Music teacher to give presentation on Civil War-era composers

Two Chicago area composers, George Frederick Root and Henry Clay Work, were responsible for much of the patriotic music played during the Civil War.Work authored “Marching Through Georgia.” Root wrote “Just Before the Battle, Mother,” and “Shouting the Battle Cry of Freedom.”They created no less than 140 Civil War-themed compositions.Arthur Foley, a retired music educator who worked in the Naperville School District, will discuss the compositions of Root and Work at the Kankakee Valley Civil War Roundtable.His program will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, at the Riverside Senior Life Community, 100 Westwood Oaks Ct., Kankakee. Use the parking lot in the northwest corner at 401 N. Wall St. and walk over the footbridge to the main entrance. This is a new location for the roundtable. All programs are in the community room.The meeting is free and open to the public. The roundtable regularly meets on the first Thursday of the month.Foley has performed in various symphonies and opera orch