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Words and music by Dennis Livingston Demo
singers: Gregory Bouchard and Jon Blackstone Length
of song: 5:37 Song
style/genre:
A mixed bag, with folk, jazz,
boogie-woogie, cakewalk and modern
elements Key(s):
C major/F major Note
range
(Low/High):
middle C to D an octave above middle
C About
the song:
This
epic piece relates the story of an
incident in the US Civil War that most
likely changed the course of history and
that is used here to illustrate the
proposition that chance plays a greater
role in human affairs than we like to
admit. The
background is this: In the summer of 1862,
the North had pushed to within a few miles
of the rebel capitol at Richmond,
Virginia. Then, Southern forces threw the
Union Army back from Richmond, culminating
in a Northern defeat at Second Bull Run.
Sensing that the time was right for taking
the war to the North, Gen. Robert E. Lee
sent a battle plan known as Special Orders
No. 191 to his officers, directing them to
move into Maryland. One more decisive
defeat of the North would have brought
panic to Washington, prevented Lincoln
from issuing the Emancipation Proclamation
and strongly influenced England and France
to recognize the Confederacy. That, in
turn, would have probably compelled
Lincoln to end the war on the basis of a
divided country, ensuring the continuation
of slavery and bitter strife for untold
years to come. But it didn't happen that
way because a copy of Lee's plan was lost,
then found by Union troops, resulting in
the battle of Antietam, Lee's retreat and
Lincoln's consequent decision to release
the Emancipation Proclamation. Gender
point of
view:
Audiences might expect a war story to be
performed by a man, but I have no
objection to a woman with a commanding
voice taking this on. While
one singer can perform the piece, it makes
even more dramatic sense as a duet between
performers who, once past the
introduction, represent North and South as
the story moves back and forth between the
two sides. The sheet music indicates how
the song may be enacted according to this
scheme. In addition, a separate narrator
may be used for spoken lines, if this part
is not assigned to one of the singers or
the pianist. For
more information on the history reflected
in this song: An Invitatin to Battle: Special
Orders No. 191
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THE DEMO RECORDING 
