2nd South Carolina String Band

The 2nd South Carolina String Band is a premier historical recreation ensemble dedicated to the preservation and performance of 19th-century American popular music. Formed in 1989 by members of a Civil War reenactment unit, the group evolved from informal campfire sessions into a highly respected musical entity featured in Ken Burns documentaries and major motion pictures like 'Gods and Generals.'

Their sound identity is defined by 'period-correct' instrumentation, including the use of bones, tambourines, gut-string banjos, and wooden flutes, played in a style that predates the standardized techniques of modern folk. Their career arc is marked by a transition from amateur hobbyists to recipients of the Stephen Collins Foster Award for song preservation. Critically, they are lauded for their refusal to 'modernize' the arrangements, maintaining the specific, often sparse and percussive arrangements found in mid-19th century sheet music and journals. They occupy a unique cultural space between the academic world of ethnomusicology and the living history community, serving as the primary sonic reference for the American Civil War era.