Lincoln Turns 200

...although we're somewhat historically-minded here, we completely missed the fact that today is Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday. Thanks to Each Note Secure to pointing us over the 21st Century Abe site, which involves Bryce Dressner of The National, who contributes with The Lincoln Shuffle. You can sample Dressner's composition, "Rose of Lincoln" on the page, of which Dressner had this to say:

The Rose of Lincoln is a short brass fanfare inspired by a Civil War era composition, Hunters’ Chorus from the Rose of Erin, by Julius Benedict. I have long been fascinated by early-American brass music and this particular piece has a very strange melody in its first 16 Bars which modulates twice over a static harmony. I decided to repeat this introduction and then build a quasi-minimalist fanfare around the pulsing trombones of the original work.

...The site examines the ongoing fascination of this 19th century man well into the 21st century, asking viewers to submit their views on the matter. We've definitely got some thoughts on the matter, but for us, he was the first US President to speak at the Old Courthouse here in Dayton. Yeah, we tied it back in...