‘Songs of the Civil War’ is next Friday

When you attend “Songs of the Civil War,” you may see a tall fellow with a slouch hat shading his eyes, with baggy pants and suspenders, and toting a guitar and banjo. Chances are you’ve run into Bob Welch.
Welch performs songs of the Civil War period, singing and accompanying himself on guitar and banjo.
“Songs of the Civil War – Lincoln and Liberty, Too” will be presented at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 12, at the Mother of Dolors Catholic Church Parish Hall, located at Seventh and St. Clair streets in Vandalia.
Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for children.
All proceeds will go to the Lincoln Victory Ball Committee, which is planning the Lincoln Victory Ball to be held on Lincoln’s Birthday next year.
Welch’s performances, a unique combination of music, history and story-telling, have been enthusiastically received at Civil War re-enactments, schools, libraries, fairs, museums and senior living facilities across the United States, including Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and Gettysburg, Pa.
Some historians have referred to the Civil War as “the musical war,” because a great deal of music was created during those years. Bob combines storytelling and history with the music.
The songs of the 1860’s literally bring history to musical life. His five CDs include “The Ballad of Jennie Wade (and Songs of the Civil War),” “The Sharpsburg Letter (and More Songs of the Civil War),” “Shiloh’s Bell,” “Dear friends and gentle hearts… Songs of Stephen Foster & The Civil War” and the latest, “Let Us Cross Over the River.”
The CDs are available at all performances.
The “Songs of the Civil War-Lincoln & Liberty, Too” program is endorsed by the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission in Washington, D.C., and Welch is a member the Iowa Arts Council’s Teaching Artist Roster.
Welch and his song, “The Ballad of Jennie Wade,” were honored in the “Song of the Year” songwriting competition and featured in the national magazine, “The Gettysburg Companion.”