Music of the Civil War will be performed and stories behind the songs will be given by noted historical musician Steve Ball during the annual membership meeting of the Stryker Area Heritage Council.
Mr. Ball is known for using pre-Civil War era Martin guitars as he performs music from the war era. As he makes his presentation, he weaves fascinating tales of the backgrounds of the songs as he also follows the progress of the war.
Mr. Ball will be giving his performance on Thursday, November 14, at the Stryker Area Heritage Council’s annual membership meeting in the fellowship hall of the Stryker United Methodist Church, 301 Cherry Street, Stryker, Ohio.
There will be a dinner at 6:00 p.m. that night served by the ladies of the church. For those who wish to attend the dinner, the cost is $8.00.
A short business program will commence after the meal which will include the election of three trustees.
Following the session, Mr. Ball will make his presentation of songs from the Civil War.
The public is welcome to attend the session after the dinner without charge. Information on the meeting is available at the council’s website at strykerahc.org.
Mr. Ball says he began playing Civil War era music when he was 12 years old. He has played in a number of different types of groups, folk groups, bluegrass and country bands, square dance bands, and even a Western trio.
He says his interest in Civil War music was generated by tunes he learned while in the western trio, and eventually he built a repertoire of songs from the 19th century, both before and during the Civil War period of 1861 to 1865.
His interest in the history of the war led to learning about the composers, and the events that led to many of the songs of the period being written and composed. As his knowledge grew, he developed a presentation that explains both why the tunes were written and what was going on in the war at the time.
Donald Moody, president of the Muskingum County Civil War Association, said this about Steve Ball, “Steve Ball is a modern troubadour of the American Civil War era. No matter where I have heard him play, be it a reenactment, an indoor gala before hundreds, a civil war roundtable or on the floor of the Ohio Statehouse, Steve and his trusty 1860 Martin 2-20 guitar have never failed to hold all in attendance spell-bound as he weaves the songs and events of the American Civil War together into a seamless fabric of its history.”
For those who would like to attend the dinner and presentation on November 14, reservations need to be made by November 8 and may be made be sent to the Stryker Area Heritage Council, P.O. Box 180, Stryker, OH 43557 or by making a reservation request online to info@strykerahc.org
INFORMATION PROVIDED