Overview
From Follett
Includes bibliographical references. "As a young boy growing up in Ireland, Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore loved music--the louder, the better! This love of music followed him to Boston in 1849, where he became a band leader. During the brutal Civil War, it was music that kept up his spirits and those of his fellow soldiers. So when the war ended and peace was restored to the country, Patrick had an idea. He would create the biggest, boldest, loudest concert the world had ever known to celebrate"--Jacket flap.
From the Publisher
An exuberant picture book applauds the man behind the 1869 National Peace Jubilee, the largest and loudest concert the world had ever seen -- or heard.
As a young boy growing up in Ireland, Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore loved music -- the louder, the better! This love of music followed him to Boston in 1849, where he became a bandleader. During the brutal Civil War, it was music that kept up his spirits and those of his fellow soldiers. So when the war ended and peace was restored to the country, Patrick had an idea. He would create the biggest, boldest, loudest concert the world had ever known to celebrate. A peace jubilee! But with twelve cannons, forty church bells, one thousand musicians, and ten thousand singers, just how would all of this sound? Matt Tavares's spirited illustrations burst with sound words in perfect harmony with Alicia Potter's triumphant story of the joy of music.
Product Details
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Publisher: Candlewick Press
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Publication Date:
April 8, 2014
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Format:
Hardcover
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Edition:
First edition.
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Dewey:
780
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Classifications:
Nonfiction
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Description:
40 unnumbered pages : color illustrations ; 24 x 28 cm
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Tracings:
Tavares, Matt, illustrator.
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ISBN-10:
0-7636-5856-1
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ISBN-13:
978-0-7636-5856-4
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LCCN:
2013-943992
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Follett Number:
0571FM7
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Interest Level:
3-6
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Reading Level:
4.1
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ATOS Book Level:
3.7
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AR Interest Level:
LG
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AR Points:
.5
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AR Quiz: 165745EN
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Lexile:
610L
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Fountas & Pinnell:
P
Reviews & Awards
- Booklist, 02/15/14
- Kirkus Reviews, 03/01/14
- Library Media Connection, 10/01/14
- Publishers Weekly starred, 01/27/14
- School Library Journal, 05/01/14
Full-Text Reviews
Booklist (February 15, 2014 (Vol. 110, No. 12))
Grades 2-5. You may have heard of the famous band leader known as the Great Gilmore. This title’s closing author’s note provides the full scoop: Patrick Gilmore wrote When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again and instituted Boston’s annual Fourth of July concert. But readers of this lengthy, satisfying picture book will experience Gilmore’s greatness more gradually. Potter centers her book on Gilmore’s mission to have a four-day jubilee concert at the end of the Civil War encompassing 10,000 singers, 1,000 musicians, 12 cannons, 40 church bells, and the world’s largest pipe organ, all held in the largest public building yet erected in the U.S.: the Temple of Peace. Potter maintains suspense throughout—no concert this large had ever been attempted, and critics were vehement that it could only produce cacophony. Tavares’ watercolor-and-gouache paintings magnificently capture crowds, street scenes, and individual expressions, while the typeface makes the individual instrumental and street sounds leap from the page. It’s just as Potter writes at the book’s end: So very, very LOUD! And so very, very beautiful.
Read all 6 full-text reviews …
Horn Book Guide (Fall 2014)
This tribute to the Irish-born Patrick S. Gilmore, called the "Father of the American Band" by Sousa, focuses on his 1869 National Peace Jubilee, a five-day concert in Boston featuring thousands of musicians and singers, as well as cannons, church bells, anvils, and more. The lengthy text grows repetitive; the soft-toned illustrations show panoramic views as well as more personal details. Bib.
Kirkus Reviews (March 1, 2014)
Patrick Gilmore was a mid-19th-century superstar who was the recognized initiator of the golden age of American band music. He played music all his life, first in Ireland and then in the United States. He led numerous bands throughout New England, and he was a bandleader for a Massachusetts regiment in the Civil War. He made his real mark on the music scene several years after the end of the war, when, filled with optimism, he organized a huge celebration--a peace jubilee--to remind the nation that it was united again. It was to be so big and loud and grand that it would involve hundreds of musicians and singers, church bells, anvils, cannon and a new venue large enough to hold it all. Potter employs a direct, accessible narration to describe the years of painstaking preparation and carefully builds anticipation for the main event. Words that represent sounds stand out in large bold type of varying designs; they are incorporated into Tavares' illustrations, rendered in softly hued watercolor, gouache, ink and pencil. Instruments "toot," "shreet" and "waaa." The thundering roars and booms can all be heard as if readers were right there listening. Fame is fleeting, and Gilmore has been overshadowed by Sousa and then forgotten, but Potter brings his achievements into focus again. Lovingly evokes a lost time. (author's note, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 7-10)
Library Media Connection (October 2014)
Readers learn of Patrick S. Gilmore, the Father of the American Band, one of the greatest influences on music in the United States, including inspiring John Philip Sousa and creating the model of two woodwind instruments for every brass instrument in a band. Gilmore always loved loud music, and came up with the idea of a Jubilee that would present the largest, loudest, boldest concert ever. Gilmore's Jubilee was a rousing success, and continues as a yearly day of music celebration. Gilmore is also the composer of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home." The book's text is geared towards young children, with short sentences and simple words. Ending pages offer additional information on Gilmore and his contributions. This book fits well with music and history classes, and the moral of sticking with one's dreams. Sara Rofofsky Marcus, Contributing Methodologist, Walden University, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Recommended
Publishers Weekly (January 27, 2014)
On June 15, 1869, Boston hosted the National Peace Jubilee, a massive, multi-day concert that was the brainchild of Irish-born Patrick S. Gilmore. "The music would celebrate the bravery of the soldiers!" writes Potter. "The unity of the land! The end of the war!" Despite the public's skepticism, Gilmore's efforts paid off in a spectacular concert featuring more than 11,000 performers and upwards of 30,000 in attendance. Potter's prose and Tavares's paintings deliver a rousing performance themselves-the sea of humanity packed into the Temple of Peace as the concert begins is breathtaking, and a testament to the immense power of music. Ages 7-10. Author's agent: Prospect Agency. Illustrator's agent: Stimola Literary Studio. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
School Library Journal (May 1, 2014)
Gr 2-4-After experiencing the horrors of the Civil War firsthand, one man was determined to celebrate the beauty of life through music. A native Irishman, Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore came to America in search of a better life. His deep love and appreciation of music led him to such an influential career as a bandmaster, composer, and musical arranger that he is credited as "Father of the American Band." At the war's end, Gilmore returned to Boston, welcoming the troops home with concerts, but none seemed grand enough-hence, his idea to organize a five-day music festival, the National Peace Jubilee of 1867, commemorating the end of the war and celebrating the power of music to unite people. Though most thought it overly ambitious, Gilmore felt too strongly about his idea to give up, proving how a little determination and hard work can make a seeming impossibility a reality. While Gilmore is not well-known among today's audiences, Potter offers a refreshing and episodic view of his life and contributions to American culture. An extensive author's note provides more depth to the legacy left by such an influential figure, whose musical contributions have unfortunately been overshadowed by the accomplishments of his contemporaries. Tavares's bright and cheerful artwork illustrates Gilmore's inspiration from everyday sounds while evoking the lighthearted ebullience of the power of music. This is both a tribute to one man's talent and an insightful look at a different period of history.-Rebecca Gueorguiev, New York Public Library (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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