Why would anyone be interested in the American Civil War?  We’ve had so many civil wars since then.  As for the music of wars? Marching tunes?  Surely there is no point in dragging up memories of times past? There have been too many civil wars.

But tunes linger…
I was a child in Limerick when I first heard the music of the American Civil War.  To me, the origin of the melodies didn’t matter much. It was years later when I realised many of the melodies I’d loved were composed in the 1860’s.

War music, the rhythm of soldiers marching to their death, the songs of people left behind & dying on a battlefield never seen - surely it would be better, healthier, to forget all that sort of stuff?

Poetry & Music…
When I fell in love with the poetry of Walt Whitman & the story of his life with Peter Doyle - that’s when I first got interested in where the music came from.  

I’d like to share some of my passion for the American Civil War - not the politics of Abraham Lincoln, not the defence of the Union - the music of community.

Here’s a series of 6 audio podcasts…
I hope you find something in them to enjoy and share with others.