This is a blog about music, photography, history, and culture.
These are photographs from my collection that tell a story about lost time and forgotten music.

Mike Brubaker
{ Click on the image to expand the photo }

Alte Kameraden

02 March 2018



Alte Kameraden auf dem Marsch durchs Land
Schließen Freundschaft felsenfest und treu.
Ob in Not oder in Gefahr,
Stets zusammen halten sie auf's neu.
 ~
Old comrades on the march through the country
Hold friendship rock solid and true.
Whether in need or in danger
Always together they keep it new.

 

Zur Attacke geht es Schlag auf Schlag,
Ruhm und Ehr soll bringen uns der Sieg,
Los, Kameraden, frisch wird geladen,
Das ist unsere Marschmusik.
~
During the attack, things happen fast,
Glory and honor will bring us victory,
Come, comrades, we shall reload,
This is our marching music.
 



Im Manöver zog das ganze Regiment
Ins Quartier zum nächsten Dorfhauselement
Und beim Wirte das Geflirte
Mit den Mädels und des Wirtes Töchterlein.
 ~
During maneuvers, the whole regiment
Took quarters in a nearby village
And at the inn we had a flirt
With the girls and the landlord's daughter.



Lachen scherzen, lachen scherzen, heute ist ja heut'
Morgen ist das ganze Regiment wer weiß wie weit.
Kameraden, ja das Scheiden ist nun einmal unser Los,
Darum nehmt das Glas zur Hand und wir rufen "Prost".
~
Laughing joking, laughing joking, today is today
Tomorrow the whole regiment will be
who knows how far away.
Comrades, that parting is truly now our fate
So take up the glass and we shout "Cheers".







Alter Wein gibt Jugendkraft;
Denn es schmeckt des Weines Lebenssaft.
Sind wir alt, das Herz bleibt jung
Und gewaltig die Erinnerung.
~
Old wine gives the strength of youth,
Because the taste of wine is the elixir of life.
Even if we are old, the heart stays young
And grand the memories.



Ob in Freude, ob in Not,
Bleiben wir getreu bis in den Tod.
Trinket aus und schenket ein
Und laßt uns alte Kameraden sein.
 ~
Whether in joy, whether in need,
We remain faithful unto death.
Drink up and pour again
And let's be old comrades.





Sind wir alt, das Herz bleibt jung,
Schwelgen in Erinnerung.
Trinket aus und schenket ein
Und laßt uns alte Kameraden sein.
~
Even if we are old, the heart stays young,
Delighting in memories.
Drink up and pour again
And let's be old comrades.


Lyrics to Alte Kameraden – Old Comrades
a popular military march
composed by German bandmaster Carl Teike
in 1889 in Ulm, Germany.





Ofner        Haas G.        Rommer        Petschka

Stracker Mathias

Stracker Karl                                         Fürst Benedikt




The postcard has no date
but the men wear
Austrian military band uniforms
from around 1914 or earlier.
The instruments of the seven musicians,
arranged on the ground in front of them,
include a bass helicon, a baritone tuba,
and several trumpets of different sizes.





And just to demonstrate that "comrades"
is a non-gender specific term,
here is an all-female brass quintet
Die Brassessoires
performing Alte Kameraden
at the Woodstock der Blasmusik 2012
****



****






This is my contribution to Sepia Saturday
where you can always find a friend.

http://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2018/02/sepia-saturday-408-3-march-2018.html





11 comments:

Barbara Rogers said...

What joyful music, though those brass musicians couldn't very well smile while playing, their eyes twinkled!

Alan Burnett said...

As always Mike, a joy to read and a joy to look at. What can I do other than raise a glass in your direction and say "Prost"

Helen Killeen Bauch McHargue said...

The chap on the left looks a little like "der Bing" with a huge mustache. I've always envied men, the company of other men in this way. Great photos.

La Nightingail said...

Music is a mainstay of many long and enduring friendships.

Molly's Canopy said...

Well, these caps are quite something! And how great to have the names on the back of the photo. I am enjoying the way you break up larger photos to highlight various bits so we can focus on them. The first few posts where you did this, I did not realize until then end that each picture was part of a whole.

Anonymous said...

Love the music and your dissection of the photo!

21 Wits said...

I always enjoy your dissecting of the photos, but especially joyful is to see them enjoying their beverages! Friends for life!

Alex Daw said...

Mike this is such a splendid photo. It's so well...fluid. I love how they are all leaning and the spirit level in their glasses is leaning too. What good comrades they must have been.

Tattered and Lost said...

That is definitely a group that liked spaetzle!

Now I've made myself hungry.

Wendy said...

Drinking from a flask from the chemistry lab? Alrighty then!

tony said...

Blimey! I like these guys! "Old wine gives the strength of youth..." I will remember that when I next invade the Pubs of Halifax!

nolitbx

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