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Tribute
to John Phillip Sousa
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I
hope you love marches. John Phillip Sousa
was the king of marches. In High School
and in College, I played many of his marches.
These are just a few, but my favorites.
A short biography is just below the selections.
Just select from the drop down box what
march you would like to hear and listen.
You can maybe even march in place in front
of the PC. Have some fun and enjoy! By
the way, Colonel Bogey was not written
by Sousa. It was written by Kenneth J.
Alford, which was a pseudonym. The composer's
real name is Frederick J. Ricketts.
Before you e-mail me and tell me Sousa didn't write Colonel Bogey, I added it cause I liked it number one, and number 2, I wanted to see how many folks would catch it. Apparently, quite a few caught it. hehehe.
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1854:  Born
Washington, DC, Nov. 6. John Philip was
3rd of 10 children of John Antonio Sousa
(born in Spain of Portuguese parents)
and Maria Elisabeth Trinkhaus (born in
Bavaria). John Philip's father, Antonio,
played trombone in the U.S. Marine band.
He grew up around military band music.
1860: Began musical study around
age six, studying voice, violin, piano,
flute, cornet, baritone, trombone and
alto horn.
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| 1867: His father enlisted him
in the Marines at age 13 as an apprentice
after he attempted to run away to join
a circus band.
1872: Published first composition,
"Moonlight on the Potomac Waltzes".
1875: Discharged from Marines.
Began performing (on violin), touring
and eventually conducting theater orchestras.
Conducted Gilbert & Sullivan's H.M.S.
Pinafore on Broadway.
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| 1879: In February,
met Jane van Middlesworth Bellis during
Pinafore rehearsals; they were married
December 30, 1879.
1880: Returned to Washington
in September to assume leadership of
the US Marine Band.
1880-1892:
Conducted "The President's Own",
serving under presidents Hayes, Garfield,
Cleveland, Arthur and Harrison. After
two successful but limited tours with
the Marine Band in 1891 and 1892, promoter
David Blakely convinced Sousa to resign
and organize a civilian concert band.
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| 1892: The first Sousa Band concert
was performed September 26 at Stillman
Music Hall in Plainfield, New Jersey.
Two days earlier, bandleader Patrick Gilmore
had died in St. Louis. Nineteen of Gilmore's
former musicians eventually joined Sousa's
band, including Herbert L. Clarke (cornet)
and E. A. Lefebre (saxophone). The original
name of the band was "Sousa's New
Marine Band", but criticism from
Washington forced the withdrawal of the
name.
1895: Sousa's first successful
operetta, El Capitan, debuts.
1896: Sousa's promoter David
Blakely dies while Sousa and his wife
are on vacation in Europe. On the return
voyage, Sousa receives the inspiration
for The Stars and Stripes Forever.
1900: The Sousa Band tours Europe.
1901: Second European tour.
1905: Third European tour.
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1910:
World Tour: New York, Great Britain, Canary
Islands, South-Africa, Australia, New
Zealand, Fiji Islands, Hawaii, Canada.
1917: During World War I, Sousa
joins the US Naval Reserve at age 62.
He is assigned the rank of lieutenant
and paid a salary of $1 per month.
1919-1932: After the war, Sousa
continued to tour with his band. He
championed the cause of music education,
received several honorary degrees and
fought for composers' rights, testifying
before Congress in 1927 and 1928.
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| 1932: Sousa dies at age 77, after conducting
a rehearsal of the Ringgold Band in Reading,
Pennsylvania. The last piece he conducted
was "The Stars and Stripes Forever". |
Our Men and Women in the
Service!
Listen to a march and enjoy these photos of
our fighting men and women.
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