Music of the Regiment - Equal to Any Band in This Country
Sat, Jun 13
|First Church Berkeley UCC
Marches, arias, and readings recreate the soundscape of the American Revolution, revealing how music shaped morale and identity during the fight for independence
Time & Location
Jun 13, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
First Church Berkeley UCC, 2345 Channing Way, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
About the event
In 1782, Colonel Christian Febiger was tasked with supplying ill-equipped and hungry American soldiers entering their sixth winter at war with Britain. Despite the recent Franco-American victory at Yorktown, “these [still were] the times that try men’s souls.” Mutiny in the American ranks loomed large.
“The men very uneasy about Pay and other necessarys [sic]... they would not march without monney [sic].” Fortunately, Febiger “was on the spot with... an excellent Band of Music to play them off... all was quieted... they march[ed] on chearfully [sic].” The reed is mightier than the sword, they say.
The band of the 2nd Virginia Regiment was the first of its kind in the Old Dominion. Established in 1779, the ensemble provided music for social events, recruiting, and military ceremonies. Equal to any Band in this Country pairs readings with marches, arias, and divertimenti that provided the soundtrack for the international armies that converged…