THE EXCELSIOR CORNET BAND  New York State's Authentic  Civil War Brass Band

NEWS: Bandleader Jeff Stockham appears
in Steven Spielberg’s movie “Lincoln”

In December 2011, bandleader Jeff Stockham participated in the filming of Stephen Spielberg’s epic movie “Lincoln”. (Official website: http://www.thelincolnmovie.com; IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443272/.) Jeff played tenor horn in the brass band “President Lincoln’s Own”, which portrays the US Marine Band of 1864. In addition, he supplied a number of rare original musical instruments (his tenor horn, a clarinet, snare drum, and bass drum) for the band’s use; and he provided other props including twelve original M1840 Musicians Swords and the Drum Major’s mace. The scene was shot in historic Old Town, Petersburg, Virginia, on December 19, 2011. Jeff is visible in a close-up shot of the band. The scene plays in the first few minutes of the film.

On November 19th, 2012, the band reassembled to perform at Gettysburg for the 149th Commemoration of the Dedication of Gettysburg National Cemetery. Guest speaker Stephen Spielberg afforded the band the honor of posing for pictures and thanked us for being in the movie, exchanging handshakes with each member of the band. It’s an honor we won’t soon forget.

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Bandleader Jeff Stockham contributes his
musical expertise to new Civil War movie

Bandleader Jeff Stockham has just returned from Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, where he spent a week as a musical consultant on the set of the upcoming Civil War movie Copperhead: The War At Home . Directed by Ron Maxwell, whose films Gettysburg and Gods & Generals are legendary among Civil War aficionados, Copperhead: The War At Home tells the story of an upstate New York family ripped apart by war, of fathers set against sons and daughters, of a community driven to an appalling act of vengeance against a man who insists on exercising his right to free speech during wartime. Copperhead: The War At Home is a timeless and deeply moving examination of the price of dissent, the place of the individual amidst the hysteria of wartime, and the awful cost of war. The film is schedule to open nationally on June 28, 2013.

The production company rented our Blodgett & Bradford bass drum, Edward Brown snare drum, and Boston Musical Instrument Manufactory “Band Model” B-flat cornet for use by the drum corps, in a scene where the village’s young men march off to war as new recruits. Jeff was responsible for the historical accuracy of the music, instruments and the performance of the drum corps. Jeff also played the cornet on the soundtrack recording for that scene.

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Excelsior Cornet Band Plays
On Award-Winning Rock CD

The Excelsior Cornet Band can be heard on Michael P. Ryan’s CD “CASHTOWN”, which won the 2011 Syracuse Area Music Award (SAMMY) for Best Rock Recording of the Year. The band played on the four tracks that comprise the “Suite Jenny Wade”. We are proud to have been a part of this outstanding project. Congratulations, Mike!

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The Excelsior Cornet Band is New York State’s only authentic Civil War brass band. Founded in 2001, the band consists of a group of upstate New York musicians who are dedicated to the performance of original Civil War music on actual antique brass band instruments of the 1860’s period.

THE EXCELSIOR CORNET BAND
New York State's Authentic
Civil War Brass Band

Jeff Stockham with the drum corps, on the set of the upcoming movie Copperhead: The War At Home, at historic King’s Landing near Fredericton, New Brunswick, on May 31, 2012.

Photo: David Franco

“Lincoln” director Stephen Spielberg greets members of “President Lincoln’s Own”,
including Excelsior Cornet Band leader Jeff Stockham (far left) at the 2012
commemoration of the dedication of Gettysburg National Cemetery.

Photo: Patrick Semansky/AP

Recreating the glorious sounds and appearance of this pivotal period in American history, the band performs the most popular melodies of the 1850-1870 period, as well as patriotic airs, operatic medleys, marches, and dance music by the era’s most renowned composers and bandmasters. All of the band’s musical arrangements come from the bandbooks of Civil War era bands, or are arranged from the original Civil War era sheet music.

The musicians of the Excelsior Cornet Band are professional performers with many years of experience in a wide variety of musical genres. They perform with an enthusiasm and polish that brings the music of the Civil War brass band era to life. Their uniforms authentically and accurately represent those of a typical early-war New York State Militia band.

During its nine years of performing, the Excelsior Cornet Band has presented concerts, educational programs, and living history portrayals for a wide variety of organizations and municipalities, including:

The Great American Brass Band Festival, Danville, KY
Genesee Country Village & Museum, Mumford, NY
New York State Military Museum, Saratoga, NY
National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, New Windsor, NY
Tinker Homestead Museum, Rochester, NY
Rose Hill Mansion, Geneva, NY
8th Maine Regimental Memorial, Peaks Island, ME
5th Maine Regimental Museum, Peaks Island, ME
Maine Veterans Home, Scarborough, ME
Homer Center for the Arts, Homer, NY
Iron Heritage Festival, Danville, PA
155th NY Volunteer Infantry, Buffalo, NY
Lincoln in Paint and Print, Homer, NY
Aurora Historical Society, Aurora, NY
Morgan-Manning House, Brockport, NY
Peterboro NY Civil War Weekend
Syracuse University
Le Moyne College, Syracuse, NY
Elmira College
State University of NY at Oswego
Wells College, Aurora, NY
Hartwick College, Oneonta, NY
University of Rochester
County of Onondaga, NY
Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz, NY
Mount Hope Cemetery, Rochester, NY
Locust Grove/Samuel F.B. Morse Historic Site, Poughkeepsie, NY
The New York State Fair, Syracuse, NY
Albany Rural Cemetery Civil War Heritage Days
City of Glens Falls, NY, Centennial Celebration
Dedication/rededication of Civil War Monuments and cemetery plots
in Syracuse, Buffalo, Albany, Waterloo, and Fabius NY;
The 149th NYS Volunteers
Oswego Harborfest, Oswego, NY
Concert series at Sackets Harbor, Liverpool, Moravia, Cazenovia,
Johnson City, and Homer, NY

No other musical group in New York State can recreate the glorious sounds and appearance of the Civil War brass band era with such accuracy and authenticity. The Excelsior Cornet Band is proud to present the music of this important period of American history.

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NEW! You can now download our MEDIA KIT

in PDF format, from the LINKS page.

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We are always seeking period instruments for our performing collection. Of particular interest are any Over-The-Shoulder (OTS) instruments (especially E-flat soprano, B-flat soprano and B-flat tenor), any keyed brasses (especially E-flat bugle and E-flat alto ophicleide or quinticlave), and early “post horns” (small-bore trumpets with Vienna twin-piston valves.) Please Contact Us if you have an instrument that you think may be of interest to us!

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The Excelsior Cornet Band ready for action at the “Lincoln In Paint And Print”
Bicentennial Celebration in Homer, NY, on May 16, 2009
Photo: Victoria Stockham

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