Music & Musicians in the American Civil War

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Shelby County Public Library

Music & Musicians in the American Civil War

Music & Musicians in the American Civil War

The Civil War was a musical war - amidst the strife, bloodshed and disunion, music kept spirits alive during one of America’s most turbulent times. Music & Musicians in the American Civil War isn’t just a talk—it’s a lively, toe-tapping journey through history. This program will be presented on Tuesday, November, 18th from 6:30 – 7:45 pm at the Carnegie Library Center in Shelbyville, KY (731 College St.). This program is a collaboration between the Shelby County Historical Society and the Shelby County Public Library.

You’ll travel back to the 1860s when our nation witnessed the deadliest war in American history. Fought between 1861 - 1865, over 600,000 people died in the conflict, more than World War I and World War II combined. A soldier was 13 times more likely to die in the Civil War than in the Vietnam War.

This presentation is interspersed with Civil War era tunes performed by a small ensemble of musicians playing lap dulcimers, banjos, and other instruments. It focuses on the assertion of some music historians that the Civil War was “America’s most musical war” and perhaps “the most musical war ever, anywhere.” More than 2,000 new musical compositions were published in the first year of the war. Some 80,000 men served as musicians in the Union and Confederate armies. You’ll recognize some of the songs as many of the Civil War’s favorite tunes are still popular today.

Music & Musicians in the Civil War is presented by Dr. Michael L. Turney who will share the fascinating story of why the Civil War is called “America’s most musical war.” Imagine soldiers gathered around the campfires as they were the first to hear the music that inspired, united, and still echoes today. Don’t miss this chance to hear history sing! Perfect for music lovers, history enthusiasts, and anyone ready for an evening of melody and memories.

This program is a Kentucky Humanities Program. The speaker, Dr. Michael L. Turney, is member of the Kentucky Humanities Speakers Bureau and Professor Emeritus of Communication at Northern Kentucky University. In addition to teaching and academic administration, his professional career has included news writing, government public information, hosting radio and TV talk shows, conducting public relations and promotional campaigns, and producing multi-media planetarium and museum programs.

This program is FREE and open to the public. The Shelby County Historical Society is a 501©3 organization whose mission is to preserve and promote the knowledge and appreciation of Shelby County and Kentucky history.

To become a member or for more information, contact the Shelby County Historical Society at (502) 513-5555, shelbykyhistory.org, or email director@shelbykyhistory.org.