Album

This collection from Altissimo! Recordings—"Your Ultimate Source for America's Greatest Military Music"—features the U.S. Army Field Band, the U.S. Air Force Band & Singing Sergeants, the U.S. Coast Guard Band, the U.S. Marine Band, and the U.S. Navy Band & Sea Chanter Chorus. It features tunes and songs that were either popular during or derived from the Civil War period. The old minstrel song "Turkey in the Straw" and Stephen Foster's classic "My Old Kentucky Home" offset the three medleys that form the brunt of the collection. These "Blue and Gray" medleys include such memorable material as "Girl I Left Behind," "Dixie," and "Battle Hymn of the Republic," the latter of which leads into a ten-minute spoken word/song piece that traces the history of this most famous of Civil War ballads. Rounding out the collection are two versions of "Taps." The first is a solo performance; the second features a chorus of trumpets over swells of brass. It's a reverent ending to an effective, concise survey of Civil War military song.

© Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide

CD 1
Various Composers Composer Work(s) Work U.S. Navy Band Band, Sea Chanter Chorus Chorus/Choir
1	Blue and Gray Medley I: The Girl I Left Behind Me / Aura Lee (Poulton, G.R.) / Hail Columbia (Phile, P.)	3:49			$0.99
American Traditional Composer Yankee Doodle Work U.S. Air Force Band Band
2	Yankee Doodle	2:35			$0.99
Charles Barnhouse Composer Battle of Shiloh, march Work U.S. Navy Band Band
3	Battle of Shiloh, march	2:22			$0.99
Various Composers Composer Work(s) Work U.S. Navy Band Band, Ben Morris Soloist, Sea Chanter Chorus Chorus/Choir
4	Blue and Gray Medley II: Maryland, My Maryland (Randall, James Ryder) / Tenting On the Old Campground (Kitteredge, Walter) / John Bro	4:18			$0.99
William Steffe Composer The Battle Hymn of the Republic (Words by Julia Ward Howe; Music attributed to Steffe) Work U.S. Air Force Band Band, Tim White Narrator, United States Air Force Singing Sergeants Chorus/Choir, Carol Hawkins Wiley Mezzo-Soprano
5	The Battle Hymn of the Republic (Words by Julia Ward Howe; Music attributed to Steffe)	10:58			Album Only
American Traditional Composer Turkey in the Straw Work U.S. Coast Guard Band Ensemble
6	Turkey in the Straw	4:05			$0.99
Stephen Collin Foster Composer My Old Kentucky Home Work Edwin Franko Goldman Performer, Daniel Nevius Cornet, U.S. Army Field Band Band
7	My Old Kentucky Home (arr. cornet and band)	6:21			$0.99
Various Composers Composer Work(s) Work U.S. Air Force Band Band
8	Blue and Gray Medley III: Battle Cry of Freedom (Root, George Frederick) / Dixie (Emmett, Daniel Decatur) / When Johnny Comes Marchin	3:03			$0.99
Anonymous Composer Long Time Ago Work United States Marine Band Ensemble
9	Long Time Ago	2:58			$0.99
American Traditional Composer Shenandoah, folk song Work Ron Norman Soloist, U.S. Navy Band Band, Sea Chanter Chorus Chorus/Choir
10	Shenandoah, folk song	2:37			$0.99
Anonymous, American Composer Taps (attributed to Daniel Butterfield) Work 2:16 United States Marine Band Ensemble, U.S. Army Ceremonial Band Band
11	#1.	0:58			$0.99
12	#2.	1:18			$0.99
John Newton Composer Amazing Grace (hymn) Work Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) Pipes & Drums Ensemble, Paul Mundt Soloist, I. Webster Performer, Wendell MacLean Performer
13	Amazing Grace (hymn)	4:04			$0.99