September 8, 2026
The Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce that its next meeting will be held Tuesday, September 8, 2026 at 7:00pm at The Maryland Veterans Museum, 11000 Crain Highway North, Newburg, MD 20664.
Guest Speaker: Richard Bergren
Year 15 kicks off on a musical note, as we welcome Richard Bergren to the Round Table. Tonight, he will introduce us some of the different aspects of American Civil War music.
In an unique presentation for the Round Table, Mr. Bergren will look at three areas of Civil War Music:
1) Field Music which was sounded in military camps to regulate the soldier’s daily life and on the parade ground or battlefield to coordinate troop movement. As a bugler, Mr. Bergren will demonstrate some of those calls during his presentation.
2) Military Band Music! Differing from Field Music in style and instrumentation in a number of ways, some bandsmen might also have doubled as field musicians. To illustrate band music, Mr. Bregren would play some cuts from recordings made by the Federal City Brass Band, for whom he played from 2002 to 2009. Original Civil War era instruments were used and period arrangements from original band books were performed.
3) Popular songs of the era. These were often sung in camp and in theaters. These songs (even slow ballads) were often adapted by military bands as “quick step” marches. An illustration of a few songs accompanied by guitar or banjo would be performed.
Richard Begren was born in Oklahoma, but grew up in Michigan and Minnesota. He graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor degree in Music Education after playing trumpet in MSU bands for four years.
Following a year of teaching in Michigan public schools, he enlisted in the US Navy and entered the Naval Flight Officer Program. For the next 22 years, Mr. Bergren flew in a number of different aircraft, and served in several aviation related assignments. In one of those assignments, he directed the Naval Air Training Command Choir for three years. The choir performed in many different states, and on national television shows, singing four part acapella music.
Mr. Bergren has maintained an interest in trumpet playing. During an overseas tour, he was principal trumpet with the Guam Symphony Orchestra. While in the Navy he earned a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Troy State University. He also graduated from the Naval War College.
Following my retirement from the Navy, Mr. Bergren taught Effective Reading courses at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
In regard to the Civil War, he has been interested in it since he was a boy starting with the Civil War Centennial (1961-1965). Mr. Bergren was involved in reenacting starting in 1983, usually sounding calls on the bugle for the “battlefield”, in parades, at memorial ceremonies, and for educational settings. Perhaps the most challenging bugling I have done was from horseback while reenacting with cavalry units.
Help us get our 15th year off on the right note and join us for a hand clapping, toe tapping good time! As always, attendance is free, but membership is encouraged. Membership fees allow us to continue to seek out and invite the fine speakers we are fortunate to have every year. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns at bsunderland@somdcwrt.org.
