigade partbooks. The pieces are listed in the numerical order of the 1st E♭ cornet book, and these numbers generally apply for all of the books. Pieces whose provenance is unknown are listed but have no comments. Fragments are listed at the end. Thanks to Dan Woolpert, current director of the 1st Brigade Band, for his invaluable contributions to these annotations.

1. St. Louis Quickstep
2. Fireman's quickstep
3. Fond remembrance quickstep
   The main theme of this quickstep was composed by Louis Joseph Ferdinand Herold.
4. Birthday quickstep
   A collection of several tunes that seem to have no relationship with each other except that they are all upbeat.
5. Union Guard quickstep
6. Wide awake quickstep
   Attributed to J. R. King in the partbooks. He is cited in some reference material as being one of the premier arrangers of the mid-nineteenth century, standing with Grafulla and Gilmore, but no information about King is known.
7. Tremont quickstep
8. Battle cry of freedom
   This is a quickstep medley of two tunes with brief introductory and transitional material added. The first is "Battle cry of freedom", a.k.a. "Rally 'round the flag", by George Frederic Root. The second is "Kingdom coming" by Henry Clay Work. A likely Kimberley arrangement; there is nothing else like it any other extant band books.
9. When this cruel war is over (subtitle: Weeping sad and lonely)
   This is a quickstep medley of two tunes with brief introductory and transitional material added. The first is "Cruel war," music by Henry Tucker, text by Charles Carroll Sawyer. The second is "Hoist up the Flag," by Holmes (otherwise unknown). A likely Kimberley arrangement.
10. Mockingbird quickstep
    A quickstep medley of two tunes with brief introductory and transitional material added. The first tune is "Listen to the mockingbird" by Richard (Whistling Dick) Milburn. The associated text is by Septimus Winner (Alice Hawthorne). The second tune is "In happy moments" from William Vincent Wallace's opera Maritana. A likely Kimberley arrangement.
11. Standard bearer quickstep
12. Colonel White's quickstep
    This Grafulla quickstep shows up in other band books.
13. Bonnie Jean quickstep
    The Old Town Brass Band (Huntsville, Alabama) attributes this to Charles Osborne.
14. Leona quickstep
    This quickstep is very unusual in construction and in the use of instruments and harmonies. It is not cut out of Grafulla / Gilmore style cloth. It is possibly a Kimberley composition.
15. Light Guard quickstep
    There were many Light Guards and, therefore, many Light Guard quicksteps. This one is by H. N. Hempsted, published in Milwaukee and dedicated to the officers of the Milwaukee Light Guard.

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1. Captain Blood's quickstep
   This quickstep, like "Leona," is not like the Grafulla / Gilmore pattern in terms of structure or harmony.
2. Captain Shepherd's quickstep
   This was one of the most popular of Grafulla's quicksteps during the period (others have become more popular since).
3. Cottage by the sea medley
   This medley uses three popular songs. The first tune, "Cottage by the Sea," is by J. R. Thomas (pub. Oliver Ditson). The second and third tunes are unidentified.
4. Alpha quickstep
   This quickstep is very similar in structure to the "Attila quickstep" by Grafulla. It may be a Grafulla composition, or it may be someone copying his form and style.
5. Molly Bawn quickstep
   Another Grafulla quickstep. Molly Bawn is unidentified.
6. Tenth Regiment quickstep
   This piece has the style and feel of a Grafulla quickstep.
7. Centennial quickstep
   Another Grafulla quickstep.
8. Pittsburgh quickstep
9. Midnight Hour Medley
   There are two tunes in this quickstep medley, "'Tis the midnight hour" and "What's a home without a mother". The composers are unidentified.
10. Ever of thee quickstep
    This arrangement has four sections, each with a different theme. The first theme is "Ever of thee," music by Foley Hall and text by George Linley. The other three tunes are unidentified. It is possible that all of the material following "Ever of thee" is original. Unlike most others, this one changes key and time signature from section to section. In some ways it works well as a mini overture with tempo as well as dynamic changes. Considering the variety across the sections of this arrangement, it may be something the Kimberley put together. There are other "Ever of thee" quicksteps in other band books, but none like this one.
11. Etappen quickstep
    Written by William E. Gilmore.
12. Attila quickstep
    Clearly an arrangement by Grafulla. Possibly based on thematic material from Giuseppe Verdi's opera.
13. Grand fantasia from "Il trovatore"
    From Verdi's opera. This is the only true concert work in the 1st Brigade Books and is certainly the most challenging. It is lifted, almost without change, from the entr'acte music to act 2, scene 1.
14. Thou art gone from my gaze
    This is a quickstep medley that uses thematic material from a popular ballad by George Linley. In this case, the title tune concludes the arrangement. The initial material may be original or may be adapted from other unidentified popular tunes.
15. Roger's quickstep
    This is taken from Allen Dodworth's Brass Band School. The assumption is that Dodworth was the author of this quickstep. Someone had to take Dodworth's arrangement for eight parts and arrange it for the larger ensemble of the 1st Brigade Band.

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1. Cottim's waltz
   This is a delightful waltz.
2. Stanley schottische
3. Easter waltz
4. Sophia polka
5. Home again serenade
   Written by Marshall S. Pike.
6. Stanley march
7. Elfin waltz
   Written by Joseph Labitsky.
8. Mountain echo polka
   Dan Woolpert has been able to associate the surname Bellak with this polka.
9. National quickstep
   Thomas á Becket's tune for "Columbia, the gem of the ocean" appears in most Union band books under one title or another; "Hurrah for the red, white and blue" was common. This arrangement is unique to the 1st Brigade Books, making it a good possibility for Kimberley's work.
10. Lima waltz
11. America
    The source cited in hymnals (which are generally thoroughly researched) is: Anon. from Thesaurus musicus (1744). The text that we use is by Samuel F. Smith (1832). This is a very simple arrangement in contrast to what is found in some other band books. This tune also shows up in Civil War period material as "God bless our native land."
12. Star spangled banner
    The tune for the "Star spangled banner" is based, rather closely, on "Anacreon in heaven," a British social club song. The text, of course, is by Francis Scott Key. As might be expected, this tune appears in many band books and collections in a wide variety of arrangements. This one is unique to the 1st Brigade Band books although it does have some similarity to the one imbedded in "Gifford's National Airs". It is another good candidate for a Kimberley arrangement.
13. Pleyel's hymn
    This hymn tune is by Ignace J. Pleyel (1757-1831). It is known as the "Soldier's funeral hymn." Other texts that use the same tune include: "Children of the Heavenly King" by John Cennick, "Hasten sinner to be wise" by Thomas Scott and "On this stone now laid with prayer" by John Pierpont.
14. Come, ye disconsolate
    This hymn tune is "Consolator" by Samuel Webbe, Sr. "Come, ye disconsolate" by Thomas Moore is the text that is typically associated with it. Of the three hymn tunes in the 1st Brigade Books, this is the one most often found in modern hymnals.
15. Notting Hill
    The hymn tune "Notting Hill" was written by Charles Henry Purday. I have found only one text set to this tune which is Try us, O God" by Charles Wesley.

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1. Hail Columbia
   Written by Philip Phile. This arrangement is unique to the books of the 1st Brigade Band.
2. Hail to the chief
   Written by James Sanderson. It is now the "President's March."
3. I set my heart on a flower
   Composed by Alice Hawthorne (Septimus Winner).
4. Midnight serenade
   This composition is unique to this set of band books. It may have been composed by Kimberley.
5. The dearest spot on earth to me is home
   Written by W. T. Wrighton.
6. Reel No. 1
   Reels are generally considered traditional or folk music. They usually have titles but only occasionally indicate authorship. "Reel No. 1" is "Ned Kendall's Hornpipe."
7. Reel No. 2.
   "Reel No. 2" is "Ned Kendall's Favorite Reel." Ned Kendall was a famous keyed bugle virtuoso between the 1820s and the 1850s. "Reel No. 2" is repeated as a part of "Dixie."
8. Reel No. 3
9. Home, Sweet Home
   "Home, Sweet Home" is a wildly popular tune from the British opera Clari, or the maid of Milar; music by Henry Rowley Bishop, libretto by John Howard Payne. The arrangement in the 1st Brigade Books is significantly different than any other that we find. Most bands seemed to use something pretty close to what is in Dodworth's Brass Band School. A likely Kimberly arrangement.
10. Dixie
    This unusual arrangement of Daniel Emmett's tune is very different from any of the many other period arrangements available. After an eight-measure introduction that appears to be original material, the Dixie tune (verse and chorus) is stated. That is followed by a six-measure repeated section that is a reel with a hint of the Dixie melody. Then "Ned Kendall's Favorite Reel" is attached as a third section. This is the same as "Reel No. 2" above.
11. Sweet home
    The authorship for this is detailed under "Home, Sweet Home" above. The fragments in the 1st Brigade Band Books appear to have come from Dodworth's Brass Band School, where the tune is, in fact, titled "Sweet Home."
12. Funeral march dirge
    This is the "Adeste Fideles" tune with minor differences from the tune we use today. Both music and text were composed by John F. Wade about 1743.
13. Andante funeral march no. 1
14. Andante funeral march no. 2
15. Robin Adair
    Probably an anonymous Scottish air.

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1. Sophia waltz
2. Funeral march
3. Come where my love lies dreaming
   William Pond published this Stephen Collins Foster composition in 1855. It is the only Foster composition that uses four-part vocal harmony.
4. When the swallows homeward fly
   Written by Frank Abt (1819-1885) in about 1846.
5. Yankee Doodle
   Only one book has music for Yankee Doodle, yet it is unthinkable that any Union band would have not played this tune. The 1st Brigade Band may have played it from memory or "by ear" with at least the lead cornet and solo alto on the melody and the others making up simple accompaniment parts as they went along.
6. Andante waltz (Bellisares[?])
7. Andante polonaise
8. Polonaise
9. Cavatina from Norma
   From Bellini's opera.
10. Andante funeral march no. 3
11. Garibaldi's Sicilian march
    Composed by H. N. Hempsted and published in Milwaukee in 1860.
12. Before The Battle
    Possibly an abbreviated title for "Just before the battle, mother" by George F. Root.
13. Metzger quickstep
14. What is it? quickstep