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Jubilee!: One Man's Big, Bold, and Very, Very Loud Celebration of Peace
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About Jubilee!: One Man's Big, Bold, And Very, Very Loud
Product Description 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. From School Library Journal 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 From Booklist 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. Grades 2-5. --Connie Fletcher Review 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. —Publishers Weekly (starred review) Potter maintains suspense throughout—no concert this large had ever been attempted
