George F. Root (1820-1895) was an American songwriter and publisher. He knew and worked with the hymn-writer Fannie Crosby, and he wrote many sacred songs, as well as several famous songs of the Civil War, such as "The Battle Cry of Freedom" and "Just before the Battle, Mother." Root edited many volumes of songs and instruction books, and this "March of the 600,000!" appeared in several method books for reed organ. 600,000 is the traditional number of Israelites estimated to have been led out of Egypt by Moses in the biblical Exodus. Root's rambunctious march was published in 1875. The instrument is an American chapel-model reed organ, the Packard Organ Co.’s Style 470, built in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1908. It belongs to our friend and Packard Organ expert Charlie Robison (see his website www.packardorgan.com), who helped plan the recent “Trails West” gathering of the Reed Organ Society in Independence, Missouri. Recorded in concert, 4 October 2015 in the Community of Christ Auditorium there; performed by Michael Hendron.
6 сен 2024
