Many of you have been a great help in pointing me toward info sources, so as small thanks, this is an update..... and well, one more request.

Things are moving unbelievably fast.  David Diggs, director of the Wind Ensemble at Lehigh University, and I have arranged some 16+ selections for bands -- selections that were played at the 1807 jubilee or written for the 1907 Exposition.  He has also located a rare tour-de-force by Victor Herbert, American Fantasie, which should be a real crowd pleaser.  It was played at a November 1907 concert at The Exposition by The Great Ellery Band.

Of course for 2007 we have my Trumpeter of Jamestowne March, and David is working hard on a surprise offering which will be a major coup if he can pull it off.  The wind ensemble will do the 2007 music and about half the 1907 numbers, with the rest performed by a small brass band, representative of the many across America at the time.  

David has woven most of the 1807 music into a single work with narrative made up of the actual toasts given prior to each piece which was played originally by Capt. Nestle's Norfolk Artillery Band.  David is looking for a serpent horn player to augment the bass line, so if you or any of your friends play that exotic instrument, please get in touch with me.  The Wind Ensemble and two sub-set bands will begin rehearsals when the students return late next month.  Recording sessions are scheduled toward the end of the year.  Release of the CD is planned for late January 2007.  Current pricing plans set it at $12 which will be a real steal for such an historic stake-in-the-ground.

I have made the first cut at liner notes, the cover has been designed, and several hundred pre-announcement flyers have been printed.

One minor like-to-know.  The official opening hymn.  I have the words which are based on a poem by William Peagram, but no music.  The tune is said to be composed by a Wilberforce G. Owst, but I can find nothing about him.  The meter is 10.10.10.10 which is precisely what that old war house National Hymn is.  In fact, Peagrams opening line is:

    "O God of Nations, by their Guiding hand, Were our forefathers led to this blest shore."

and the National Hymn, after of course the trumpet fanfare:   Taaaaaa  Ta-Ta-Ta  Taaa  Taaa Taaa Taaa.

    "God of our Fathers, whose almighty hand, leads forth in beauty all the starry band."

Hmmmmmmmmmm

Not to take anything away from Wilberforce, so can anybody help me pin down the tune of that opening hymn?

Thanks again for everything.

Randy Cabell
The Trumpeter of Jamestowne

PS  Forgot to say that thanks to the magic of EBay, I now have a reproduction 1632 natural trumpet similar to the one used at Jamestowne ca. 1609.  My wife made a small gonfalon with the cross of St. George to hang below the trumpet, and I have been able to tease a handful of fanfares out of it, including one from 13th century Poland.  (Remember there were Polish glassmakers at Jamestown, so who knows -- blowing a trumpet is akin to blowing glass.)  If anybody out there needs a fanfare to open a Jamestown-related meeting, I come cheap.  My first gig is to open the fall meeting of the Jamestowne Society in November.

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