The Long Beach City College (LBCC) Band of the California Battalion (also known as the Civil War Band) will perform a free concert for the community at 6pm on Monday, July 12 in the Liberal Arts Campus Quad off of Clark Avenue and Harvey Way.
This acclaimed brass band, directed by Dr. Gary Thomas Scott, LBCC’s dean of Creative Arts and Applied Sciences, provides a portrayal of a brigade-level band as found in the Union Army during the American Civil War of 1861—1865. The ensemble features authentic instruments, repertoire, and uniforms, and the historic musical selections performed by the band have been painstakingly “gleaned” from the Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institute, historical societies and original Regimental Band books. As their website states, they perform “music from a time when instruments had character!and characters had instruments!”
The Band of the California Battalion was recently the keynote band at the Gettysburg Brass Band Festival, and they performed at the new Visitors Center, had a personal walk of “Pickett’s Charge” and performed for the Gettysburg Foundation at the historic Rupp House. The band also traveled to the Antietam National Battlefield, and performed on Harper’s Ferry and at the National Civil War Museum.
“The events that transpired in Gettysburg in July of 1863 forever changed the course of American history as well as the course of world humanity,” said Scott. “It is a profound experience to walk that hallowed ground and be in a place where such a tremendous sacrifice was made. The emotional experience of our special performance on the battleground in front of the Pennsylvania Memorial is something that will stay with the band forever.
“The Band of the California Battalion is celebrating its 19th anniversary as a fully reenacted Union Civil War Brass Band. In this time of budget cuts and program reductions, we felt that it was important to share our music and our story with the Long Beach, Lakewood and Signal Hill communities that have supported us over the years,” added Scott. “This free concert provides a wonderful opportunity to welcome the community to our campus to share an entertaining evening of music under the twilight sky.”
Attendees are encouraged to bring a picnic and chairs. A light chicken dinner will be available to purchase for $5, and sodas will be compliments of the Band.
More Information
civilwarband.lbcc.cc.ca.us
