“The Voice of a Departing Soul ( Death’s Door)” Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore, arr. John Philip Sousa

South of Ireland Band Championship 2026 Edit Paul Kevin O’Brien ARDEE CONCERT BAND conducted by James MacCafferty TAPS BUGLE CALL sounded by Dermot Murray Euphonium Soloist Tom Healy On the Twenty Fourth of September 1892 Patrick Gilmore died of a heart attack during a rehearsal with his Gilmore Band for the St. Louis Exposition in front of his wife Ellen & daughter Minnie. It is estimated that half a million people paid their respects as the funeral cortege made it’s way along Fifth Avenue led by a 100 piece marching band and an honour guard of soldiers. Gilmore, a Union Army bandmaster, had entertained troops and prisoners alike during the Civil War and was heavily involved musically in Virginia in 1862 when the solemn post known to American’s as TAPS was first adopted. Sousa’s band were to make their debut appearance two days later on the Twenty Sixth of September and began their concert with a tribute to Gilmore. Sousa stated “if anyone could do one thousandth as much good for mankind as was done by Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore, his memory will indeed be blessed”. Dermot Murray sounds our bugle call TAPS and Tom Healy is our Euphonium soloist in Gilmore’s “Voice of a Departing Soul.” Thank you to Drogheda 411 for the kind use of their pillar and CSM Print Solutions for their excellent Print & Design! Video courtesy of Joanne Carroll