Free concert will feature music from Civil War era

The 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War has come and gone, but you can still hear music from that era played on occasion.

One of those times is coming up in downtown Macon on Saturday afternoon.

The 8th Regiment Band is scheduled to play a free concert beginning at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the Confederate Triangle Park on Cotton Avenue.

“To my knowledge, they’re the most famous band from the period,” said Martin N. Bell, who orchestrated the group’s play date. “They’ve been all over the U.S.” and recently played in Canada.

The concert will last about 45 minutes. A tent will be set up in the park, as will 125 chairs.

Some of the volunteer members of the band, based in Rome, play instruments from the Civil War period, providing a sound “just like soldiers and citizens” heard during the 1860s, Bell said.

Those familiar with the Ken Burns documentary on the Civil War will remember songs that such bands played during the war years, he said.

The band often performs at Civil War re-enactments across the country, and it also plays at balls, churches, memorial services and more.

The band has produced several CDs over the years and has been featured in movies.

Saturday’s concert, in honor of Confederate Memorial Day, is sponsored by the Military Order of Stars and Bars, Lt. Gen. James Longstreet Chapter in Macon. Bell is the group’s commander.

This story was originally published April 29, 2016 at 1:25 PM with the headline "Free concert will feature music from Civil War era."