Favorite Sousa march?

[Ken Herrick]

George Washington Bicentennial even though the dogfight is a b---- on BBb.

Dunno bout dat - I thought it was good fun - at least as long as it's done at MM132 at the least.
First struck it at Ill all-state in 65 (I think). Certainly one of the most fun to do but Stars and Stripes has to be near the top of the list.

[ZNC Dandy]

Glory of the Yankee Navy
Solid Men to the Front
Jack Tar
Gallant Seventh

I could go on....

What Frank said...but add The Free Lance to the list.

[1895King]

Although tuba is my primary instrument, on Sousa I prefer to play bass drum and try to emulate the Gus Helmecke style of accents.

As far as GW Bicentennial is concerned, the key is obnoxious and there is way too much cross fingering in the break strain for me. Other than that, I love the tune. It was one of my college band director's favorites.

David Richoux's story about going from one tune to another would work very well between Stars and Stripes and Fairest of the Fair as the trios of both are in the same key and both have that bass line Eb-Bb-G-Eb progression midway though the trio; I've often though of trying to change from one to the other there.

I was pleased to see that someone listed Rifle Regiment. That march was composed for the 3rd Infantry when they were headquartered at Fort Shaw, MT, an Indian War era post 30 miles west of Great Falls where I live.

[ParLawGod]

I LOVE Sousa so I have a lot of favorite marches. The two that are at the top of my list:

Who's Who in Navy Blue (even more amazing when the singing is added to the trio)
The Black Horse Troop

[GC]

Hands Across the Sea and Free Lance

[imperialbari]

Although tuba is my primary instrument, on Sousa I prefer to play bass drum and try to emulate the Gus Helmecke style of accents.

As far as GW Bicentennial is concerned, the key is obnoxious and there is way too much cross fingering in the break strain for me.

How to do crossfingerings on a bass drum?

K

[tokuno]

I never tire of listening to "Manhattan Beach".
If I have playlist input and I'm on euph, I like to include "Nobles of the Mystic Shrine".
And if my chops are shot, I dread playing "Hands Across the Sea"

[David Richoux]

Although tuba is my primary instrument, on Sousa I prefer to play bass drum and try to emulate the Gus Helmecke style of accents.

As far as GW Bicentennial is concerned, the key is obnoxious and there is way too much cross fingering in the break strain for me.

How to do crossfingerings on a bass drum?

K

which reminds me of my favorite Bass Drummer joke (except the "what happens when the drums stop")
(and I have often played the Bass Drum and Bass Surdo )


THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER FROM THE PERCUSSIONIST'S PERSPECTIVE:
Oh, say can you BOOM, CRASH
By the dawn's early BOOM, CRASH
What so proudly we BOOM, CRASH
At the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright BOOM, CRASH
Through the perilous BOOM, CRASH
O'er the ramparts we BOOM, CRASH
Were so gallantly streaming? 3 &
1...2...3...
2...2...3...
3...2...3...
4...2...3...
5...2...3...
6...2...3...
7...2...3...
8...2...Oh,
BOOM BOOM BOOM
BOOM BOOM BOOM
BOOM BOOM BOOM
BOOM BOOOOOMMMM; BOOM
BOOM BOOM BOOM
BOOM BOOOOOMMMM; BOOM
BOOM BOOM BOOM
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

[TubaRay]

Was National Emblem one?
I can play that by memory and still do for warming up...

That would be Bagley.

I'm surprised no one said Washington Post.

[bort]

I only ever like the originals on small paper, frequently in Bb TC - I HATE "editions" and "arrangements" of pieces...

...and I always enjoy watching "band teachers" struggle with the mini condensed scores for these too.

[ZNC Dandy]

• In Storm and Sunshine

I've only heard that march. I have never seen it, and its a good thing because I would have to wash my pants.

[Steve Marcus]

For the Sousa experts:

I am occasionally engaged to play tuba/sousaphone by a band director who refers to himself as "The Maestro" and insists that everyone in his band addresses him in that manner. Some of you may be familiar with this gentleman...

He claims, with his "encyclopedic" knowledge of marching band and wind ensemble music, that Sousa marches and those by most other composers are more authentically performed without the stinger. Not only does this call for crossing out that note in our parts, it also requires a mental roadblock that prevents the instrumentalists from playing that final note out of habit.

Is there any veracity to "The Maestro's" claim about stingers?

[Frank Byrne]

Steve -- There is ABSOLUTELY no truth whatsoever to the assertion that "stingers" should be eliminated from march performances.

When composers wanted it that way, they were perfectly capable of not writing them. Sousa did on several marches. But as a rule, the "Maestro" is full of it.

Frank

[WC8KCY]

Pride of the Wolverines is my favourite Sousa march...
Invercargill is my favourite march not composed by Sousa.

[imperialbari]

Do the titles of Sousa’s marches change over time? Wolverine is quite unique for march title, so I looked at the US-LOC site:



Are there two Wolverine related marches?

Is Wolverine here a term for a military unit?

I am interested in Sousa’s marches as expressions of a musicological period (post CW-bands). So I have combined a few of the part sets from the LOC into scores (not formatted for printing, no percussion entered). This would not be possible with the Wolverine march, as the bass/tuba part is missing in the LOC set. It might be possible to reconstruct it from the bassoon and 3 trombone parts, but I would rather have the original bass part.

Klaus

[sloan]

Was National Emblem one?
I can play that by memory and still do for warming up...

That would be Bagley.

I'm surprised no one said Washington Post.

Me, too.

Not just a march - also a dance craze.

[bearphonium]

Fairest of the Fair

Thunderer

Washington Post

[J.c. Sherman]

Gallant Seventh. Wonderful march, great legato tuba part, great dogfight and the bugle calls are great fun! Love it.

Loras John Schissel conducts The Blossom Festival Band here in Cleveland and with his own band (http://www.vgmb.com/conductor.html" target="_blank" target="_blank). He programs LOTS of sousa, and his creds as a Sousa schollar at the LOC make him a good authority. And he treds in the footsteps of L. B. Smith. I've seen literally dozens of little known works in manuscript playing for him. The manuscripts often have stingers, but Sousa was obviously not wedded to then as a necessity... it's whatever sounded good to him. I've played many stingers under Maestro Schissel. The "no stinger" rule is... processed meat product. I've seen 'em in his own hand. Just always watch Semper Fi!

J.c.S.

[J.c. Sherman]

• In Storm and Sunshine

I've only heard that march. I have never seen it, and its a good thing because I would have to wash my pants.

Get out your Tide bottle. It is a screamer, so it is properly played one beat to a bar...

Tuba_In_Storm_and_Sunshine.gif

This and Barnum and Bailey's Favorite are a riot - but they suck on CC... the ONLY time you'll hear me favor one instrument over another for fingerings sake! Recorded the latter on CC and I thought my thumb was going to break off!

J.c.S.