David and Ginger Hildebrand and other members of The Colonial Music Institute have made many recordings of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century music over the years. These are now part of the Mount Vernon collection and we are working on making these recordings, and the accompanying scholarly material, accessible online.
Check this site for updates. For questions, please contact Alexandra Montgomery.
Music from "No Kissing Allowed in School!": A Virginia Dancing School in 1784 (2021)
In early 2020, Robert M. Keller worked to produce a series of recordings to accompany the music included in the book "NO KISSING ALLOWED IN SCHOOL!”: A VIRGINIA DANCING SCHOOL IN 1784. They were completed in 2021. He received the final recordings and listened to them joyfully just a few days before he passed away.
Listen & Learn More
George Washington: Music for the First President (2012)
This recording includes songs and instrumental tunes familiar to, and in some cases written for, our first President. Thoroughly researchd and performed on reproduction instruments popular in late 18th-century America, these pieces demonstrate the breadth and character of music during George Washington's lifetime.
Music in the Life of Benjamin Franklin (2006)
Carefully reconstructed from period sources and brought to life by renowned music historians and performers, this recording celebrates Franklin's love of music.
Music of the Charles Carroll Family, 1785-1832 (1990)
In this recording you will hear music from the library of the Carroll family. The selections are typical of early American repertory just after the American Revolution.
Over the Hills and Far Away, Being a Collection of Music from 18th-Century Annapolis (1990)
Over five years of extensive research into the music and instruments of 18th-century Annapolis have gone into the making of this recording. The selections were recorded at Colonial sites throughout Annapolis using original and authentic reproduction instruments.
