Music moved the Civil War soldier. And not just in the sense of the drums and bugles calling the men to battle. Music was an integral part of daily solider life, be it on the march on around the campfire. Patriotic songs such as “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “Marching Through Georgia” stirred the blood. Soulful tunes such as “Aura Lea” and “Home Sweet Home” touched the heart. And humorous ballads such as “Join the Cavalry” and “Hard Tack, Come Again No More” poked fun at everything from the foe to the daily food ration.
Civil War-era songs have a rich and interesting history. Together, they offer a compelling story.
To both tell (and perform) that story, on Tuesday, February 11, the Roanoke Civil War Round Table—winner of a 2024 Kegley Award for Heritage Education [see https://roanokepreservation.org/preservation-awards/]—hosts Geoff White, who will present “Music of the Civil War.” Mr. White has degrees in broadcast journalism from Washington & Lee University and in history from Radford University, where his studies concentrated on music of the Civil War. In addition to performing throughout Virginia, he has given presentations at Sailor’s Creek battlefield, and for the Rappahannock Valley Civil War Roundtable. He played fiddle in the band Sugar Run and now teaches violin and viola in his hometown Roanoke, Virginia…