Page "Music of Maryland" Paragraph 11

Local music groups during the colonial era did much to sponsor musical development.

Annapolis, a major center for colonial music in North America, was home to the Homony Club and the Tuesday Club, while the Freemasons held balls and concerts across Maryland.

Unlike the northern United States, religious music did not prosper in Maryland until the end of the colonial period, and then only in Baltimore in the German communities of Carroll, Montgomery and Frederick countries.

Tavern owners frequently sponsored dances and concerts during the colonial era.

Beginning in 1752, theater became a major part of Maryland culture for colonists of all classes ; performances included light dance and incidental music, ballad operas and the works of William Shakespeare.

Aside from the cultural capital of Annapolis, the cities of Baltimore, Upper Marlboro and Chestertown were major homes for Maryland theater, home to the debuts of the latest and most popular dances.

With the French and Indian War and then the American Revolution, soldiers brought back home to Maryland military band music, especially fife and drum ensembles.