US History From a Brasilian's Perspective

It’s really interesting how artists have been able to express whole stories with nothing but music, and that is what I feel Mark O’Conner has been able to do with Brave Wolfe, made in 1997. General James Wolfe is actually an Englishman who became a war hero after taking Quebec from the French in Canada in 1759. Unfortunately, in that same battle, he was shot and killed by a cannon shot. Now, one may not be able to get so much detail from this song, but through the use of a battle field instrument, such as the trumpet, and mixing it in with the more elegant violin, listeners are able to sense that there was something great about this man. Also, near the end of the song, the speed gradually picks up and becomes more a tune that suggests lots of movement, lots of action, for instance, a fight on the battlefield. What I think was most interesting about this song was that the instruments seemed to have taken sides and be answering to each others “attacks” while, at the same time, sounding completely together.

Although this song was interesting once I learned the history behind it, it’s not exactly something I would end up being obsessed with. It was definitely near the end of the list when it came to favorite songs on this CD. As for this song teaching me something about the history of the US, I would have to say that just the fact that the song was made (uh oh, going into DBQ mode) shows me that Americans really adore and respect their heroes. A much less impressive lesson learnt was that America always seems to be in some sort of war. Luckily, it’s from such events that the United States was able to grow and become what it is today.