29th Annual Student Research Conference
Will the Leader of the Band Please See Mrs. Lincoln?: A Reconstruction of Francis Scala's "Mary Polka"
Christian A. Pierce♦
Dr. Jay Bulen, Faculty Mentor
By 1862, the United States was in the throes of the Civil War, which was taking a large toll on those living in the capitol. As a result, the president decided to host a ball at the White House to be held February 5th. As the Marine Band was to provide the entertainment, the conductor wrote a new composition in honor of the first lady. The night of the event, the Lincolns made frequent trips to check on their son who was suffering from typhoid. On February 20th, Willie succumbed to typhoid. Mrs. Lincoln, distraught with the loss of her son, would request the band not perform at the White House for several months, and the polka was never performed again. The purpose of this research is to reconstruct missing parts, create a complete score and produce a performance edition on modern instruments of Francis Scala's Mary Polka.
Keywords: Civil War, Music, Abraham Lincoln, Marine Band, Francis Scala, Polka
Topic(s):Music
History
American Studies
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: -2
Location: OP 2210
Time: 8:15