The Search for Nelly Gray, IX Battle of the Bands

[mgj32]

In the evening, when opposing camps were near enough to hear, regimental bands were known to carry on the fighting by contending with each other. In this particular scene, the Union Major has probably given his troops a bit of a psychological edge, by revealing that his command was swollen by the unit of which Ned is a member and having them sing the confident and aggressive lyrics invented by the 1st Arkansas U.S.C.T. to be sung to "John Brown's Body."
I know of no historic basis for the meeting of the band leaders (much shortened due to the 10 MB limit for the mp3 version). But the idea that there were no students from Dixie studying at schools in the North until the war began seems even more fanciful.
Section X deals with love songs of the era and Ned's aria. The remaining sections will have titles such as, Endings, Aftermath, Nelly, and Requiem.

all best,
mgj

[Sherry C]

Howdy MG,

Every summer here, there are historical reenactments of a variety of historical periods. It would be interesting indeed to hear such a battle of the bands in a live setting. It also wouldn't surprise me at all that perhaps such a meeting of old friends did take place. The war between the states was unfortunately a war that pitted even family members against each other, so such a meeting could conceivably have played out.

I hope you're keeping all the references and notes that you're using to put these pieces together. It is an interesting historical collage that you're weaving together with these pieces of the overall composition, and any good student of history (such as I'm trying to encourage my kids to be ) would thoroughly enjoy perusing the source material you're using while listening to the entire work Looking forward to the remaining compositions!

ttfn,
Sherry

[mgj32]

Hi Sherry,
It would be indeed to hear such a reenactment, even more interesting to hear what one was really like and observe the effects on the listening troops. I intended to include the author and composer, or author/composer, of the songs I've used in the manuscripts of the movements themselves, as well as footnotes, such as the importance of Fort Wagner, but I have also been working against a 10 MB limit. So this information, along with a fleshing out of the orchestration, will be done in revision/addition. The main sources are the songs, most found in a number of places on the Net, but the music of the era (and the ones before and after the war) have always been favorites, and I have a number of tapes of many of the pieces, done by individuals and groups ranging from the Kingston Trio to the Morman Tabernacle Choir, which often have differences in melody and lyrics. I have seldom used the whole of a song, so most are longer than what you hear in Nelly. Instead I have chosen the verses that best express the emotional thrust of the whole. Except for professionals, like Work and Foster, there is a lot extraneous, repetitious material in many songs. The one thing I have successfully stayed away from is the politics of the war, not because it is uninteresting, but because I wanted to oppose the feelings of the ordinary person, soldier and civilian and slave and freed slave. The story of Joseph Selby (Ned) and Nelly Gray is historical up until the point he arrives at the home of the father of Benjamin Hanby, who wrote the song while at Oberlin College. Beyond that I am inventing a love story, which will not end as the Hanby song in which Ned is grown old and senile, hears a knock at the door, and dies as he finds Nelly as an angel.
The next movement will consider love and will probably be X part A and part B, though there are only three songs involved. One of them is "Lorena," which is beautiful not only in its melody but also in its complexity, and will probably take 5 MB in itself. Ned's aria, muses about love, and time, freedom, and what he will do after the war. The third, "Jenny Lorn," is sentimental, but interesting to compare with the attitude expressed in "Southern Girl." I am also using "Kathleen Mavourneen," instrumentally, for several reasons, some of which will be footnoted probably.
I hope this is the proper place for this movement. Certainly it should come before Sherman slashes and burns Georgia and Columbia falls and the "Unreconstructed Rebel" rails at the victors.
I am still trying to think of a way to foreshadow what happens after the war to the American Indian, whose eradication had been more or less government policy already. But perhaps that's a subject for another composition.
BTW, I used the usual Merlin Creative collection. I re-enabled MS Wavetable to give it one listen, and that one was enough. I'm glad you recognized that the band leaders were friends and fellow music students. That's not clear in The SC formatting of the lyrics.

all best,
mgj

[rrayner]

Hi MG,

A very wonderful and interesting piece. I admire your ambition in writing a work of this scope. I have original works ambitions, but I'm going to continue working on arrangements of other people's works until I feel I've rebuilt my foundation. You are an inspiration to me. Thanks.

Ralph

[mgj32]

Hi Ralph,
Thanks. Basically I am arranging the work of others, too in the oratorio. I start with the melodies and words then harmonize and orchestrate as seems fitting. A lot of the arranging has to do with paring words from songs where they dilute the essential emotion. The only opportunities for originality are in bridge passages and the development of the Ned/Nelly story.
BTW, your foundations seems to be pretty solid.

all best,
mgj