Burlington Concert Band

George Dallas Sherman

Geo. D. Sherman's "St. Valentine" March

George Sherman was born in Richmond, Vt. on August 23, 1844 to Hathaway and Relief Sherman. In 1858, at the age of 14, he joined the Richmond Cornet Band and soon became its leader. He left this band in 1864 to join the 9th Vermont Regiment as a musician during the Civil War. After the war he came to live in Winooski where he married Mary A. Thompson and became a band teacher.

In 1878 he organized, with much coaxing from the citizens of Burlington, Sherman's Military Band, made up of musicians from the dormant Queen City Band. This band came to be well known all over the East as one of the finest touring Military Bands.

After Sherman retired from the band in 1917, the group became known as the Burlington Military Band under the exceptional directorship of Dr. Joseph Lechnyr, a renowned and influential Vermont musician. George continued to live on Sherman street (which many erroneously believe to be named after him) until November 3rd, 1927 (as many will recognize as the date of the great flood). On that day, while crossing the street near his home at the corner of Sherman and Battery Street (on the park side of Battery St.) at the age of 83, he was struck by a car and died two hours later of multiple laserations and a fractured skull. His funeral was attended by Grande Army of the Republic comrades and the Masonic Ritual was held at his graveside. He left three children at the time of his death.

Although Sherman is well remembered as one of the first leaders of what is known today as the Burlington Concert Band, he is also remembered for his fine marches, many of which were reportedly used by John Philip Sousa in his concert tours. A complete list of his compositions follows.

As a side note, if any reader has in their posession or knows of any existing composition by George Sherman, please contact Aron Garceau at agarceau(at)fnwsu.org (replace the (at) with the @ symbol, this is to avoid spammers who harvest webpages for e-mail addresses).

Sadly, the Burlington Concert Band only has two of Sherman's pieces as many were lost in a fire in the same year as his death.

Marches

Listed in Daily Free Press Jan 26th 1888

Salute To Burlington *
Free Press March
Stannard Post March

Published by Jean Missud of Salem Massachussetts

DFP March 28th 1891
Rock Point Cadets
The Watchman
The Independent

Oliver Ditson & Co.

DFP March 31st 1892

General William Wells
General William Greenleaf
Vermont University
Cecilian March dedicated to the Ladies Quartette of St. Johnsbury
The Belle of America (listed as "American Belle" HEBM V.II) Seitz 1893
Sherman Military Band

Listed in Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music Vol II, 1991

American Union (Coleman, 1894)
The Body Guard (John Church Co, 1903)
the Brownie's Reception (Church, 1895)
Burlington Commandery K.T. [Knights Templar](Gay, 1893)
Cavalcade (Church, 1895)
Coleman's March (Coleman, 1893)
Evangeline (Seitz, 1893)
The Floral Ball (Church, 1896)
The Herald (Missud, 1889)
Hero's Command (Church, 1895)
Hope Beyond, dirge (Church, 1895)
Invitation to the Wedding (Coleman, 1894)
The King's Daughters, grand march (Church, 1895)
The Millionaires (Church, 1896)
Olive Branch (Barnhouse, 1907)
Pilot (Missud, 1888)
Prima Donna (Gay 1893)
Remembrance of Stave Island (Church, 1895)
St. Valentine (Church, 1896)
The Stranger (Coleman, 1894)
Vermont National Guards (Coleman, 1894)
With Majesty (Colena, 1893)

Non Marches

Algonquin Overture (Church, 1897)
Cupid's Captive, waltz (Church, 1895)
Dance of the Flower Girl (Coleman, 1895)
Fleur de Luce, schottische (Church, 1898)
Message of Love Waltz (Coleman, 1893)
Rainbow Mazurka (Barnhouse, 1895)
Scamper Galop (Coleman, 1894)

*played as the opening piece at all Burlington Concert Band performances today.