Songs & Stories of the Civil War at SLCHA
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord:
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword:
His truth is marching on.
(Battle Hymn of the Republic)
I wish I was in the land of cotton,
Old times they are not forgotten;
Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land.
(Dixie)
The Battle Hymn of the Republic and Dixie come to mind when thinking of music of the Civil War, but there certainly were other songs sung at that time. Give a listen and lend an ear to music that was heard during the Civil War era when Doctor Lonel Woods of the Crane School of Music performs Songs and Stories of the Civil War on Saturday, May 5, 2012 at 7 pm in the parlors of the St Lawrence County Historical Association at the Silas Wright House. Tickets for the performance are $20 and seating is limited to 20. Tickets are presale only, and can be purchased at the SLCHA or by contacting the association at 315-386-8133 or www.slcha.org. All proceeds from this performance benefit the St Lawrence County Historical Association.
Songs of the Civil War period fall into some general categories, including marching tunes, inspirational tunes, spirituals, traditional slave songs, and popular music. Singing was done by soldiers, their families, and other civilians when they were happy, sad, or homesick, and could be heard on the battlefield, as well as around the hearth. The musical performance will be interspersed with personal stories from the Civil War read by Doctor Woods. Light refreshments will be served. This performance is part of the St Lawrence County Historical Association's Commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, which was fought from 1861-1865. Around 7,000 men from St Lawrence County enlisted to fight for the Union during the Civil War, even though Confederate forces never threatened Northern New York.
Doctor Lonel Woods is a tenor and an Assistant Professor of Voice at The Crane School of Music. He has also conducted Phoenix Club, the SSAA choir on campus, as well as taught Class Voice. Woods is an active performer of opera, oratorio and musical theatre. He has performed with The Michigan Opera Theater, The Washington National Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Toledo Opera, Chicago Opera Theatre, Chamber Opera Chicago and Houston Grand Opera. He also performed, on Broadway and National tour, in Hal Prince's Tony Award winning revival of Showboat. Doctor Woods served on the faculty of Spring Arbor University, Georgetown Day School and Aurora Public Schools. He graduated from DePaul University, with a degree in Music Education, received a Master's of Music from Catholic University of America with an emphasis in vocal pedagogy and received a Doctor ate of Musical Arts from the University of Michigan.
The SLCHA Gift Shop is a great way to take home some Civil War history. Books include Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad, the graphic novel Free At Last: How the Freeing of the Slaves Changed American History, and Isaac Johnson: From Slave to Stonecutter.
The St Lawrence County Historical Association at the Silas Wright House is open Tuesday through Saturday noon to 4 pm, Friday noon to 8 pm. Admission to the museum is free; admission to the archives is free for members and children, $2.50 for college students, and $5 for the general public.The St Lawrence County Historical Association is located at 3 East Main Street, Canton. Parking is available in the back of the SLCHA, next to the museum's main entrance.
The St Lawrence County Historical Association is a membership organization open to anyone interested in St Lawrence County history. For more information, or to become a member, call the SLCHA at 315-386-8133 or e-mail. Exhibits and programs are made possible in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.