Old Towne Brass

Olde Towne Brass of Huntsville, Ala., will be making its seventh appearance when it performs at this year's festival. This group will play at the Chautauqua Tea.
The seven-man group recreates the sights and sounds of mid-19th century bands, playing selections arranged from original scores on actual Civil War instruments, while attired in authentic uniforms. The band says that the instruments made of solid nickel and silver actually make a smoother, more lyrical sound than contemporary pure brass instruments. 
With a special emphasis on the War Between the States, Olde Towne Brass presents programs that give the history of a song, facts about the composer, and where the song was performed. The group then plays the song in the manner it was performed more than 135 years ago. The group's music library includes more than 1,500 songs of this period. 
The group will appear in the Peridot Pictures release, "The Greatest Adventure Of My Life," which was filmed in Bowling Green. The group also worked with documentary filmmaker Ken Burns to arrange and record music for two productions: a film about Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony called "Not for Ourselves Alone" and a 10-part series on the history of American jazz music. 
Some of the group's more recent performances include: 135th anniversary Battle of Chickamauga; and battle re-enactments in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina and Virginia.
Members include engineers in the space, defense, and safety industries, as well as musical instrument technicians and craftsmen from the Huntsville area. Members include Werner Smock, E-flat cornet; Dale Proctor, B-flat cornet; Bob Baccus, E-flat alto; Mark Fisher, B-flat baritone; Bill Deiss, E-flat tuba; Terry Cornett, snare drum; and Doug Burdette, bass drum.