Given the thread on mounted bands, I thought I'd bring this review back up. This CD is excellent.
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Pat
Brass Mounted Army
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Pat Holscher
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I have this CD out in my truck right now, so it is not in front of me, but listening to it the other day raises a question in my mind.
The liner notes (which again, I do not have in front of me) mention that Custer was infleuntial in impacting military music of the mid 19th Century, and certainly the tune Garryowen is a monument to that.
Beyond that, I wonder if we look at the history of US martial music if we can't see certain big intersting shifts in it over the past two centuries. To start off with it seems, I'd guess, mostly based on British martial music, or perhaps British music. Around the mid 19th Century Irish folk tunes seem to have an impact. Garryowen, for example, is an Irish drinking tune. I think the Girl I Left Behind me is also an Irish tune, although I could be in error. The Minstral Boy is also, although I think that tune had been around for a long time even then. Anyway, I wonder if the inclusion of large numbers of Irish immigrants into the US Army at that time changed US military music?
Certainly Susa changed it all again 50 or so years later. And then I've heard it claimed that Glenn Miller changed it again when he incorporated swing rhythems into martial music, such as in his variant of the St. Louis Blues march. I suppose after large bands died post WWII, martial music and popular music became permanently severed, and there has not been much change in martial music since then.
Anything correct, or incorrect, in these suppositions?
Pat
The liner notes (which again, I do not have in front of me) mention that Custer was infleuntial in impacting military music of the mid 19th Century, and certainly the tune Garryowen is a monument to that.
Beyond that, I wonder if we look at the history of US martial music if we can't see certain big intersting shifts in it over the past two centuries. To start off with it seems, I'd guess, mostly based on British martial music, or perhaps British music. Around the mid 19th Century Irish folk tunes seem to have an impact. Garryowen, for example, is an Irish drinking tune. I think the Girl I Left Behind me is also an Irish tune, although I could be in error. The Minstral Boy is also, although I think that tune had been around for a long time even then. Anyway, I wonder if the inclusion of large numbers of Irish immigrants into the US Army at that time changed US military music?
Certainly Susa changed it all again 50 or so years later. And then I've heard it claimed that Glenn Miller changed it again when he incorporated swing rhythems into martial music, such as in his variant of the St. Louis Blues march. I suppose after large bands died post WWII, martial music and popular music became permanently severed, and there has not been much change in martial music since then.
Anything correct, or incorrect, in these suppositions?
Pat
Among the holiday programming offered by one of our local TV stations (KUEN) was a two hour collection of concerts given by the US Air Force Academy Band. Perhaps bands, plural, would be a better description of the concert. While I didn't catch the whole show, what I did hear was a C/W band, a modern brass ensemble, a Big Band (The Falconaires), and choral groups- none of what one might label as traditional martial airs. I guess you could call it a variety show displaying the talents and tastes of the young, and some not so young, men and women in the service today. Very good.
Sandy
Sandy
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Pat Holscher
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- Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2000 6:51 pm
- Last Name: Holscher
The entire contents of this cd are now on my Ipod.
Once again, great stuff.
Once again, great stuff.