Live Recordings – A Concert of Music from the Benjamin Grierson Collection

The following tracks were recorded live on February 27, 2010 at the annual Grierson Society Winter Ball, a fund-raising dinner for the Grierson Days reenactment and the restoration of the Grierson Monument at East Cemetary in Jacksonville, IL.

This special concert was made possible through the research and friendly cooperatoin of musicologist and Grierson scholar Dr. Laverne Wagner of Quincy, Illinois.

Note: These recordings are for private use only. Written permission from the Vintage Brass Band is required for any other purpose including commercial use or public broadcast.  Please use the Contact Us link to request permission.

Composed by A.J.R. Connert, Victoria Gallop was one of many popular dance tunes written to commemorate the 1838 coronation of Queen Victoria.  You may notice in the background of these recordings the sound of the Central Illinois Civil War Dance Society and others dancing!

It is no surprise that this popular dancing tune was included in Grierson’s books. During her tour of the United States in 1850 through 1851, Jenny Lind gave six performances in St. Louis, Missouri. Benjamin Grierson made an extraordinary effort and incurred great expense when he travelled down the River to attend all six performances.

Possibly arranged by Grierson himself, this medley contains three popular tunes, the second of which has not been identified. Please contact us if you are familiar with this melody!

This polka was found in Grierson’s books dating back to his youth in Youngstown Ohio. It is very typical of popular dance music of the time.

General Lafayette of France made an important contribution to the Revolutionay War. Arthur Clifton penned this work to celebrate Lafayette’s return visit to the United States in 1824.

The inclusion of works from Italian Opera composer Vincenzo Bellini is an indication that Grierson’s band was rather sophisticated for its time.

Photos and Sounds from A Vintage Brass Christmas

The Vintage Brass Band at First Presbyterian Church in Springfield, IL - Photo by Liz Murphy Thomas

Vintage Brass Band’s first gala concert, A Vintage Brass Christmas, was a great success! We would like to thank to the First Presbyterian Church of Springfield for providing a beautiful location for this concert which was attended by over 100 people.

Sound Clips:

Of Welsh origin, this holiday classic, “Deck the Hall” has been performed for centuries as a winter and Christmas carol.  This contemporary brass quintet arrangement is by Keith Snell.

Transcribed by G.W. Anthony and published as “Antiphony No. 2,” this work is more commonly known as “O Magnum Mysterium.”  It is from a Christmas Motet by Venitian Composer Giovanni Gabrieli (1557-1612).  This arrangement, instead of featuring choirs of voices and brass instruments contrasts two choirs of brass, one cylindrical and one conical.

Modern audiences may not be aware that one of our favorite holiday carols, “Jingle Bells,” was composed by James Lord Pierpont (1822–1893) in 1857 under the title “One Horse Open Sleigh.”  Vintage Brass Band Artistic Director Todd Cranson collaborated with soloist Mona Kreitner to create this arrangement from an 1857 publication of “One Horse Open Sleigh” for piano and voices.

2009 Season Complete!

Congratulations to the members of the Vintage Brass Band on a successful inaugural season!

Highlights of the Vintage Brass Band’s Inaugural 2009 season include performances at the 7^th Annual Boneyard Arts Festival, 14th Annual General Grierson Liberty Days in Jacksonville, the Capital 4th of July Celebration in Springfield, the Dedication of the Historic Mt. Pulaski Bandshell, a performance before Bill T. Jones’ Fondly Do We Hope, Fervently Do We Pray at the Ravina Festival Grounds in Chicago, and Spare some Change? – Granny’s Porch Looks at the 1930’s Through America’s Music at the Virginia Theater in Champaign, IL.

In December, the Vintage Brass Band presented A Vintage Brass Christmas, the group’s first major concert featuring 17th Century antiphonal music by Giovanni Gabrieli and 19th Century American band music with featured vocal soloist, soprano Mona Kreitner from Memphis, TN.

For press releases and more information about these events, visit our official Performance Calendar.