Dodworth Saxhorn Band
Performs at next Town and Gown Lincoln Series

DEFIANCE, Ohio – The Dodworth Saxhorn Band will wrap-up the year-long Abraham Lincoln series of Defiance College’s Town and Gown program with a performance on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7:30 p.m. The performance will be held in Schomburg Auditorium on the campus of Defiance College and is free and open to the public.

The Dodworth Saxhorn Band will play music Lincoln requested of the U.S. Army band during his presidency.

The band is a recreation of one of America’s first all-brass bands. The original Dodworth Band dominated the New York music scene from 1836 to 1891, performing in concerts, at balls, at social events, at political rallies, and in many U.S. presidential inaugurations. Today’s Dodworth Saxhorn Band, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., uses antique brass valve horns and drums built between 1840 and 1880.

The Dodworth Saxhorn Band creates fun and excitement through 19th century authenticity. The ensemble of up to 17 members dresses the part, performs music from that period on original instruments, and uses drama, poetry, dance, and audience participation to help bring America’s musical past to life.

The band performs in schools, universities, theaters, orchestra halls, and opera houses throughout the Eastern and Midwestern United States and Canada. The band also plays regularly at Greenfield Village of The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Mich. Performances include parades, Victorian Civil War balls, historical re-enactments, living history events, and vintage baseball games. 

The next Town and Gown program will feature a year-long series on the War of 1812 beginning in January 2010.

The series is sponsored by Defiance College and the City of Defiance. Additional financial assistance for the lecture and exhibit series is being provided by the Ohio Humanities Council.

Defiance College, chartered in 1850, is an independent, liberal arts institution in Northwest Ohio offering more than 40 undergraduate majors as well as graduate programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition for its educational experience of engagement. The college website is www.defiance.edu.

November 3, 2009