The Company Singers
The Company Singers is a group of men that took an idea
a little over three years ago and made it into a now well-known musical
unit that has performed for many varying-interest groups in and around
their Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War camp in Huntington, Indiana.
Not just an instrumental band, the men sing and play the old songs.
They perform songs from the 60’s… the 1860’s.
Their repertoire includes standards of the times,
such as "Aura Lea", military pieces like "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp", "Battle
Cry of Freedom" and many more little known songs of the era like Stephen
Foster’s "Old Dog Tray" or "The Glendy Burke."
They have combined period music, humor and even a
little bit of history to entertain and enlighten their listeners and hopefully
stir the memories of their parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles who might’ve
sung these songs in their youth.
They have performed in small venues for local civic
organizations all the way up to hundreds of people for National Organizations.
They have been able to teach young children and college students what it
was like to live in those times past with performances during their school
time. They have also been involved in memorial services in which they have
sung hymns from the period.
Fund-raising is a big part of what The Company Singers
do. Their camp raised funds for and purchased a monument that will
be dedicated in June of this year to some of the Civil War officers and
enlisted men of the area. Huntington, Indiana was fortunate to have
General James R. Slack, Col. George Pride, Col. Cyrus E. Briant, and Col.
Samuel Zent move back to the Huntington, Indiana area after the Civil War.
They are all buried in Huntington County. The money that The Company
Singers brings in helps in these types of fund-raising efforts. The
men take no money other than their transportation costs. The bulk
of their earnings goes into the local SUVCW coffer to help in the next
project that the camp decides is worthwhile.
The singers come from varied backgrounds but are all
members of the local Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War based in Huntington,
Indiana. The Champion Hill Camp, No. 17 to which they belong was
named for the battle of the Vicksburg campaign that many local Indiana
boys gave "the last full measure." The growing Huntington camp is
always looking for more men interested in the same thing. "Never
forget the sacrifice that was made for Freedom."
The men are excited to have been asked to perform
in this very-special event. They will bring their guitars, harmonicas,
mandolin, fife and more, and hopefully make some visitors happy to remember
those days from the past. The smiles on the faces in the crowd during
old standards like "Goober Peas" makes it all worthwhile.
They will be performing at 6:30 p.m. May 27, 2005
for pre-curtain entertainment at the Memphis Theater for the "Evening with
the Lincolns" production. Also, they will be performing on the east
steps of the Court House for the public during the wake and vigil and will
journey to the camps for some camaraderie with the troops who many times
want to pick up their own instruments and join in. They are great
at entertaining and also encouraging audience participation.
Member, Eric Fricke, will be the lone fifer to play
"When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again" at the cemetery funeral services
on May 28, 2005.
If you would like to see and read more about The Company
Singers, then check out their web site at: http://www.huntingtoncounty.org/suvcw/singers.htm
For more information and updates on the Funeral and
Burial of Corp. John Peyton Byrne please check out the web site http://www.duvcw.org
Return to:
http://www.duvcw.org/lastveteran
http://www.duvcw.org