The Waukesha Area Symphonic Band, regarded as one of the leading adult community bands in the United States, will perform a full musical accompaniment to the silent film “The General” at the historic Bradley Symphony Center in downtown Milwaukee. Often regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, the comedic timing and amazing stunts of Buster Keaton are impeccably interwoven into an engaging story based on a factual account from the Civil War.

Accompanying this entertaining film is music drawn from the compositions of James Barnes, as well as authentic fife and drum tunes and civil war marches. The accompaniment was compiled by Carthage College alumna Samantha (Whalen) Reid as a summer research project under the direction of Dr. Ripley. Extracting about 90 minutes of music from over 100 works by Mr. Barnes, the final result follows the pathos, comedy, and heroism of the protagonist and his two loves—Annabelle and his train “The General”.