Brent Moyer
In late December of 1862, two armies encamped within a thousand yards of each other near Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
The night before the Battle of Stones River , the military bands that traveled with each army engaged in a fierce competition of their own:
The armies bivouacked only 700 yards from each other, and their bands started a musical battle that became a non-lethal preview of the next day’s events. Northern musicians played Yankee Doodle and Hail, Columbia and they were answered by Dixie and The Bonnie Blue Flag. Finally, one band started playing Home Sweet Home and the others joined in. Thousands of Northern and Southern soldiers sang the sentimental song together across the lines.[16]
This is the story portrayed in a song called “The Battle Of The Bands,” which features trumpet and cornet parts contributed by Brent Moyer.
Listen to (or download) “The Battle of the Bands” with this audio player:
You are also welcome to listen to “The 1861 Project” in its entirety with this streaming audio player:
The CD will be release on July 19, but you can use the “Order Now” button in the player to pre-order the CD, the digital download, or both.
For more information, including our upcoming tour dates, enter your e-mail address — and download the first song from the album – The Turning of A Field– with vocals by Nashville icon John Anderson: