Washington National Opera's Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists Present Songs of the Civil War

Free Concert in Willard InterContinental Hotel Lobby Washington DC, November 17, 2011 -- In conjunction with the Willard InterContinental's year-long commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, members of Washington National Opera's Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program present Songs of the Civil War. The free, lunchtime concert takes place in the Willard Hotel lobby on December 1, at 12:30 p.m. The program, designed by Ken Weiss, Music Administrator for Washington National Opera and narrated by Dr. Denise Gallo, Head of Acquisitions and Processing in the Music Division of Library of Congress, explores songs reflective of both Union and Confederate sentiments. The program includes Union Songs such as We are coming, Father Abram, Confederate Songs, Goober Peas, both the Union and Confederate versions of Battle Cry of Freedom/Rally Round the Flag, songs of slavery and abolition, home front songs, and those sung on both sides. The concert culminates with Battle Hymn of the Republic written by Julia Ward Howe at the Willard Hotel 150 years ago, in November, 1861. This poignant exploration of war expressed in music, features emerging young vocal talents groomed by Washington National Opera's Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program. Artists include soprano María Eugenia Antúnez, mezzo-soprano Sarah Mesko, tenor Jeffrey Gwaltney and bass Kenneth Kellogg, with piano accompaniment by Robert Mollicone. Willard Hotel and the Civil War As America marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War in 2011, the Willard InterContinental highlights its significant history of the period with Willard Hotel and the Civil War. This yearlong event in conjunction with Destination DC's regional Civil War to Civil Rights commemoration highlights various aspects of the Willard's history during this period through exhibitions, lectures, tours, concerts, discussion panels and related events. The Willard's programming includes partnerships with such cultural and historic entities as Lincoln at the Crossroads Alliance, The International Spy Museum, Ford's Theater, the Civil War Preservation Trust and Washington National Opera.

Love Me Tender Premiered in New York

By Calvin E. Johnson, Jr., Speaker, Writer, Author of book “When America Stood for God, Family and Country”—looking to republish and member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. cjohnson1861@bellsouth.net

Did you know that Elvis Presley had Cherokee ancestry and November is American-Indian Month?

Let me tell you about an exciting time before the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Dixie Cups, and Diana Ross and the Supremes came on the music scene with their wonderful music.

In 1956 Americans loved President Dwight Eisenhower, Fats Domino sang “I found my thrill on Blueberry Hill”, Buddy Holly and the Crickets appeared at New York’s Paramount Theater and “Love Me Tender” starring Richard Egan, Debra Paget and introducing Elvis Presley premiered at the Paramount Theater that is located at 43rd Street and Broadway in New York’s Times Square Theater District.

It was a time of Henry J automobiles, shopping at Woolworths Department Stores, going to drive-in double-feature movies and drinking a RC Cola with a moon pie and….

Fifty five years ago Elvis Presley fans gathered at New York’s Paramount Theater under a huge 40 foot cut-out of the King of rock and roll, on Thursday, November 15, 1956, to take part in the premiere of “Love Me Tender”, a wide screen, “Cinemascope” motion picture?

In 1956, Coke was still a nickel, popcorn a quarter and a movie just a quarter for a kid. It was a time when wide screen movies that included the 3-D dimension were first introduced.

Elvis Presley appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1956 and performed “Love Me Tender” for the first time....And, because of the unprecedented advance sale of over a million copies of that RCA recording, making it a “Gold Record” before it was even released; the producers for the movie changed the title from The Reno Brothers to Love Me Tender.

Love Me Tender was a great hit for Twentieth Century-Fox, despite a few negative reviews. Many more, however, gave it thumbs-up saying “Elvis can act.” Young ladies, Elvis’ true fans, could not control their excitement and screamed for joy throughout the movie.

If you could hear the movie with all the excitement, you were treated to a good story…..

About a Mother’s love for her family and the love triangle within a Southern-Texas family who were recovering from four years of terrible war. To make things more complicated, the Reno Brothers and fellow Confederates held on to the money that they took during a raid on a Union gold shipment. They did not know the war had ended when they took the money.

What a movie, with Elvis Presley singing 4 songs, a wonderful musical score by Lionel Newman and the great movie direction by Robert D. Webb who also directed: The Proud Ones and On the Threshold of Space during that same year.

The song “Love Me Tender” came from the Southern War Between the States era song “Aura Lee.”

The movie also starred veteran actors Neville Brand, Robert Middleton, James Drury, William Campbell and a very credible and heart-warming performance by Mildred Dunnock as the Mother of the Reno Brothers.

Elvis Presley attended a private screening of the movie on November 20th at the Loews State Theater in Memphis, Tennessee prior to its nationwide release on November 21st. During the screening Elvis’s Mother, Gladys Presley cried at the death of her son’s character at the end. Elvis Presley would insist that his characters would not die again on the screen. The death scene, however, would become famous as many people, young and old, wept at the movies ending that highlighted Elvis’ character singing Love Me Tender as the family walked away from his grave.