march composers and band music

[imperialbari]

As for the scoring I prefer Alford’s marches.

Sousa has great melodies and great counterpoints, but I don’t remember hearing many two- or three-part melody lines.

German marches got a bad reputation during war times, but there are many having great melodies and great tonalities. The extensive use of Eb calvalry trumpets for signals and fanfares at the same time makes the best ones sound like classical music and the less inspired ones sound like they are filling out a not so interesting template.

French and Brazilian marches can be very alive. Chle uses American made instruments to revive the worst aspects of the German marching tradition.

I am no so crazy about Austrian and Italian traditions of dragging the tempo of transitions or of whole sections. To me a march sets and keeps a tempo. The Italian running bands are physically impressive, but honestly, the music they play is plain dumb.

Klaus

[Dan Schultz]

I think it would be very difficult to overlook the contributions of Fucik. Some of the old 'war horses' also wrote their fair share of overtures. King, Jewell, Fillmore... etc.

A couple of weeks ago I played a march by Duble called "Wizard of the West". It's one to be reckoned with.

Russell Alexander is also on my 'short-list' of favorite composers.

[Three Valves]

'
Are school bands still playing marches, or are they doing arrangements of "whatever" to play while marching and then - once marching season is over - playing "graded band pieces" ?

Our band director scored his own version of Jungle Boogie during marching season

Then - once marching season was over - gave us "graded band pieces"

[hup_d_dup]

I'm a fan of Kenneth Alford. Last night I played Army of the Nile in concert, a march I did not previously know. (it has a tricky part for bass). It is one of a number of very fine marches by Alford. A terrific march composer with a signature style.

Hup

[Michael Bush]

arrangements of "whatever" to play while marching and then - once marching season is over - playing "graded band pieces" ?

For myself, I would welcome some "graded band pieces." My usual playing opportunities are a constant round of marches, big band arrangements, and show tunes, show tunes, big band arrangements, and marches.

My kingdom for a Holsinger.

[Tom]

J.C. Heed, for me. His "In Storm and Sunshine" is a personal favorite but I have only played it once, nearly 20 years ago.

As far as school bands playing marches, at one time - in my state - a march was a required component of contest repertoire. We never played Sousa , instead the director almost always had us playing Circus marches, "screamers" as they were. I'm out of the school band loop these days - no idea what's going on now.

[Donn]

We have "In Storm and Sunshine" in the book, but haven't played it much for whatever reason. We lean more to the US style, though recent dug "Invercargill" out of the book for a change of pace.

Sousa, Fillmore, King ... lots of good stuff. Haven't really thought very hard about a score card, but no one really competes with Sousa. Fillmore wrote under various pen names, including Gus Beans, I've heard that too, but also one lady's name, and Will Huff - but there was a real Will Huff, too, who wrote The Squealer. Apparently just a weird coincidence.

We're turning to Italian repertoire for an upcoming concert. Klaus rightly focuses on the bands here more than the tunes, since after all the tune doesn't matter as much as the performance, but he will perhaps be relieved to hear we don't vary the tempo. On purpose anyway. I think I might be happy for a while with nothing but Italian marches. A Santa Cecilia, A Trieste!, Principe di Piemonte ...

[imperialbari]

The Blue Carnival has nice single and contrasting lines more or less built on a Sousa template, but not much of the ensemble fulness known from Kenneth J. Alford.

Klaus,
who also very much likes Grafulla’s Washington Grays

[davidgilbreath]

[quote="bloke"]' throwing out some topics (and nope, no trolls this time...)

===================================================

Who is the march composer who wrote MORE (or "the most") marches that YOU really enjoy hearing or playing?

===================================================
This is not a precise answer to Joe's question, but ONE of my all-time favorites is William Rimmer's Ravenswood. There are several lines moving throughout and when performed by a band with a great sense of where the beats properly fall, it can be a breathtakingly wonderful march. Bass line ain't too bad either

[Donn]

who also very much likes Grafulla’s Washington Greys

Me too!

[DonShirer]

Bloke, you are spot on about Purple Carnival, great melodies and tasteful dynamics, one of my favorites.

Unfortunately my first memory of it was not so good. I was in my freshman year at college, weighing only a little over 100 lb (growth spurt came later) and struggling to learn the fingering for a humorous BBb sousaphone while slogging through mud at a football game. So if I still like that piece it must be good!

[roweenie]

W. Paris Chambers - "Falcon March" https://youtu.be/FUpNl6Lf7CQ" target="_blank

Fred L. Moreland - "Yankee Shuffle"
https://youtu.be/K1aEk785Qds" target="_blank

C. L. Barnhouse - "Battle of Shiloh March" https://youtu.be/2UM7fd5FDY0" target="_blank

E. T. Paull - "Midnight Flyer March", "Ben Hur March"

Thomas Allen - "General Mixup, U.S.A."

And, for our British brass band friends;

J. Ord Hume - "B.B. and C.F. March"

William Rimmer - "Punchinello March"



So many great marches, so little time.....

[ken k]

Love Americans We by Fillmore. and the Klaxon.

Simplicity abounds in March Grandioso by Roland Seitz, (that and the chromatic scale)

Karl King Marches are fun to play! I played trombone in high school and always loved a King march because the trombone parts were great. Trombone King is one of my faves, that and Rolling Thunder

I will agree with the earlier post about Fucik, great marches.

My favorite Sousa march is Nobles of the Mystic Shrine

[MonsterOil]

Well, Hector Berlioz has a pretty good percentage. The March to the Scaffold is the only march of his I know.

Samuel Barber Commando March - same thing.

[Mark]

Karl King. Barnum and Bailey's Favorite is a really fun march (at real circus tempo).

As far as other works: http://www.seattlewindsymphony.org/Concerts/Past.php.

[AndyCat]

John Carr (Bramyn and Glemdene)
Alford obviously
George Allen (Knight Templar, Senator, Wizard)
Ord Hume - Brilliant
Blankenburg

Too many to list. For me, probably a heritage thing, Sousa isn't up there!

[ppalan]

Bloke,
I'm not sure if it is just my computer but in each of your posts there is just a thin, black rectangle where it seems like you wanted a recording or maybe a youtube video to appear.
Pete

[Donn]

Bloke,
I'm not sure if it is just my computer but in each of your posts there is just a thin, black rectangle where it seems like you wanted a recording or maybe a youtube video to appear.

Same here, though without the outline.

The version of Flash I have fell out of favor with the web browser I use, so (I surmise) Tubenet's embedded video feature doesn't work because it requires Flash. To see the video is a rather manual exercise - reply with quote, then copy and paste the URL into the browser. From there I was about to post a reply to relieve anyone else of this nuisance who might be in our situation, by revealing that "this march" is "Purple Carnival", but didn't really know that I wasn't the only one - maybe next time I will! The other mystery video is a Dukes of Dixieland performance of "The Billboard March", really pretty good - I'm thinking maybe I like this better than I usually like their stuff because while equally well done, it's relative to the usual brass band version, rather than standing next to Sidney Bechet or someone like that.

[imperialbari]

Wilhelm Zehle: Wellington March

According to this page

https://nl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Zehle

Had a short career as German naval band trumpet player, (and substitute band director), whereafter he went into harbour administration.

Won 4 march composition contests arranged by Hawkes & Co.

Wellington is very well written and is considered quite difficult. Odd that a composer with these skills had such small production.

Klaus

[Rick Denney]

I'm a fan of Kenneth Alford. Last night I played Army of the Nile in concert, a march I did not previously know. (it has a tricky part for bass). It is one of a number of very fine marches by Alford. A terrific march composer with a signature style.

Hup

Yes.

Rick "who played this recently, and yes it's tricky" Denney