# Where do I find a cannon for the 1812 overture? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 26, 2015, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-a-cannon-for-the-1812-overture/718549 "2015-04-26T01:57:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![figure9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@figure9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/figure9)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-a-cannon-for-the-1812-overture/718549/1 "2015-04-26T01:57:10Z")
My son’s youth orchestra will be playing the 1812. Does anyone know where to find a cannon playing musician? ---
**Author:** ![jezzaOZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@jezzaOZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jezzaOZ)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-a-cannon-for-the-1812-overture/718549/2 "2015-04-26T02:01:25Z")
> [@figure9](#): > > My son’s youth orchestra will be playing the 1812. Does anyone know where to find a cannon playing musician? I’ve seen it done with shotguns into tin rubbish bins - blanks of course. Not brilliant but better than nothing. ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-a-cannon-for-the-1812-overture/718549/3 "2015-04-26T02:06:07Z")
I know there are hobbyist cannon enthusiasts (Cannoniers?) Perhaps they can help ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-a-cannon-for-the-1812-overture/718549/4 "2015-04-26T02:24:31Z")
I’ve been to concerts where the National Guard fired blanks from artillery pieces. Since I suspect part of the appeal from their perspective is outreach for recruiting purposes, they might be happy to work a youth event. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-a-cannon-for-the-1812-overture/718549/5 "2015-04-26T02:50:10Z")
Check out Pyrocreations for their selection of thundermugs/salute cannons. I have one with a 1.25" bore and it’s pretty damn loud with 3 Tbs of black powder top with rammed newspaper. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-a-cannon-for-the-1812-overture/718549/6 "2015-04-26T02:55:11Z")
I’ve played it at July 4th concerts and the cannon effects were provided by the same pyrotechnics company that handled the fireworks display. You didn’t say whether this is an outdoor concert, but if it is, maybe a fireworks company could provide the booms. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-a-cannon-for-the-1812-overture/718549/7 "2015-04-26T03:21:37Z")
You might try contacting a local Civil War Reenactment Group. I have no idea how many there are in any one area, but the first one I hit on in your area (Chicago, right) was [this one](http://www.dollingerfarms.com/civil-war-days) and they appear to have a [working cannon](http://jericksonphotography.com/civilwardays2014/h16D48A1D#h3eb2abf). Considering that this thing probably spends 350 days a year in someone’s garage, you might be able to coax it out if you wave a few bucks around. $100 might be a good starting point. IMO, anything under $150 or so isn’t too much to pay to be able to say you have ‘a cannon guy’ and your kid’ll be a hero for the next few days at school…especially if you can get the guy to let him light the fuse once. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-a-cannon-for-the-1812-overture/718549/8 "2015-04-26T03:31:38Z")
And they are performing it _outside_? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-a-cannon-for-the-1812-overture/718549/9 "2015-04-26T03:40:16Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > And they are performing it _outside_? 🙂 If they take the wheels off, I’m sure they can get it in the classroom. Just make sure they cover up the smoke detector and crack a window. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-a-cannon-for-the-1812-overture/718549/10 "2015-04-26T03:55:31Z")
[Chicago Federation of Musicians.](http://www.cfm10208.com/contact_us.php) ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-a-cannon-for-the-1812-overture/718549/11 "2015-04-26T04:04:13Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > If they take the wheels off, I’m sure they can get it in the classroom. Just make sure they cover up the smoke detector and crack a window. If you fire even a small blank charge in a full size canon while inside a classroom, you don’t have to worry about cracking the windows. It’s going to crack the windows for you. 😉 (perhaps not the same definition of “crack” though) It’s not going to be kind to anyone’s eardrums either. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-a-cannon-for-the-1812-overture/718549/12 "2015-04-26T04:14:12Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > If they take the wheels off, I’m sure they can get it in the classroom. Just make sure they cover up the smoke detector and crack a window. And look good in orange. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-a-cannon-for-the-1812-overture/718549/13 "2015-04-26T13:08:01Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > If you fire even a small blank charge in a full size canon while inside a classroom, you don’t have to worry about cracking the windows. It’s going to crack the windows for you. > > 😉 > > (perhaps not the same definition of “crack” though) > > It’s not going to be kind to anyone’s eardrums either. Back in my hangin’-with-the-Army days they sorta did that, but outdoors. I forget the occasion; probably Armed Forces Day celebrations. The band played the Overture and they had a battery of 6 towed 105s for the cannon. All set up outdoors nice and pretty on the parade ground. Which was surrounded by 3 story barracks and office buildings with lots and lots of large windows. With the first volley all the windows flexed a bunch. I was watching them and it was surprising how far they all bent inwards without breaking. As the band played on each volley did the same thing. Until the finale. It took weeks before the last plywood was down and the last new window was up. But it \*was \*spectacular. :D:eek::smack: ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-a-cannon-for-the-1812-overture/718549/14 "2015-04-26T14:01:23Z")
The problem with using actual cannon for the 1812 Overture is that at performance tempo, you need five shots in the span of about ten seconds at one point towards the end, and then another dozen shots in a period of less than a minute at the very end. Live performances with actual cannon like [this one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F5k70xwGSk) use multiple cannons, and given the amount of time required to reload 19th-century cannon, you’d probably need more than just the four that are shown in the video. Moreover, you probably can’t time the shots of period cannon precisely enough to sync up with the music as Tchaikovsky wrote it, though that’s perhaps a worthwhile compromise if you want to have real live cannons. Honestly, amateur orchestras (and even professional ones) will just pipe pre-recorded cannon shots into the sound system at the appropriate moments. If you have a PA system in the hall where you’re playing, just crank up the volume and it’ll still startle/thrill people but good. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-a-cannon-for-the-1812-overture/718549/15 "2015-04-26T15:08:07Z")
As **MikeS** says, you have a significant issue with the timing and rate of shot. Famous recordings like the Telarc, used electrical control of the firing in order to sync the shots. (Being a direct to disk recording there was no mixing in of shots after the event.) For a youth orchestra performance you would probably do best by giving the percussionist a laptop with an appropriate percussion performance program and a sample of cannon shot. Thus the cannon is actually played by an orchestra member, and they will be able to keep the timing exactly correct. As described above, there is zero chance of using real ordnance. With a suitably beefy PA system, and bit of care in the crafting of the frequency response and maybe some echo, you could get a very nice and realistic sound of nearby cannon. Mixing it with the orchestra may been a bit of care. Easy to overwhelm the proceedings. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-a-cannon-for-the-1812-overture/718549/16 "2015-04-26T15:20:12Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > As **MikeS** says, you have a significant issue with the timing and rate of shot. Famous recordings like the Telarc, used electrical control of the firing in order to sync the shots. (Being a direct to disk recording there was no mixing in of shots after the event.) > > For a youth orchestra performance you would probably do best by giving the percussionist a laptop with an appropriate percussion performance program and a sample of cannon shot. Thus the cannon is actually played by an orchestra member, and they will be able to keep the timing exactly correct. As described above, there is zero chance of using real ordnance. > > With a suitably beefy PA system, and bit of care in the crafting of the frequency response and maybe some echo, you could get a very nice and realistic sound of nearby cannon. Mixing it with the orchestra may been a bit of care. Easy to overwhelm the proceedings. Dreamkiller. All I wanted to do was let the kids shoot a cannon in the classroom and you’re making this really difficult. Next, your probably gonna tell me it’s gonna hurt their ears or something. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-a-cannon-for-the-1812-overture/718549/17 "2015-04-26T16:09:12Z")
Ack, small correction, Telarc was one of the progenitor digital recordings, not a direct to disk. Been a long time. Telarc sell an effects disk with cannon shot on it. Or you could look at [sounddogs.com](http://sounddogs.com), and buy a cannon shot for about $1.42. The advantage of the Telarc is that they provide a number of shots, and they are provided in stereo panned to 5 different positions, so you can assemble a nice sequence that doesn’t just sound like the same shot 10 times. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-a-cannon-for-the-1812-overture/718549/18 "2015-04-26T16:15:01Z")
You can buy cannons at [Dixie Gun Works](http://www.dixiegunworks.com/default.php?cPath=22_106_665). A bit of an investment for one show, but you can have fun with it all year. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-a-cannon-for-the-1812-overture/718549/19 "2015-04-26T17:25:55Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Dreamkiller. > All I wanted to do was let the kids shoot a cannon in the classroom and you’re making this really difficult. Next, your probably gonna tell me it’s gonna hurt their ears or something. Lawsuits. Don’t forget the lawsuits. And medical bills, too. On a better note, the number of students learning sign language will probably increase in the coming years. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-a-cannon-for-the-1812-overture/718549/20 "2015-04-26T17:29:55Z")
Are you also scheduling churchbells for the performance? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-a-cannon-for-the-1812-overture/718549.md?page=2)