Go Back in Time at First Congregational Sunday

If you've ever wanted to take a trip back in time 150 years , you can this Sunday. The First Congregational Church brings the Dodworth Saxhorn band to Battle Creek.

It’s part of their Free Winter Concert Series on Sunday afternoons. The Dodworth Saxhorn Band, based in Ann Arbor, plays not just music from the 1800’s, but actual instruments from the period and they even dress up in period costumes.

When I heard about them, I thought it might be like to old Hooterville Community Band on Green Acres. Not at all! It’s a top-shelf group, in the same class as our world-renowned Brass Band of Battle Creek.

The band was even featured in Ken Burns' Baseball Series on Public Television. Their repertoire consists primarily of music from the mid 1800's. The music is typical of that found in community bands of the era: patriotic airs, orchestral transcriptions, arrangements of popular songs, marches, quicksteps, and ballroom numbers such as quadrilles, waltzes, polkas, gallops and schottisches. Some of the music comes from the Library of Congress.

We got a nice note from Marilyn Miles about a local connection:

“One of their members, Emilie Sargent, has Battle Creek ties. She is the granddaughter of the late Vera Edwards, a long time well respected third grade teacher at Minges Brook Elementary. Her mother Peggy Edwards Sargent is Lakeview High School graduate. Even though Peg hasn't lived here since her college days in the early sixties, she is a frequent visitor to her brother, sister-in-law and high school friends. She will come for the concert on Sunday.”