Brass from the Past!
Who Is The 33rd?
The 33rd Illinois Volunteer Regiment Band, Inc. was re-created, in 1996, by musicians from Central Illinois. Like the original band, the musicians were recruited from the same geographical area in Illinois and come from all walks of life. The band is an authentic reenactment of the actual Civil War Era band that was mustered at State Normal University in 1861.
The 33rd Illinois Volunteer Regiment Band has performed for historic programs, school events, and civic events throughout the Midwest, including many reenactments in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio , Kentucky, and Wisconsin. The band also plays at Military Balls, dances, and conducts educational programs that address the history of the Civil War era brass band movements and the evolution of brass instruments.
The band's uniforms, sewn from natural wool fibers, are authentic in every detail, and have been patterned from actual specimens worn by the Union soldier. The authenticity in dress presents the audience with the most accurate appearance possible.
Performances of Distinction
- 55th Presidential Inaugural Parade in Washington, D.C. (January, 2005)
- 100th Anniversary Re-dedication of the Illinois Monument at the Vicksburg National Military Park in Vicksburg, Mississippi, for the National Parks Service (October, 2006)
- Dedication of Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in St. Louis, Missouri (June, 2007)
- Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield, Illinois (September, 2007)