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Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore (1829-1892) – No. 1 Bandmaster of the USA
P. S. Gilmore was once the most famous entertainer in the USA. Born in Ireland, he spent 6 years studying music before emigrating to Boston aged 20. He excelled as a bandmaster, composer, conductor and showman. His band performed at the inauguration of six US presidents, as well as the ceremony to open the Statue of Liberty. He organised some of the biggest musical festivals in history and wrote the anti-war ballad, ‘When Johnny Comes Marching Home’.