1. The Philadelphia Beck Band, No. 1: Past and Present  by  Thomas M. Ricks, Ph.D.

Early 19th century Philadelphia was a vibrant, prosperous and multi-ethnic mid-Atlantic port town. The German-American community was growing fast and it was easy to find German-Americans working and living at every level of society. The neighborhoods of Front Street, South Street, Northern Liberties, Spring Garden and Frankford were home to most of the German community up to the Civil War.

On October 1, 1830, eight Beck brothers and three of their nephews formed the “Beck’s Philadelphia Band” along with friends and relatives. The brothers were members of the Hope Hose Company of volunteer firemen on 2nd and Pine, and in October 1830, they marched with the fire company as a band in their firemen’s uniforms. In the intervening twenty-one years prior to the Civil War, the Beck Band played increasingly for union balls, charity organizations, operas, and the first Republican Party convention. By the outbreak of hostilities, the Band had become chartered by the State as the “Philadelphia Beck Band, No. 1” and had well-known reputation up and down the East coast as versatile and entertaining musicians.

In May 1861, three of the Beck brothers (Jacob, Anthony and George) along with one nephew (Antrim) and twenty-one other members of the Band mustered into the 20th PA Volunteer Infantry Regiment for three months. Their tour of duty was brief and not entirely strenuously spent in Washington DC building forts around the capital areas and entertaining the troops. Upon their return, the Becks learned of the 28th PA and with less than three weeks of furlong re-enlisted as the 28th PA Regimental Band. From August 1861 to September 1862, the Band of 24 musicians supported, entertained, and carried out soldering duties on the bluffs overlooking Harper’s Ferry and Sandy Hook, Maryland. By General Order #91 of July 1862, it was clear that the regimental bands had to be dismissed for lack of federal funds and brigade bands were formed. On September 7th, the 28th PA Regimental Band left their comrades in arms and returned to Philadelphia to continue their pre-war labors and musical presentations. But not for long. The famed Philadelphia Brigade, distinguished by its bravery and its all-Philadelphia regiments including the 72nd PA Firemen Zouaves of Colonel Baxter lost their band following the battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863. The Becks once more enlisted to serve their fire company colleagues and the city of Philadelphia and spent the next six months as the 2nd Brigade (Philadelphia Brigade), 2nd Division, 2nd Corps Band. It is said that at the height of the July 3rd Longstreet assault on Cemetery Ridge defended mainly by the Philadelphia Brigade, General Hancock , the 2nd Corps commander, requested music from a band and it struck up the Star-spangled banner; that band was undoubtedly the Philadelphia Beck Band.

On returning home for the third time in so many years to Philadelphia, the Beck Band took part, it is said, in all the welcoming and memorial day parades of the area. No longer attracted by the pre-war requests, the Philadelphia Beck Band, No. 1 devoted all of its time and music to remembering the fallen and entertaining the veterans of that War. The Beck brothers played their last concerts as the original Becks at the 1876 Philadelphia International Centennial festivities in Fairmont Park. Several of the Becks continued to play with the Band until the last of the Becks (A. Walter Beck)  passed away in 1921 after which the Beck Band came to an end.

Today, the Philadelphia Beck Band, No. 1 is represented by sixteen musicians from the Greater Philadelphia area normally portraying the Becks as the 28th PA Regimental Brass Band. Preserving the memory of Beck brothers through historical research and honoring the living relatives of the Becks, the Band seeks to acquire and preserve the instruments and musical scores of the mid-19th century American Band Movement era, and re-enact the Beck brothers’ musical contributions to Philadelphians, Pennsylvanians, and Delaware Valley communities alike. In reviving the concept of a “town band”, the 21st century musicians of the Beck Band wish to inspire its audiences with the values and aspirations of that age gone by which entertaining and uplifting the spirits of the commonwealth through “discoursing sweet music” in the memory of all musicians of 19th century Philadelphia.