Presented by the St. Mary's County Museum Division

1:30 p.m. - Concert
Free Concert

In 1782, Colonel Christian Febiger of the Virginia Line wrote to General George Washington, “The men very uneasy about Pay and other necessarys [sic]... they would not march without monney [sic].” Fortunately, this gentleman officer had a secret weapon, “I was on the spot with... an excellent Band of Music to play them off... all was quieted... they march on chearfully [sic].” 

Febiger’s band was the first of its kind in Virginia. Established in Philadelphia over the winter of 1779, the 2nd Virginia Regiment’s “band of music” was formed of Virginian-born soldiers, trained by a German music master, and functioned as both a wind and string ensemble. The band provided music for social events, recruiting, military ceremonies, and even pacified obstinate soldiers. In Febiger’s own words, his musicians were “Equal to any Band in this Country” and “had more Influence... than would the Oratory of a Cicero.” 

With the story of Col. Febiger’s band at its center, Equal to any Band in this Country offers a historically immersive program combining dramatic readings with marches, opera arrangements, and musical divertimenti that served as the soundtrack of the French, American, and British armies that converged at Yorktown in 1781. Featuring works by André Grétry (1741–1813), François-Joseph Gossec (1734–1829), Timothy Olmsted (1759–1848), John Reid (1721–1807), Johann Christian Bach (1735–1782), and others.  

Elise Bonhivert, classical clarinet
Dominic Giardino, classical clarinet
Megan Hurley, natural horn
Rachel Niketopoulos, natural horn
Aaron Goler, classical bassoon
Kelsey Schilling, classical bassoon