Songs that Won the War
Contributed by Jack Kopstein

It seems hardly possible with all the world strife happening that in 2010 it will be 65 years since the end of World War II. It is even more astonishing that songs we sang and played during the war are still popular and have taken on a complete life of their own. Young people and baby boomers alike have helped to keep the home fires burning, so to speak, with their support of the great “Songs That Won the War.”

In 1941, as the battle machine began to gear up, the popular culture shifted to war-themed entertainment, including song hits like the Andrews Sisters “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire” (recorded by Tommy Tucker and later the Ink Spots), and “Kiss the Boys Goodbye,” recorded by Tommy Dorsey, with vocals by Connie Haines. Much of the music heard during the early period of the war was subdued and the days of urbane little ditties gave way to more sophisticated and emotional songs.

Some songs which had been reasonably popular before the war took on real meaning when the young men began to enlist and head off to training camps, and eventually into battle conditions. One such song was the 1938 hit “I’ll Be Seeing You.” Wartime thoroughly changed the hit parade songs and other hit songs. “The White Cliffs of Dover,” “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition,” “I left my Heart at the Stage Door Canteen” all made their appearance. One of the greatest tunes from the war was the Irving Berlin number “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” which Berlin has been said to have written on a boiling hot day in 1942 in Los Angeles.

Irving Berlin’s revue with an all-star cast, This is the Army opened on Broadway in July 1942 and it toured the country and. Berlin  himself stopped the show every night with his rendition of O How I hate to Get up in the Morning, in which he depicts soldiers wanting to kill the bugler. The show also had a march which has become a classic This is the Army Mr Jones.

Songwriters became quite creative in their attempts to fit wartime sentiments in a 32-bar popular song. Some of the top songs of 1943 included “Do Nothin Till You Hear from Me,” “Have I Stayed Away Too Long,” and “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To.”

The year 1943 saw one interesting development on radio. Because of a musicians strike over revenues, for a time all instrumental music was banned from broadcast, leaving the airwaves to the sound of Capella voices. Typical of the time m famous singers recorded new arrangements of standards backed by a small choral group. One of the most beloved singers of the era was Peggy Lee who took a child’s nursery rhyme and turned it into a smash hit called “A Tisket and Tasket.”

Hit songs of 1944 included “Spring Will be a Little Late this Year,” a song which originally appeared in an unsuccessful 1938 musical that experienced a sudden surge of popularity. The tune became Number 1 over ten times on the hit parade and all the great band leaders of the time went into the sound studios to make a recording, with the Frank Sinatra version featuring Tommy Dorsey winning the sweepstakes for most records sold.

With the war’s end in 1945, the best songs came from Broadway. The upbeat songs captured the optimistic and hopeful attitude of the Allied countries. Songs like “Let It Snow,” “June is Busting Out All Over” and “It’s a Grand Night for Singing” led the charts.

Popular music kept the morale of the people up and the servicemen and women were entertained and able to sustain a life-line to America. It was like no other period in history because the music was broadcast live or by transcription and wherever battles were fought the music was there to shine a light on the dismal scenes of war the men and women were experiencing. The songs and the music helped immeasurably to win the war.

NOTABLE EVENTS
The Fall and Christmas Schedule of the United States Marine Band
Contributed by Jack Kopstein

On November 6th the US marine band celebrated John Philip Sousa’s birthday. The band played homage to the 155th anniversary of his birth at the Congressional Cemetery in Washington. The concert was conducted by the Assistant Director Major Jason A. King. The concert featured the playing of the “Stars and Stripes Forever,” and “Semper Fidelis.” Sousa was the 17th director of the   US Marine band.

November 8th marked the annual Marine Corps Worship service at the Washington National Cathedral and featured the Marine band brass ensemble under the direction of Assistant Director Major Jason K. Fetig. Master Sergeant Stephan Bulla’s Uncommon Valour -Images of Iwo Jimo was the highlight of the ensemble’s performance.

November 10th Marine band Drum Major Master Gunnery Sergeant William L. Browne led the band in the celebration of the 235th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps. The Marine band performed with the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, the Silent Drill Team and the Ceremonial Marchers. The Commandant of the United States Marine Corps General James T. Conway laid a wreath to commemorate all marines who have died in the service since 1775.

November 19th In honour of Abraham Lincoln’s Bicentennial year, the Marine band participated in a ceremony in an observation of the President’s Gettysburg Address. It was the 146th anniversary. The ceremony took place at the Soldiers National Cemetery at Gettysburg Military Park in Pennsylvania.

December 3rd ‘The Presidents Own’ will perform with other entertainers for the lighting of the National Christmas Tree Ceremony on the Ellipse, south of the White House. This is the 86th year that Americans have come together to celebrate the season with the lighting of the tree. Conducted by Colonel Michael J Colburn, many holiday favourites will be played.

December 6th The Marine band will play at Wolfe Traps annual Holiday sing along. The programme will be conducted by Assistant Director Major Jason K. Fetig along with band vocalists will sing and play a variety of great music from the Christmas and Hanukah season., including “Joy to the World,” “Feliz Navidad,” “Jingle Bells,” “Silent Night,” and the “Dreidel Song.”

December 13th The Brass band Quintet will present a recital in the John Philip Sousa band Hall at the Marine Barracks annex in Washington. The program will celebrate the holiday season with John Harbison’s “Fantasy on Twelve Days of Christmas” and Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suit.”

CHESAPEAKE BAY WIND ENSEMBLE
Written by Ryley Erhardt
Edited by Krista Slinkard

Welcome to the Altissimo! Community Band Spotlight for December. Each month we look at community bands across the nation, and this month we’re pleased to present the Chesapeake Bay Wind Ensemble.

The Chesapeake Bay Wind Ensemble is a non-profit band, which performs for communities in and around the Hampton Roads area (Williamsburg, Hampton, and Newport News).  Formed by Robert Arledge and the late Jim Paschall in 1998, it now consists of around forty members.  Impressively, nine of its current members are either active duty military or veterans of the Armed Services, including the Music Director who has over twenty-seven years of service.

As a non-profit, the Ensemble tries to give more than just music to its community.  Since its founding, the band has given over five thousand dollars in scholarships to promising youth in musical fields, permitting them to further their education.

Beyond this, the Chesapeake Bay Wind Ensemble specifically encourages high school students to join.  This gives these students professional musical experience that is difficult to acquire from school training alone.  With its youngest member having only witnessed fifteen new years, while the oldest is hinging on ninety, this creates a fascinating diversity within, which allows the older members to mentor the younger, preparing the next generation of Virginian musicians to perform at a high caliber.

The band’s current conductor, Tom Altringer has a fascinatingly eclectic musical history.  Commissioned as a Warrant Officer/Bandmaster in 1978, he spent the next twenty-three years traveling and conducting in such places as Brooklyn, Washington, New Jersey, and even Germany.  Perhaps his most interesting assignment was to the 6th Infantry Division Band in Anchorage, Alaska.  Besides worrying about musical perfection, Mr. Altringer had to address the issue of instruments not freezing up while performing.  After overcoming this unique adversity, conducting concerts in the milder weather conditions of Virginia must be a relief.

The fascinating variety represented within the Chesapeake Bay Wind Ensemble has allowed it to touch all ages within the Virginia Peninsula, while permitting the younger members to learn from the extensive professional experience of the older members.

Because of this professionalism and dedication to improving the youth of the community, we proudly present The Chesapeake Bay Wind Ensemble as our Community Band Spotlight for November. 

If you would like more information about the Chesapeake Bay Wind Ensemble, please visit their website at www.cbwe.org.

**Special thanks to Karen Kittell, President of the CBWE, for her help in making this article
***If you know of a community band you’d like to see featured, please send an email to krista@militarymusic.com