Do They Miss Me at Home?, by Southern Horizon, 2207 Wren’s Nest Road, Richmond, VA 23235, (804) 320-4680, www.southern-horizon.com, $15 plus $2 for shipping.
What would a war be without music? We’ve all seen the advertisements for compilations of wartime tunes, from the sentimental big band sounds that formed a backdrop to World War II to the politically charged songs that denounced the Vietnam War. Admittedly, music is not the first thing most people think of when someone mentions the Civil War. But the participants of the War Between the States–whether on the battlefield or the home front–found expression, courage, and comfort through music, as would their counterparts in wars to come.
The new CD from Southern Horizon, Do They Miss Me at Home? brings to life the music of the ’60s (the 1860s, that is). Four voices blend skillfully with authentic period instruments, chiefly banjo, fiddle, and guitar, to present 17 traditional tunes from Civil Warera America. Vocal and instrumental selections include pieces familiar to modern ears, such as “Old Zip Coon” (recognizable as “Turkey in the Straw”), “The Water Is Wide,” and “Aura Lee” (if you don’t recognize that one, you’ll recognize the song that borrowed its tune: “Love Me Tender”). There are expected expressions of longing–whether by soldiers for home or by family for loved ones in battle–and there are rousing jigs and reels that likely provided entertainment around campfires for units lucky enough to boast a fiddler or two. According to the album notes, “Riding a Raid,” a lively cavalry song that honors General J.E.B. Stuart, has particular resonance for one of the group’s fans: “J.E.B. Stuart IV, a frequent attendee at our concerts, often requests that we play it for him.”
The musicians who make up Southern Horizon have been performing together for more than a decade. Su Tarr and Victoria Tenace are both classically trained musicians who have performed with symphony orchestras, while John Robison and Robbie Watts trace their musical background to 1960s folk music and country and bluegrass groups. As Southern Horizon, the four present “authentic period music for Civil War balls, living histories, and related events.” Two previous recordings by the group, The Girl I Left Behind Me and Fields of Glory, are also available.
Do They Miss Me at Home? is one of those albums that gets better the more you listen to it. Its selection of tunes offers a slice of 1860s life in its many facets–patriotism and pride as well as separation and sorrow…the very elements that inspire all good wartime music.
Brenda Wilt
