Very old band music: "The Death of Custer"

[Art Hovey]

When I was a wee lad my father often spoke of playing "Custer's Last Stand" when he was just starting out on tuba in Oskaloosa, Iowa. For many years he searched in vain for that arrangement. Eventually he made contact with someone who had it; the correct title was "The Death of Custer". He purchased the parts, and eventually conducted it several times with various summer bands on Long Island. It is not great music, but is so corny it's cool. I only got to play it once, and that was the last time I saw him conduct. (Also the first time he seemed to be old.) I have been told that he refused to allow anyone to make photocopies of the parts.

Anyway, I received a message yesterday from someone who fondly remembers playing it under my father many years ago, and would like to find the charts and play it again. But nobody knows what became of them. I have no idea who composed it or who published it. (I do know that my father stayed in touch with Chuck Barnhouse in Oskaloosa, and was not able to obtain it from him.) It must have been published before 1920, and possibly before 1900. If anybody out there has a copy of the charts in a dusty filing cabinet somewhere, I know someone who would love to ressurect it.

[van]

The Chatfield Band Library lists it on their site for rent.

[David Richoux]

This might be a dead-end, but there is a band associated with the "Shrine to Music" in South Dakota that has recreated "Custer's Last Band"
http://www.usd.edu/smm/Vinatierimusic.html (Steve Charpié and The New Custer Band, based in Los Angeles.) I don't find any better links but you might seek out Steve via some trumpet and antique brass forums.

The CD is pretty good, by the way.

[BVD Press]

This might be a dead-end, but there is a band associated with the "Shrine to Music" in South Dakota that has recreated "Custer's Last Band"
http://www.usd.edu/smm/Vinatierimusic.html (Steve Charpié and The New Custer Band, based in Los Angeles.) I don't find any better links but you might seek out Steve via some trumpet and antique brass forums.

The CD is pretty good, by the way.

I played the show for a week two years ago in a Civil War re-enactment band. It was a lot of fun! Good and challenging music.

[eupher61]

The Steve Charpie band (no accent when he was in this area!) CD is specifically music of Felix Viniatiere (sp??) who was Custer's music director at the time of the ill-fated battle.

It's great playing, a little too somber maybe for my taste in some ways. Interestingly, it uses a field drum only, no bass drum or cymbals. It really is great playing, did I say that yet??

[David Richoux]

The Steve Charpie band (no accent when he was in this area!) CD is specifically music of Felix Viniatiere (sp??) who was Custer's music director at the time of the ill-fated battle.

polite snip

That is why I said it might be a dead-end, but if anybody knows something about Custer music, he might be a good lead...

I am always amazed by the re-creation bands that play music of this era - very complex work on tricky old instruments!

[imperialbari]

Your LOC has a lot of interesting stuff online. However my attempt to find this piece there gave no result, but then it is easy to be smarter than me in that matter.

Klaus

[BVD Press]

I am always amazed by the re-creation bands that play music of this era - very complex work on tricky old instruments!

Me too and I am in one, but there always the excuse "the notes were too fast because the the valves wouldn't". I guess that is why we divide the parts (a lot).

[David Richoux]

Your LOC has a lot of interesting stuff online. However my attempt to find this piece there gave no result, but then it is easy to be smarter than me in that matter.

Klaus

I looked there as well - no luck so far!

However, there is this very interesting collection of Public Domain songs - not all have arrangements - http://www.pdinfo.com/list.php several songs about "Death of..." but not Custer.

[1895King]

George Foreman and the New Columbian Brass Band recorded it in 1995 on the album "Music From America's Golden Age."

[Kevin Hendrick]

The Chatfield Band Library lists it on their site for rent.

Chatfield Brass Band and Music Lending Library

http://www.chatfieldband.lib.mn.us/

[tubaguy9]

As far as this music goes...I don't really know about it...
However, if you'd like, I might go up to the Music Museum up in South Dakota some time soon...and I can ask about it if you'd like...

[imperialbari]

The Chatfield Band Library lists it on their site for rent.

Chatfield Brass Band and Music Lending Library

http://www.chatfieldband.lib.mn.us/

Excerpt from that site:

“Somewhere along the way, the Chatfield Town Band dissolved but was revived again by Jim Perkins in 1969. Perkins gleaned the names of band members from old high school yearbooks and sent out invitations to the first rehearsal of the new Chatfield Brass Band. Sixteen people attended the first rehearsal, six of them playing tuba!”

I certainly like the proportions of that section, but then I wonder whether that could happen today?

Klaus

[eupher61]

As far as this music goes...I don't really know about it...
However, if you'd like, I might go up to the Music Museum up in South Dakota some time soon...and I can ask about it if you'd like...

that's been suggested.

It's in the Chatham library, that's been proven twice already.

[Kevin Hendrick]

The Marshall (Michigan) Community Band played this piece yesterday as part of their Independence Day concert, and it went pretty well. Had three of the trumpet players out away from the band for the "antiphonal bugle calls". Longish piece, but the audience seemed to enjoy it.

(and yes, it was rented from the Chatfield Library)

[1895King]

I just ran onto a PDF file of it in the last week and now I can't remember where I saw it and Google doesn't show it.