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The Wildcat Regiment Band re-creates the band of a Civil War volunteer infantry regiment – the 105th Pennsylvania. The members of the modern-day band come from the same geographical area in Pennsylvania as the men of the original band – Indiana, Jefferson, Clarion, Clearfield, and Westmoreland Counties.
The original bandsmen served from September, 1861, until the Union Army abolished regimental bands in 1862. The modern-day Wildcat Regimental Band performs across the eastern United States. Its music is heard regularly at the Gettysburg and Antietam Battlefields and at Harper’s Ferry. The original scores from which the bandsmen play were found in the archives of the Smithsonian Institution, the Library of Congress, and in private collections.
The search for additional music is ongoing, and the band’s repertoire expands continually. The band’s horns all date to the middle of the 19th century, with some going back to 1845. Wildcat Band concerts are educational events. Band leader Bruno J. Pino explains the instruments, the music, and the times in a way that connects listeners to the musicians of the Civil War era. The band’s evocative performances reflect careful practice and rehearsal – all with the goal of fulfilling the band’s mission of educating the public about the brass band era.
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