The Fields of Gettysburg

The Fields of Gettysburg is a song cycle that weaves together the personal stories of six people—actual people—whose lives intersected on the crossroads of Gettysburg during the epic battle that took place there on July 1–4, 1863.

Certainly a turning point of the American Civil War, Gettysburg is among the ranks of the most significant battles in world history. Approximately 200,000 lives collided in this small Pennsylvania town (population: 2,500 at the time); creating at least that many viewpoints and a million stories to tell.

The FOG will introduce the listeners to six of these people and provide a glimpse of their individual and very personal stories.  The characters include two key Generals, one Union and one Confederate, who provide the moral bookends to the song cycle; three young Gettysburg natives who grew up together—only to be torn apart by the war—each yearning for some kind of reunion and a return to peace; and a mother who struggles to make sense of her own personal loss as well as the massive loss of the Nation’s youth.

This historically accurate musical presentation includes 12 songs and narrative that pulls the stories together, all back-dropped by a pictorial presentation featuring period photographs and scenery of Gettysburg and the people involved. The entire show runs approximately 80 minutes.

The PBT presentation of The FOG will be the full-ensemble version of the song cycle (acoustic & electric guitars, bass, drums, piano, violin & harmonica played by John A. Walsh, Michael Lipton [Mountain Stage], Ted Harrison, Ammed Solomon [Mountain Stage], Bill White, Raquel Ravaglioli, and Todd Burge). Vocalists for this show will be the original album cast: John A. Walsh, Todd Burge, & Justin Arthur; joined by Sadie Johnson, Craig Heath & Sarah Burton. In a very special guest appearance, Mountain Stage’s Larry Groce will play the Narrator.

Composed by Vienna, West Virginia’s John A. Walsh, The Fields of Gettysburg has been received with wide acclaim since its release in 2013. The show was featured on NPR’s Mountain Stage; and the CD is available at The Gettysburg National Park’s Museum Gift Store, Tamarack’s The Best of West Virginia, and the Steam Into History Railroad Gift Shop (New Hope, PA). CDs & downloads of The FOG have been purchased and enjoyed all over America and the world including Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and The Netherlands.

The FOG has strong ties to Marietta, Ohio.  Walsh, White and Arthur are all hometown boys; Sarah Burton—a Williamstown, West Virginia native—calls Marietta home; Sadie Johnson is a recent Marietta College graduate; Professor Ravaglioli is the Director of Music Therapy at Marietta College; and Todd Burge – who Larry Groce considers “West Virginia’s premier songwriter” – is deeply involved developing and promoting the local music scene on both sides of the mighty Ohio River.

The recording, in addition to the players presenting at the PBT show, features an array of seasoned Appalachian musicians, including two-time Grammy winner Tim O’Brien and Mountain Stage founder/host, Larry Groce.  

Enjoy all of our upcoming performances on our new Byrider Stage!