Jack's Musings: Famous Marches December 22 2010, 8 Comments

Contributed by Jack Kopstein

The following is a list of popular marches from around the world that are frequently performed. They are in alphabetical order for easy reading. No doubt there are other marches which are featured in concert or on parade. This list contains some well known and lesser known marches which are seen on various concert programs from the last several years.

Many great marches have disappeared from the program schedules of bands and orchestras in North America. The Vienna concerts usually held on January 1^st each year features the marvelous hand clapping march Radetsky. The popularity of the march Old Comrades (Alte Kameroden) has never wavered. Two very exciting marches which are rarely performed are Vimy by Bidgood and Arromanches by Kelly. A recent march that has been very popular is Glorious Victory by Kendal.

The list of well known and preferred marches is endless. In going through the massive lists of marches, one aspect of march writing which  surfaced  was the dedicatory march. Very often the music was marked at the top ‘Dedicated to'  a person, a place, or an event. Merle Evans of Circus fame dedicated a march called Symphonia to Charles Ringling of the Ringling Barnum and Bailey Circus. Victor Grabel devoted a march to The United States Marines called Glory of the Marines which had an intro and trio with the Marines' Hymn. Well known march writer R. B. Hall called The Tenth Regiment March for that unit of Albany New York. Karl L. King saluted Charlie Troops, bandmaster and trombonist of Wilmington Ohio with the march Trombone King. John Philip Sousa dedicated numerous compositions to towns and cities and musicians and events. T.B. Boyer returned the favour by dedicating his march Sousa’s Triumphal in 1930. Many British marches have as their dedication names like Alford’s Vanished Army, Leo Stanley’s The Contemptables and Vivian Dunn’s Lord Mountbatten.

• "Old Comrades" - Carl Teike
• "All Sports March" – Robert Farnon
• "American Patrol" - W. Frank Meacham, copyrighted March 30, 1885
• "Americans We" - Henry Fillmore, published in 1929
• “Amparito  Roco”-Jaime Texidor
• "Anchors Aweigh" – Charles A. Zimmerman
• "Band of America" – Paul Lavalle
• "Bandology" - Eric Osterling
• "Barnum and Bailey's Favorite" - Karl L. King, composed in 1913
• "Belgian Paratroopers (Marche des Parachutistes Belges)" – Pierre Leemans
• "The Big Cage" - Karl L. King, Copyright 1934
• "Blaze Away!" - Abe Holzmann
• "The Billboard" - John N. Klohr
• "Bombasto" - Orion R. Farrar
• "Boston Commandery March" - Thomas M. Carter
• "Bravura" - Charles Duble
• "Brighton Beach" - William Latham
• "Brooke's Chicago Marine Band" - Roland F. Seitz
• "The Chicago Tribune" - W. Paris Chambers
• "The Chimes of Liberty" - Edwin F. Goldman
• "Coat of Arms" - George Kenny
• "Colossus of Columbia" - Russell Alexander
• "Colonel Bogey" - Kenneth J. Alford
• "Combination March" - Scott Joplin
• "Commando March" - Samuel Barber
• "Coronation March" from Le Prophète - Giacomo Meyerbeer
• "Crusade for Freedom" - J.J. Richards
• "Children of the Shrine" - James Swearingen
• “Eagle Squadron”- Kenneth J Alford
• "E Pluribus Unum" - Fred Jewell
• "El Capitan" - John Philip Sousa
• "Emblem of Unity" - J.J. Richards
• "Entry of the Gladiators" (Thunder and Blazes) - Julius Fučik, composed 1897
• "Fairest of the Fair" - John Philip Sousa
• "Father of Victory (Le père la victoire)" – Louis Ganne
• "The Footlifter" - Henry Fillmore
• “Florentiner” Julius Fučik
• "The Gallant Seventh" - John Philip Sousa
• "The Guadalcanal March" - Richard Rodgers
• "Hands Across the Sea" - John Philip Sousa, composed 1899
• "High School Cadets-March" - John Philip Sousa
• "In Storm and Sunshine" - John C. Heed
• "Independentia" - Robert B. Hall
• "Invincible Eagle" - John Philip Sousa
• "Invercargill March" from New Zealand- Alex F. Lithgow, composed in 1909
• "The Klaxon" - Henry Fillmore, composed in 1929
• "Königgrätzer Marsch" - Johann Gottfried Piefke
• "The Liberty Bell" - John Philip Sousa, composed 1893
• “Little English Girl”- Davide Delle Cese (Ingelesa)
• March from A Little Suite - Trevor Duncan
• "March Grandioso" - Roland F. Seitz
• "The Melody Shop" - Karl L. King
• "Men of Ohio" - Henry Fillmore
• "The National Emblem" - Edwin E. Bagley
• "Officer of the Day" - Robert B. Hall
• "Official West Point March" - Philip Egner
• "On Parade" - Edwin Franko Goldman
• "On the Mall" - Edwin Franko Goldman
• "Onward and Upward" - Edwin Franko Goldman
• "On the Square" - Frank Panella
• "On the Quarter Deck" - Kenneth J. Alford
• "Our Director" - F.E. Bigelow
• "Pomp and Circumstance" no. 1 - Edward Elgar
• "Preußens Gloria" ("Prussia's Glory") - Johann Gottfried Piefke
• "The Purple Carnival" - Harry Alford
• "The Purple Pageant" - Karl L. King
• "Radetzky March" - Johann Strauss Sr.
• "Repasz Band" -Chas. C. Sweeley
• “Royal Airforce March Past”-Walford Davies(Also RCAF March)
• "Robinson's Grand Entree" - Karl L. King
• "Salutation" - Roland F. Seitz
• "Semper Fidelis" - John Philip Sousa
• "Semper Paratus" - Francis Saltus Van Boskerck
• "The Screamer" - Fred Jewell
• "Second Connecticut Regiment " – D.W. Reeves
• "Seventy-six Trombones" – Meredith Willson
• “Sons of the Brave”-Thomas Bidgood
• "The Southerner" - Russell Alexander
• “The Thin Red Line” – Kenneth J Alford
• "Stars and Stripes Forever" - John Philip Sousa, composed December 25, 1896
• "Strike Up the Band (song)" - George Gershwin , composed 1932
• "The Tenth Regiment" - Robert B. Hall
• "The Thunderer" - John Philip Sousa
• "Under the Double Eagle (Unter dem Doppeladler)" - Josef F. Wagner, composed 1902
• "The U.S. Air Force" – Robert Crawford
• "Up the Street" - Robert G. Morse
• “Voice of the Guns” Kenneth J Alford
• "Washington Grays" - Claudio S. Grafulla, composed in 1861
• "The Washington Post March" - John Philip Sousa, composed 1889
• “Wellington March”-Wilhelm Zehle
• "The White Rose" - John Philip Sousa

- Jack Kopstein

Community Band Spotlight December 2010 December 22 2010, 0 Comments

Altissimo Salutes America’s Oldest Police Band Contributed by Jack Kopstein HISTORY OF THE MILWAUKEE POLICE BAND “The Oldest Police Band in America” 1898 to Present The Early Years In the fall of 1897, a number of police officers came together at the original Second District Station to practice whistling. Subsequently one of the whistlers, Officer William Stupenagel, organized some of the officers into a small band to which he was appointed bandmaster. Soon the band, having grown in size and stature, was too large for the district station and relocated to the abandoned morgue on Broadway St. where it was granted official status by Chief John Janssen. On April 9, 1898, the band played its first concert as the “Milwaukee Police Band” before members of the department. On October 7, 1922, the band met John Philip Sousa at the train station and played for him when he came to Milwaukee to perform with his band. Later that evening, the Milwaukee Police Band performed Sousa’s march “Gallant Seven” with the Sousa Band at the Milwaukee Auditorium. On November 17, 1923, the band performed a second time with the Sousa Band, again at the Milwaukee Auditorium. The Milwaukee Police Band, now comprised of 67 officers, joined the 80 member Sousa Band in playing a Sousa favorite, “Sabres and Spurs”. Sousa presented Chief J.G. Laubenheimer and the Milwaukee Police Band with an American flag with streamers embroidered with Sousa’s name and date of presentation. This flag is currently on display the Milwaukee Safety Academy along with other items and photographs depicting the band’s rich history. In November 1924, the band made its first appearance at the municipal Christmas tree lighting ceremony. To this day the band has never missed a tree lighting ceremony. On March 22, 1925, the band was joined by the New York City Police Band, who was on a national tour, for a benefit concert before an estimated 8,500 people at the Milwaukee Auditorium. It was during this time period that a local composer, Howard B. Weeks, wrote the "Milwaukee Police Band March". The original manuscript rests in the archives of the Police Band located at the Safety Academy. The 1940’s – 1970’s On February 2, 1940, Dr. Robert O. Brunkhorst became the first civilian director of the Milwaukee Police Band. He was a dentist by profession, but also a highly respected musician. He conducted not only the Police Band but also the Tripoli Shrine Band. Under Dr. Brunkhorst’s direction, the band became a regular feature on WISN radio. Several 78-rpm audio discs from those broadcasts are on display at the Safety Academy. From 1956 – 1974, in addition to the concert band, 6 band members also performed in the “Police Combo”. The combo performed at various civic locations, including hospitals and schools, as well as special occasions, including concerts at the Milwaukee Auditorium, the children’s Christmas party, Chiefs of Police conventions and on PBS – Channel 10. In 1962, John Paulish, a city maintenance supervisor, became director. Director Paulish was an accomplished musician playing in the Tripoli Shrine Band and the American Legion Band. During Mr. Paulish’s tenure the elementary school concert program began. In 1964, Mr. Paulish was succeeded by Perry F. Chalifoux, a professional trumpet player who had led his own orchestra in the city since the mid 1920’s. Under Mr. Chalifoux, the band made annual trips to the Veterans Home in King, Wisconsin and also played Christmas concerts at the boy's home in Plymouth, Wisconsin. The 1980’s – 1990’s In 1980, Officer Dennis Benjamin was appointed director by Chief Harold Breier. While Officer Benjamin was director, the elementary school program was enhanced to include a "McGruff" character and an Elvis impersonator carrying an anti-crime, anti-drug, and positive self-esteem message to area school children. In 1986, the format of the band’s annual fall concert and dance was changed to a ‘concert only’. For years, the concert and dance had been held at the Milwaukee Auditorium. With the change in format came a change in venue; the concerts were now held at the Historic Pabst Theatre. The Milwaukee Police Band Jazz Ensemble was also formed to offer a more versatile program by performing big band swing music of the 1930's and 1940's. In July of 1988 the Milwaukee Police Band played a joint concert with the Minneapolis Police Band at the Milwaukee County Zoo. In July 1989, the band traveled to Minneapolis where the band combined with the Minneapolis Police Band and the Winnipeg, Manitoba Police Band and marched in the famous Aquatennial Parade. In 1990, a high school awards program was developed with the help of Dr. Nicholas J. Contorno and Marquette University. Students from area high schools were selected to perform with the Milwaukee Police Band in a concert at Marquette's Varsity Theater. On November 15, 1991, Chief of Police Philip Arreola presented the band with a Chief of Police Superior Achievement Award. On May 16, 1992, the Milwaukee Police Band appeared in Cleveland, Ohio at the Greater Cleveland Peace Officers Memorial Dedication Ceremony. Police pipe bands, choruses, military bands, and dancers from throughout the United States and Canada took part in this event. In October 1993, the Band was invited to appear at the Wisconsin Music Educators Association Music Conference in Madison, Wisconsin where they demonstrated their approach to youth programs. In July 1998 the Milwaukee Police Band celebrated its’ 100th anniversary as the “Oldest Police Band in America”. They were invited to Washington D.C. for our nation’s Independence Day Parade, and proudly marched down Constitution Avenue. In May 1999, Lieutenant Karen Dubis and Officer Bobby Lindsey were appointed co-directors of the Milwaukee Police Band by Chief Arthur Jones. This was the first time in the band's history that a two-director format was utilized. Lieutenant Dubis was the band's first female director and Officer Lindsey was the band's first African American director. 2000 – The Present March 2000, saw the expansion of the Milwaukee Police Band Youth in Arts Program to include a concert at Marquette Varsity Theater with new activities. Younger children were included in the program and paired with police officer-musicians who mentored and performed with the students at the All City Biennial Music Festival. The band members presented special awards to the student participants. Since 2000, the Milwaukee Police Band has achieved several great milestones including marching in Milwaukee's own Great Circus Parade (July 16, 2000 and July 15, 2001)), the South Shore Water Frolics (July 14, 2001 – received “Best Band in Parade” honors), Marshall Field's Jingle Elf Parade in Chicago (November 21, 2001 and November 28. 2002) and Kettle Moraine Days Parade (June 24, 2007). The band also traveled to Florida to perform on Walt Disney World’s Tomorrowland stage in the Magic Kingdom and marched in the “Share a Dream Come True” parade (April 2003). On July 29, 2008, the Band performed at the Midwest Airlines Center for the FBI National Academy Conference. The Band continues to perform regularly at the Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial, recruit graduation ceremonies, the Law Enforcement Mass of Blessing at St. Josephat’s Basilica, the MPAA Police Picnic and other civic functions. Since 2003, Lieutenant Dubis has been the sole director of the Milwaukee Police Band. Under Lieutenant Dubis’s baton, the band continues in their efforts as “goodwill ambassadors” for the Milwaukee Police Department. They cherish the opportunity they have been given to do their part in contributing to the quality of life in this fine community. The Band is funded solely by the Milwaukee Police Athletic Association with occasional private donations. No city monies are utilized to fund the Band's operations. The civilian and police members who perform with the band volunteer their time and talent.

The American Bandmasters Association and John Philip Sousa October 14 2010, 1 Comment

The American Bandmasters Association and John Philip Sousa Contributed by Jack Kopstein Written by Jennifer Scott, 1995 Edited by Thomas V. Fraschillo, William J. Moody, 2006 During the early part of the twentieth century, the concert band performed more music of quality to the public than any other type of musical organization. Concert bands traveled throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe performing to thousands who otherwise would not have had an opportunity to experience formal concert hall performances. Although the concert band’s popularity was unquestionable, it generally was not considered to be on the same esoteric level as the orchestra; therefore, concert bands suffered a somewhat inferior status among musicians. Factors that contributed to this perception included the concert band’s concert venue, often out-of-doors, the difficulty of conductors to obtain a quality music education, a limited repertoire that with the exception of marches largely borrowed from the libraries of the orchestra, and a lack of camaraderie among the leading bandmasters/conductors of the period. Dr. Edwin Franko Goldman, composer, conductor, and founder of the Goldman Band, recognized these problems and challenges to the band movement. Believing that quality music for band could and should be offered to the public, Goldman arranged for a small group of outstanding bandmasters to meet in New York in order to discuss the problems of their profession. All agreed that through a combined effort, better bands and better repertoire could emerge. Goldman's idea for establishing The American Bandmasters Association (ABA) had its inception with this meeting. Goldman continued to provide the momentum behind the ABA and was determined to improve not only the band’s profession, but also the collegiality among directors. With the oncoming impact of radio broadcasts and the decline in the popularity of the touring professional band, concert bands were forced to fiercely compete for performance venues. Goldman’s New York City band, however, experienced the opposite in that many of his concerts were broadcast on radio and became popular throughout the country. His New York audiences likewise increased through the influence of radio, and attendance at live concerts often exceeded 25,000. He became the second most famous bandmaster in the United States, behind the immortal John Philip Sousa. Goldman's rise in fame provided him the respect and contacts that he needed to gain interest and support for the ABA. During the summer of 1928, encouraged by favourable reactions in the profession, he met with Victor Grabel, conductor of the Chicago Concert Band, and Captain William Stannard, leader of the U. S. Army Band, in Columbus, Ohio, to begin discussing what resulted in the first formal steps towards the foundation of ABA. Capt. Stannard in August, 1928, recorded the original and lasting intent of ABA in a letter to Albert Austin Harding, Director of Bands at the University of Illinois: "We conceived the idea of creating an ABA for the purpose of furthering the interests of outstanding American Band Masters, and of interesting composers, arrangers, and music publishers in Wind Band music. . . . It would be the aim of the ABA to unite in a concerted effort to influence the best composers to write for the Wind Band." Stannard also wrote that John Philip Sousa had been interviewed in connection with the proposed idea and that he was quite enthusiastic, consenting to act as President of the association. Sousa’s support was of vital importance since he was recognized as America's foremost bandmaster. Sousa had the respect and personality necessary to motivate bandmasters to unite in Goldman's cause. Grabel and Stannard immediately began groundwork toward the official founding of the ABA. Stannard sought input from acclaimed bandmasters and Grabel organized meetings in Chicago when Stannard, Harding, Sousa and other bandmasters could meet. Goldman remained the guiding force behind the movement, while Grabel acted as the primary executive force. The organization took true formation at a meeting in Chicago on October 25, 1928. Grabel, Harding, and Stannard discussed many issues including the importance of key bandmasters, possible locations and times for the first formal meeting, the beginnings of the constitution which would be written by Grabel, and the procedures and qualifications for membership. New York was approved as the first meeting place and the charter members assembled there on July 5, 1929. These members included Edwin Franko Goldman; Charles Benter, Director of the United States Navy Band, Washington, D. C.; J. J. Gagnier, Director of His Majesty's Grenadier Guards Band, Montreal, Canada; Victor J. Grabel, Conductor of the Chicago Concert Band; Albert Austin Harding, Director of Bands at the University of Illinois; Richard B. Hayward, Director of the Toronto Concert Band, Toronto, Canada; Charles O'Neill, Director of the Royal 22nd Regiment Band, Quebec, Canada; Arthur Pryor, Director of Arthur Pryor's Band, New York, NY; and Frank Simon, Director of the ARMCO Band, Middletown, Ohio. Although the proceedings of this important meeting do not exist, the events can be somewhat retraced from a brief New York Herald Tribune article. Grabel's draft of the ABA Constitution and by-laws were adopted and an official statement of the objectives of the ABA compiled. These initial objectives set forth the desire for a universal band instrumentation, a higher standard of artistic excellence, and the need to induce prominent composers of all countries to write for the band. At the end of the Constitution, Grabel listed John Philip Sousa as Honorary Life President and the following officers: Goldman, President; O'Neill, Vice President; Grabel, Secretary; and Harding, Treasurer. Simon, Clarke, and Hayward were elected Directors and Pryor was elected Chairman of the Membership Committee. The first annual convention was held March 13-16, 1930, in Middletown, Ohio, the home-base of charter member Frank Simon and the ARMCO Band. By the second annual convention in 1931, the ABA had begun to move out of its organizational stages and into a decade of activism. World War II brought a redirection of focus for the entire country and caused the 1942 convention to be cancelled. During this difficult period, the ABA Newsletter was begun and served as the essential link that held the group together over the next six years. No conventions followed during the war and the original editor of the newsletter, Lynn Sams, is credited with keeping the interest in ABA alive. The organization met again in 1947, in Elkhart, Indiana, with members eager to push the association forward in new directions. This convention marked the revival of ABA that has continued to meet annually. Conventions provide the ongoing process of growth and change necessary to adhere to the principles on which the organization was founded. The importance, however, of The American Bandmasters Association does not lie in its meetings, but in its membership. Some of the accomplishments of the collective and singular efforts of it members follow: • John Philip Sousa's enshrinement in the Hall of Fame of Great Americans through the leadership of Honorary Life Member Raymond F. Dvorak. • The establishment of the Journal of Band Research through the leadership of past president Dr. Paul V. Yoder. • The founding of the American School Band Directors Association by American Bandmasters Association member Mr. Dale Harris. • The founding of the College Band Directors National Association by past president Dr. William D. Revelli. • The founding of the National Band Association by past president Dr. Al G. Wright. • The founding of the National Band Association Hall of Fame for Distinguished Conductors by Dr. William D. Revelli, president of the National Band Association, and founding president Dr. Al G. Wright. • Establishment of The American Bandmasters Association Research Center at the University of Maryland, under the leadership of Dr. Paul V. Yoder. • The founding of the Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity by past president Colonel Earl D. Irons. • The establishment of The American Bandmasters Association/Ostwald Band Composition Contest by ABA associate members Ernest and Adolph Ostwald. • The establishment in 1962, of the Edwin Franko Goldman Memorial Citation to recognize persons outside the ABA who have rendered conspicuous service in the interest of bands and band music. • The founding of the North American Band Directors Coordinating Council by ABA Associate member Dr. Forrest McAllister. • The creation of the John Philip Sousa Foundation by Colonel George S. Howard. • The inception of The American Bandmasters Association Foundation under the leadership of past president Dr. Harry Begian. • The accomplishments of the ABA in concert band instrumentation. • The encouragement and recognition of new music and composers both in and out of The American Bandmasters Association, beginning with the commissions of Dr. Edwin Franko Goldman. • The more than half a century of dedication to the betterment of bands in every possible way. • The encouragement of the development of the Japanese Band Directors Association through the efforts of past president Dr. Paul V. Yoder and associate member Walter Volkwein, and the nurturing of the Japanese Band Directors Association through American Bandmasters Association/ Japanese Band Directors Association joint meetings. by Jennifer Scott, 1995 Edited by Thomas V. Fraschillo, William J. Moody, 2006 References: Davis, Alan L. (1987) A History of The American Bandmasters Association, doctoral dissertation, Arizona State University. The Constitution and By-Laws of The American Bandmasters Association. Revelli, W. D. (1986). Interview with Alan L. Davis, August 14. Santelmann, W. F. (1953) What The American Bandmasters Association Means to Me. Sams, L. L. (1986). Untitled History of Bands in the United States, Unpublished manuscript. Stannard, W. J. (1928). Personal correspondence to Albert Austin Harding, August 3. Other sources: Victor Zajec, Retired Dean of the Graduate School at Vandercook College in Chicago. ABA Public Relations and Publicity Committee, 1995-96: Dr. James Croft, James Curnow, Lt. Col. Frank Dubuy, Emery Fears, Dr. Edwin Kruth, and Frank Wickes.

In Search of Tradition: John Philip Sousa October 14 2010, 4 Comments

Captain Frank Byrne (retired) wrote the following article while a member of the United States Marine Band, THE PRESIDENTS OWN . He is a noted writer, musician, and symphony executive. His efforts in researching the work of John Philip Sousa are outstanding. During his tenure with the US Marine Band he was chief librarian and also edited a number of Sousa’s works (See below) as well as performing on the tuba. He is presently the Executive Director for the Kansas City Symphony. ***www.MilitaryMusic.com is pleased to announce that with our fall catalog we released the first 4 volumes of The Heritage of the March John Philip Sousa collection. Check our website for these wonderful albums, available on CD and digital download***

The authentic performance movement in music, is a fascinating world where old is new and "tradition" can be a euphemism for musical heresy. Authentic performance advocates discovered that numerous performance traditions have evolved, which depart from the composers' original intentions. These discoveries led scholars to restudy original manuscripts and fuelled many "authentic" performances, recordings, and no small amount of controversy. To borrow a phrase from the late music critic Olin Downes, "much ink has been shed over it:' Some changes attempted to fit master-works of the 18th and 19th century into the framework of the modern ensemble. Some may have resulted when autocratic conductors sought to "improve" on the original. Other changes were benign decisions in an era where the musical score was viewed as a guidepost rather than as holy writ. Still other discrepancies occurred in the incorrect transmission of musical thought via faulty musical editions.

Adding to this advancement in musical instrument design and manufacture, which produced instruments capable of greater intensity, and you have a result which, to some listeners, almost turns Mozart into Mantovani. There will always be audiences for both. But many listeners discover new insights when standard repertoire is presented in authentic performances which attempt to recreate music as the composers intended. The most pure method blends the use of period instruments (or modern reproductions), ensembles which reflect the style of the period in both size and musical approach, and critically-prepared musical editions created from original manuscripts and other definitive sources. Some conductors apply the same scholarship to performances using modern instruments, believing that composers would welcome the improvements.

Sousa has been a treasured part of the Marine Band's musical repertoire since his time as director from 1881-1892. In preparation for these Sousa recordings, we considered the various option and examined our own Sousa performance traditions in the light of modern scholarship. The Marine Band's history of recording Sousa's music dates to 1890, and early cylinders made by the Columbia Phonograph Company of Washington, DC. Sousa was then director of the Marine Band, and although he was unconvinced of the value of this new invention, he allowed his hand to record for Columbia. Under succeeding directors, Sousa's music appeared on Edison and Victor recordings, and on the band's promotional recordings. During 1974~1976, Lieutenant Colonel Jack Kline (Director, 1974-1979) conducted the Marine Band in The Heritage of John Philip Sousa (now available from Altissimo HERE). This series, the brainchild of band aficionado Robert Hoe, yielded 18 long-playing albums of Sousa’s, marches, songs, overtures, tone poems, operetta selections, concert suites, and miscellaneous pieces.

Music never accessible to Sousa enthusiasts was committed to records which were distributed to public libraries, music schools, and educators. The "total immersion" into Sousa yielded new interest in many of his infrequently performed works, new respect for the difficulty of recording Sousa, and a commitment that this project should he revisited when the repertoire could be considered in more manageable portions. In the intervening years, The Heritage of John Philip Sousa recordings have come to be regarded as the most authoritative set of Sousa recordings on LP. And with the advent of digital recording, opportunistic commercial recording companies recognized that Sousa is still in demand and both new and reissued Sousa recordings by other musical organizations have been released on compact discs. As a result, there has been a renewed interest in performing Sousa by bands and orchestras all over the world.

Aside from the marches that are played almost continuously, Sousa's other marches and many concert works began appearing on concert programs and in publishers' catalogs. The Marine Band has continued its Sousa performances and research to learn about its former director. This research has involved an intense study of the Marine Band's Sousa collections, literature searches for writings by and about Sousa, study of recordings of the Sousa Band, and an ongoing dialogue with Sousa scholars such as Paul Bierley and Keith Brion. This study has brought forth an incredible amount of information about how Sousa performed his music. It has also generated considerable thought and, occasionally, debate regarding the interpretation of some facts. Even the most exhaustive research may not resolve every question.

In an essay published in The Journal of Musicological Research, musicologist Stanley Howell wrote, "Because of this inescapable element of uncertainty, some music historians have begun to wonder if the entire historical performance movement is misdirected. But our inability to achieve absolute authenticity should not prevent us from trying to understand as much as we can. Historically-oriented performances can afford real insights into period musical style as long as we remember that all such efforts are experimental and subject to criticism and eventually revision." 

This has been our approach to this recording. Considerable effort has been expended to capture performances which closely approximate those that Sousa conducted. The modern equipment and instrumentation of today's Marine Band were used, believing that those yielded the best musical results and, therefore, best served the music. (It should be noted that the current Marine Band instrumentation is similar to that of the Sousa Band). In areas where there have been the "inescapable elements of uncertainty," we adopted a conservative approach. When performance techniques could not be distilled to a single formula, we explored several options.

Whenever original Sousa manuscript scores were available, they were studied and compared with first published editions. This proved particularly valuable in the Looking Upward Suite. We compared the manuscript full score from the Library of Congress and manuscript parts from the University of Illinois with the two published editions and discovered numerous differences. We performed Looking Upward from the manuscript edition, undoubtedly the first recording of this version.

The scoring of each march was thoroughly checked to insure that only those parts which Sousa performed were used for recording. Many editions published after his death contain extensive changes, including additional parts not written by Sousa. For example, the 1951 John Church edition of 'The Stars and Stripes Forever" contains 10 instrumental parts that are neither in Sousa's original manuscript score nor the first published edition. Former members of the Sousa Band were aware of this problem. During the 1952 meeting of the Sousa Band Fraternal Society, William Gens (President of the Society) commented on remarks delivered by Edwin Franko Goldman (conductor of the Goldman Band) at that meeting. Gens wrote: "Dr. Goldman asked us to do everything in our power to stop publishers from murdering Sousa marches. It Is a crime what they are doing to make a sale. We should all refuse to buy, play, or handle anything but those from the original publishers."

The performance parts used for these recordings were extensively edited to reflect corrections from the original scores, to standardize articulations and dynamics, and to incorporate authentic Sousa performance techniques. As Keith Brion has documented in his essay "Sousa's Marches-As He Conducted Them," Sousa incorporated many distinctive performance techniques which were his trademarks. Sousa said to his musicians, 'Any band can play the printed arrangements but we shall play them differently' August Helmecke, bass drum virtuoso of the Sousa Band for 22 years, wrote, "People have no idea how Sousa wanted his marches played because the tricks and effects that brought them to such vivid life under the big boss' own direction never got marked into the scores. The notes alone give but the barest skeleton of what a Sousa march can be!" Helmecke continued, "In some of the marches, not a single bar of rest is written for comets and clarinets (this was done so marches could be played by small bands) but when Sousa led his own hand in these works, he'd simply wave the unwanted brasses into silence." Frank Simon, Sousa Band solo cornetist and assistant conductor 1914-1921, once said, "There are so many things he did to make it colourful, not just a march where you go through and play it. He 'doctored them up' to make them interesting to the public. That's why he became so famous. Not only for the marches but for HOW he played the marches" Fellow composer and conductor Karl King noted Sousa's performance style in a 1946 letter to a colleague. King wrote, "Even in his marches, Sousa pulled some strains down to a whisper which always made the last strain sound that much better by contrast. Also, Sousa had a few little tricks on pianissimos that I observed and I always wondered why other leaders who heard him didn't get 'hep' to how he did it but apparently they didn't." In his autobiography Marching Along. Sousa wrote, "The chief aim of the composer is to produce color, dynamics, nuances, and to emphasize the storytelling quality The combination and composition which gives that result is most to be desired" Sousa achieved this through his unique interpretations. Those who suggest that Sousa made performance changes out of boredom with his music are incorrect. His preparation and attention to detail were impeccable.

About the rehearsal and performance of marches, Sousa Band clarinetist Sam Harris wrote, "It was Sousa's belief that a march is one of the most difficult of all compositions to play correctly. He stressed the importance of being alert for all details tempo, accents, dynamics, nuances, breathing, articulation, and proper balance:' Colonel Howard Bronson, another Sousa Band member, made the following comments in an address to the College Band Directors National Association: "Why did Sousa's compositions take on different character when played by his band? He knew exactly how he wanted the band to sound and he developed a playing character that expressed it. Each player knew exactly how Sousa wanted certain passages to be played--just the right shading and perfect coordination. His own compositions were played with meticulous attention to dynamics, shading, and tone coloring. The printed scores do not carry the dynamic markings as actually played by the band:'

To document these performance changes, we consulted three main sources: 1) The writings of Sousa solo cornetist Frank Simon. In 1966, Frank Simon participated in a series of interviews in which he discussed 35 Sousa marches in detail, documenting the performance changes as he remembered Sousa had made them. These interviews were transcribed and published in two booklets with accompanying recordings under the auspices of the American School Band Directors Association. 2) The Sousa Band encore books The Sousa Band encore books are another valuable source of information about Sousa's performance practices. These encore books, now in the Marine Band's Sousa collection were used at every performance. They include the performance parts used by his musicians. Although most of Sousa's information to his players was not written down, some markings were made in these encore books which give insight into how Sousa played his marches. These marking support information given by Frank Simon. 3) Recordings of the Sousa Band Of the six Sousa march recordings actually conducted by the composer two stand out: "Solid Men to the Front" and "Sabre and Spurs.” Both marches were recorded on September 6, 1918, and are perhaps the best picture of the Sousa Band in a concert performance of a march during this period. Among the interesting features of these two recordings are the tempos.

Sousa Band members reported that he conducted his marches from 120 to 132 beats per minute. In his later years, the tempos became faster and at times may have approached 138 beats per minute (according to Sousa biographer Paul Bierley) as if the band had to rush to catch a train to the next city.  Both of these 1918 march recordings are considerably slower: "Solid Men to the Front" is performed at approximately 118 and "Sabre and Spurs" at approximately 116-118. Other Victor recordings with Sousa conducting range from 122-128 beats per minute. A radio broadcast transcription of Sousa conducting "The Stars and Stripes Forever" is at approximately 120. While it is doubtful that Sousa would have chosen the identical tempo for every march, the slower tempos are particularly striking. Since most of Sousa's marches were performed as encores, to the printed selections on the program perhaps he endorsed a faster tempo for this purpose. This theory is supported by Sousa's remarks in a Sydney [Australia] Evening News article on July 24, 1911, entitled "Sousa Says Good-Bye." Under the heading "Quick March" a statement is printed, 'The opinion has been expressed that your march time is too quick" Sousa responded: "If you play my marches for troops to march to in  the streets, they must, of necessity, be played slower than I play them on the stage. But anyone who attends my concerts must, unless there is sawdust in his veins, see that the whole idea is of terrific musical force. Contemplation must be after the battle, not during it. The whole idea is that the musical atmosphere must be brought up to a great tension, as it were. My marches, with the exception of one, are used entirely as I play them at a rather quick step rather than keep them down to a slow patter.  Of course, no one would march to the tempo that I play them on stage. But I try to quicken up the blood, and exhilarate people.  I have heard people say that they would like me to play my marches slower. Well, if I had to play in front of a regiment, I would do so; but never on stage."

We know that Sousa's march encores were very effective. He played them within 10 seconds upon the completion of the previous work. Nothing interfered with the momentum of the performance. Sousa apparently preferred to perform his marches briskly when used as encores, but the true marching tempos were an important factor in their structure and creation. An article in a Wilmington, Delaware, newspaper dated June 10, 1924, quoted Sousa as saying, "I do not think that I ever received the inspiration for a march except while I was marching... with my life at stake I do not think I could sit in a chair and write a march." In an August 1950 article in The Elude entitled "How Sousa Played His Marches," Sousa's bass drummer August Helmecke wrote, "Sousa never played his marches as fast as they're generally taken today He kept to a good, firm, marching tempo. A march, remember, isn't a gallop. when people march, they don't run.

Although Sousa marches can be performed faster; we have adopted tempos around 110-120 beats per minute to simulate actual marching cadences. Sousa's own recordings of "Solid Men to the Front" and "Sabre and Spurs" demonstrate that, outside of the context of his concert encores, the marches could be quite effective at these tempos. Another distinctive factor in Sousa’s march performance is the addition of unique percussion accents. Helmecke wrote, "I've saved the accents for last because, in Sousa, they're by far the most important. Sousa's marches gained most of their stirring effectiveness from the crisp, wonderful accents he put into them. As I said, these never got marked into the music and never were published. In giving his material to the copyist, Sousa wrote the drums in the simplest manner-barely indicating where they were to be. But when it came to play those marches, he put the accents in! Sousa didn't print his accents, and he never explained them-he just made them known through his conducting.' Helmecke once asked Sousa why the accents were not written in but Sousa would not commit himself to an answer. Helmecke decided that Sousa didn't want other bands to play the marches the way his band did. In the era of competition between professional bands, such "trade secrets" were very highly valued.

Dr. Leonard B. Smith, conductor of the Detroit Concert Band, knew many Sousa Band members and also performed with Helmecke in the Goldman Band. Regarding the use of accents in the marches, Dr. Smith commented: "The Sousa accents were placed logically, not whimsically. The interpretation is found within the music itself and has nothing to do with sentiment or caprice. Sousa's accents were so effective because he conceived them. People fantasize that Gus (Helmecke) created them but it is not true. Sousa originated the accents in all his marches." Without written documentation, recreating Sousa’s accents is difficult. Some accents reinforce the melodic contour or bring out what is written. Others provide variety by adding rhythmic contrast to the melodic line. Accents in these recordings are a combination of traditional Marine Band accents and new accents which, in the opinion of conductor and percussionists, fit the criteria mentioned above. Another Sousa percussion technique was to either reduce or completely eliminate the percussion during soft sections of a march. In these recordings, percussion (except for bells) has been eliminated in the trio of "Invincible Eagle." Interestingly, the published percussion part for "Grid-iron Club" has minimal percussion at the trio and is performed here as written.

In addition to the Sousa accents, many of the marches have unique effects. These include regimental trumpet and drum parts, horse hoofs, the use of orchestra bells, ship's bell, harp, bosun's pipe, whistles, sirens, pistol shots, and more. In performing regimental trumpet and drum parts ("Sabre and Spurs" and "Gallant Seventh"), four trumpet players and two percussionists were positioned to one side of the band. The deeper pitched field drums were used on regimental drum parts to provide contrast to the sound of the concert snare used throughout. Sousa wrote the "bugle strain" in "The Royal Welch Fusiliers" to be performed by the entire cornet and trumpet section. Several marches contain published harp parts (Sousa added a harpist to his hand during the later years). There is a harp folder in the set of Sousa’s encore books which contain mostly piano editions of the marches. Since the published harp parts do not match the piano editions, we may assume that the harpist improvised from the piano edition when no published part was available. We have chosen to use harp only when a separate part was published, as on "Comrades of the Legion" and "Who's Who in Navy Blue." Orchestra bells were added at the trio to double the melody on those marches which had a manuscript bell part in the Sousa encore books. "Sabre and Spurs" as recorded here duplicates the techniques demonstrated in Sousa's 1918 recording. This includes a xylophone solo for the first time through the last strain. The use of the xylophone on this part is substantiated by a manuscript part in the Sousa encore books which, unlike the other manuscript bell parts that accompany it, is clearly marked "xylophone" for "Sabre and Spurs." Former Sousa drummer John I. Heney noted Sousa's use of the xylophone in this fashion in his percussion text The Correct Way to Drum. "Manhattan Beach" follows the instructions as noted in the Sousa encore books and also documented by Frank Simon. Among the effects are a soft introduction, contrasting use of the brass in the second strain which is on the repeat, extra emphasis on the clarinet arpeggios at the trio (which simulate waves), and a very dramatic crescendo-decrescendo on the final strain which gives the effect one might hear while passing the handstand during a stroll at Manhattan Beach. Taken individually, these techniques and performance practices seem a complex collection of formulae: an octave here, an accent there, and an odd xylophone or pistol shot thrown in for good measure. Taken collectively, they represent a particular genius in which Sousa looked beyond convention and saw within his own music the potential for an extraordinary musical experience. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "There is properly no history, only biography" In searching for Sousa, we hope to have discovered not only the essence of the music but of the man himself.

The “Pathfinder” referred to by John Philip Sousa in the title of "The Pathfinder Of Panama" March is actually the Panama Canal. Composed in 1915, the march is dedicated to the Panama Canal and the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco where the Sousa Band played a nine week engagement. The edition by Captain Frank Byrne of the United States Marine Band is the result of extensive research into the specific performance practices of Sousa and his band. Though many of the performance alterations made to Sousa’s marches were never published, interviews and writings of former Sousa Band members provided valuable insight into the creation of this edition. * * *

Jack's Musings: Henry Fillmore September 29 2010, 0 Comments

Musings Henry Fillmore By Jack Kopstein

As an American musical icon, Henry Fillmore’s musical career spanned over fifty years. He continuously flooded the band music market under several names. For easy band music, Mr. Fillmore used the name Harold Bennett. He used the names Will Huff and Al Hayes for band music of medium difficulty. For the more difficult repertoire, Henry Fillmore used several names: Gus Beans, Ray Hall, Harry Hartley, and Henrietta Hall! He probably wrote and arranged more band music than anyone in the history of the art. Fillmore's biographer, Paul Bierley, figures that Fillmore wrote 250 original compositions for band and arranged 750 other pieces. Fillmore wrote or arranged over one thousand pieces of music in his musical career with his work amounting to at least 20 compositions per year, almost 2 compositions per month. How prolific; it remains an incredible feat, particularly since he no doubt wrote, arranged, and copied his own compositions for publication. Fillmore had a wide range of interests in composing and arranging. He wrote hymns, fox-trots, waltzes, marches, and overtures. Fillmore arranged several classic compositions as well as classic reductions. Henry Fillmore was the name most associated with band music in the golden age of concert/parade and military band music in the late 1800's and early 1900's.

Henry Fillmore was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1881. He was the eldest of 5 children. His father was a partner in the Fillmore Religious music publishing house. Henry Fillmore had a well-trained singing voice, and he sang in church choir. He dabbled with the piano and mastered the flute, violin, and guitar. He also became fascinated with the slide trombone, an instrument his father believed to be too evil for any righteous person to play. The instrument was often associated with street corner musicians whom were known to imbibe "the demon rum". But Fillmore’s mother prevailed, and he earnestly began to study the trombone. He was educated in Cincinnati public schools. In 1901, Fillmore graduated from a junior college with a "Bachelor of Arts" degree. The succeeding Fall he attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, studying trombone with Charles Kohlman and composition with John Broekhoven. He worked for a time in his Father’s publishing firm but left in 1905 after an argument over his love affair with exotic dancer Mabel May Jones. Love prevailed and Henry proposed to Miss Jones by mail. They were married in St Louis. Fillmore then began a career in circus music, gaining employment with the Lemon Brothers Circus. Both he and his wife were hired. Thus began an association with American circus life, which continued for several years. By 1910, Fillmore resolved his differences with his father and returned to music publishing. Since his salary was very low and his royalties were not yet large enough to sustain himself, Fillmore began to teach trombone and perform in private groups. At some point he gained sufficient skill in conducting, that he led the Syrian Temple Shrine Band from from 1921 to 1926. In 1927, Fillmore organized his own professional band, which was the last in a long line of great professional bands of its type in America. The great Gilmore and Sousa bands had passed into history when Fillmore began his band in Cincinnati. Fillmore's band became immensely popular. Fillmore's band did more than play music. It entertained the audience. He often turned directly around to the audience and conducted the band, finishing numbers with long fermata (holds or pauses), and demonstrating how much he enjoyed the audience's presence. Henry Fillmore was called "Showman Supreme." Fillmore was well ahead of his musical time, in regards to what he considered the entertainment value of a conductor. Many of his conducting characteristics were adopted by American bandmasters years later, including the eminent Major Mark Azzolino who conducted the NORAD band of Colorado Springs during the 1960’s and 70’s. Fillmore developed cardiac problems and moved to Miami, Florida in 1938, for his health. He had made a decision to retire, but soon he was employed with the University of Miami band. Fillmore ended up traveling extensively in the United States, adjudicating musical competitions and guest conducting. In addition, between 1939 and 1942, he assisted in the development of 32 high school band programs in Florida. Henry Fillmore willed the bulk of his estate to the University of Miami. At the age of 75, he died in 1956. Henry Fillmore began composing at age 18. His first known publication is the march Higham, named after a line of brass instruments. His last composition was dedicated to the President of Miami University at the time, Jay F.W. Pearson. It was titled the Presidents March. Altogether, Fillmore composed 113 marches. His most well-known marches include "Americans We," "Men Of Ohio" (excerpted for the Blue Dragon Fight Song), "His Honor," "The Footlifter," and "Military Escort." "Military Escort" has been called the best easy march ever composed. John Philip Sousa told Henry Fillmore that he wished Sousa's name was on this march. Men Of Ohio was dedicated to President Warren G. Harding, who had played the Alto horn in his Marion, Ohio, high school band. www.MilitaryMusic.com features several albums containing Fillmore's work. Such albums include: The Golden Age of the Concert Band, Ceremonial Music (2 Disc Collection), Footlifters!, and also the all-Fillmore album Military Escort, available at iTunes!

The National Game September 08 2010, 0 Comments

The National Game John Phillip Sousa - 1925 Contributed by Jack Kopstein With its popular reputation and good wages, the Sousa Band was able to recruit some of the best musicians around. For 39 years, this large group toured the country by train. A Sousa Band tour would last for many months, often with several performances each day and only a few days off for travel between cities. The band traveled to every corner of the United States and did several European tours and one world tour. Together they traveled more than 1 million miles, and they still managed to find the time for other fun. The Sousa Band had its own baseball team, and Sousa was often the pitcher. They played against local baseball teams and those of rival bands. Sousa composed the piece featured here, "The National Game." Sousa and his Baseball Team Music and baseball have played an integral role in the life and culture of America for nearly two and a quarter centuries, but it was not until the late nineteenth and early twentieth century when the two forms of popular entertainment became fully entwined as the country’s greatest past times. One of the earliest references to baseball in the United States can be found in a 1791, Pittsfield, Massachusetts ordinance banning the playing of the game within eighty yards of the town meeting house. The earliest music composition dedicated to the sport is J. R. Blogdett’s 1858 song, “The Base Ball Polka.” During the Civil War, it was not uncommon for soldiers from different parts of the country to come together to play games of baseball; this eventually lead to a more unified version of the game and its rules across the country. In 1869, the National Association of Base Ball Players permitted professional play. In 1876, the National Baseball League was formalized, and in 1901, the American Baseball League was created just two years before the two leagues played their first World Series. While baseball quickly evolved into a highly professional sport, the rivalries between followers of both professional and amateur leagues became legendary during those early years. Sousa and Judge Kenishaw Mountain Landis Landis was the man with the iron fist that saved baseball after the Black Sox debacle of 1919. Babe Ruth was instrumental in bringing the game back on the field with his mighty clouts. Sousa wrote the march “THE NATIONAL GAME” at the behest Kenishaw Mountain Landis, the Commissioner of Baseball. For music and sports scholars and aficionados the years 1900-1920 are considered the golden age of the John Philip Sousa Band and baseball in America. The 1908 World Series is considered the greatest and most controversial baseball series of the twentieth century and the Sousa Band’s World Tour of 1910-1911 is undoubtedly one of the most unique music public relations efforts by a single individual to introduce the early twentieth-century world to American music, culture and baseball. John Philip Sousa’s band also served as his baseball team whenever they had a chance to play a game of baseball against another team from a community in which they were performing a concert. This special exhibition in the Center’s museum combines historical documents, photographs, music manuscripts, sound recordings and artifacts from the John Philip Sousa Music and Personal Papers, Herbert L. Clarke Music and Papers, Paul Bierley Papers, Student Life Archives, University Archives, as well as other newly acquired collections of the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music. In addition the exhibition includes historical documents and rare baseball cards from the Smithsonian Institution’s Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, and the Ronald S. Gabriel Baseball Memorabilia Collection. Join the staff of the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music as we uncover interesting stories about the John Philip Sousa Band and early baseball. "The National Game" is available on the Altissimo! album entitled Sousa 3, the third in a series of albums dedicated to the compositions of John Philip Sousa. Click here to see it at the Altissimo website. With Files from the Smithsonian Institute and Sousa Archives Contributed by Jack Kopstein

The 1st Co GFG Band September 08 2010, 2 Comments

The 1st Co GFG BAND 1st Company Governor’s Foot Guards Contributed by Jack Kopstein When the General Assembly of the Colony of Connecticut passed the resolution in 1771, which formed the First Company Governor's Foot Guard, no mention was specifically made of a band of musicians, although a petition by commandant Captain Samuel Wyllys in the Company's first year of operation sought reimbursement for monies spent on fifes and drums.  Thus, it is clear that music has always been part of the Foot Guard.  It was not until 1904 however, that the First Company formed its own permanent band with its members a part of the rank and file of the Foot Guard. Today, band members are enlisted personnel of the Company, full members of the First Company and of the State Organized Militia, who train and drill side by side with the Foot Guard's infantry unit. Since 1904, the band has marched parades and performed concerts at many prestigious events, adding the color, ceremony, and precision associated with rich military tradition. In 1907, the newly-formed band performed a concert at  a special ceremony held at Gettysburg, and in 1908, Foot Guard Bandmaster Francis Sutherland performed as guest cornet soloist with John Philip Sousa's band when they performed at the Foot Guard's Armory on High Street in Hartford. Through the years, the band has represented the State of Connecticut in several Presidential  inaugurations, at the New England Governors' Conference, and in escort duties for foreign dignitaries and European royalty. Led by Captain David Carlson, today's band performs many concerts, parades, ceremonies, and special events throughout the Northeast. The band also participates frequently in joint concerts with college and public school bands throughout Connecticut. Recent memorable band performances include the launching and commissioning of the submarine USS Hartford; the 350th Anniversary celebration of York, Pennsylvania; annual appearances at Hartford's Riverfest; the "Convergence" parade at Lincoln Center in New York, the 225th birthday of Connecticut's Old State House and July 4th parades in Philadelphia and Washington DC, and its Centennial Concert at the Bushnell Memorial's Belding Theater. Of course, every four years the Band participates in the Governor's Inauguration Day ceremonies as the First Company Governor's Foot Guard upholds its chartered duties and commitment to the Governor and the State of Connecticut. For more information, please visit the band's website at http://www.governorsfootguard.com/

Community Band Spotlight September 2010 September 08 2010, 0 Comments

A Brief History of the Marine Band of Allentown 1903-2010 Celebrating Over a Hundred Years of Service to the Community Contributed by Jack Kopstein One of the outstanding qualities of Allentown, PA, is its bands and love of band music. The Marine Band of Allentown is an important part of that tradition and our history is a reflection of the musical growth of the city. The band was first organized on Jan. 19, 1903, when a group of musicians headed by William Wereley met at the Friendly Inn on North 7th Street. Wereley, a fine cornetist, was selected as the first conductor, a position he held with the Liberty Band until it disbanded. The 23 charter members selected the following officers: William Hoover, president; Charles Long, vice president; William Gruver, secretary; William P. Long, treasurer; Peter DeLong, manager; Monroe Harring, assistant manager; and Solon Boyer, George Hoover and Charles Ruhle as trustees. The band was in popular demand almost immediately, playing 131 engagements in its first year. In 1907, the band became affiliated with the Sons of Veterans Reserve. Led by William Werkheiser, it was known as the 2nd Regiment Band, S.V.R. Through World War I, the band was a popular attraction at all veteran and military functions. Members of the Marine Band performed faithfully with the United States military bands, serving this country in both World Wars and the Korean conflict. One member, Henry Herlicker, was killed while sounding the charge at Sedan, France only one day before the First World War ended. In May of 1928, the Marine Band purchased the Morris Hoats homestead at 27-29 South 7th Street. The building was remodelled as a rehearsal hall and storage area by Butz and Clader Company at a cost of over $100,000. More than $20,000 was spent on the purchase of new uniforms and instruments. The band was under the direction of Joseph Ricapito. In October of 1928, the Marine Band became nationally known when it performed for the National Convention of the American Legion in San Antonio, Texas. During this trip, the band played in Buffalo, New York, Chicago, Springfield, Illinois, St. Louis, Missouri, Houston, Galveston, Dallas and Ft. Worth, Texas and Little Rock, Arkansas. In 1929, the Marine Band Auxiliary was formed, and for a number of years this group supported the band with many fund raising projects. Tragedy struck in April, 1931, when fire swept through the three-story Band Hall. The loss of instruments, music, and damage to the building was $33,000. Fire insurance and the help of the good people of Allentown soon had the band back on the bandstand. August 1965, saw the band sell its rehearsal hall to H. Leh and Company because of rising operating costs. The band found a comfortable home in the East Allentown Fire Company building on Walnut Street. In 1994, through the efforts of band president Martin Karess, the band relocated to its present headquarters, "The Band Barn", on Academy Road in Lehigh Parkway. The band has had 12 conductors since 1903. The early group (1903-1935) included William Wereley, John Meyers, William H. Werkheiser, Edwin Gangawer, Alvin C. Hoover, Charles Kehm, Vermond Knauss, Theodore Otto and Joseph Ricapito. In 1935, Albert Marchetto took over the podium. Arguably the most famous of Marine Band leaders, this well known composer and conductor held the baton until 1960. Valgene Routch followed and conducted the band until 1962. Since 1962, the band has been under the direction of Raymond S. Becker, Jr. A composer in his own right, Mr. Becker is in his 41st year as director, the longest tenure of any Marine Band conductor. During his leadership the band has gained recognition for its musical growth, quality of performance and diversity of programming. Mr. Becker credits the efforts of our talented membership as the most important factor in the organization's artistic growth. Over the years, several members of the band are credited with more than 60 years of service. The longest serving active member is Garner Ellis, who joined the band in January 1943. Next on the list is Frank Mesaros, Sr., who joined the band in March of the same year. Current members who have been active for 25 years or more include: Raymond S. Becker, Jr. Robert Billig, Jr., Russell Braun, Robert Danner II, Thomas Heinick, Louis Laubach, Kent Ruch and Burton W. Swayze Today, thousands of people hear the band in its many venues, which include annual spring and Christmas concerts, West Park, the Festival of Bands, Mayfair, and other locations throughout the Lehigh Valley. For more information, visit the band's website here

Jack's Musings July 29 2010, 0 Comments

MUSINGS Contributed By Jack Kopstein Marches have a Role in Musical Tastes. New research is shedding light on why not everyone swoons to the sounds of latest pop sensation Justin Bieber. In a study published in Current Biology researchers have found clues as to why some musical combinations sound so sweet, while others are downright awful. The simple answer is “musical experience.” The key to the research project is that over the years there have been numerous claims why some people like one sound version over another. One method of measuring the musical significance of a harmonic frequency and in relation to sound and the other quality known as beating. Thus if we rationalize the March form in the same context we can determine that the March experience began very early in the lives of children. Young people love parades, and throughout their early lives, numerous opportunities arise where they hear, see and beat their feet to an array of marching bands. Santa Claus parades and July 4th are a great example of the March form in action. Later as school students they are exposed to the sports venues where school and songs are played to develop an esprit de corps among the student body. Nationalism in March music has been one of the most important aspects of musical experience that both children and adults are familiar. National anthems are often written in a dramatic march style. Another consideration is the number of people who have served in their countries military forces. In this area service people are exposed to the sound of drums, trumpets commands and full military bands marching troops in various employments. The question of course arises which medium of music is an acquired taste. Music that appeals to individuals because of the style, harmonic content, solid beating, drastic counter melodies with dissonances, or simple pleasing harmony. Given for instance the jazz concepts and nuances of Charley Parker in the bebop era of the 1950’s and earlier the drum dexterity of Buddy Rich, we must conclude that this form is an acquired taste. The earlier Dixieland jazz, which it can be said was the origin of improvisation, blue notes, syncopation, and polyrhythm  most likely falls into the area of  universal  enjoyment  and requires no more than it is very pleasing to the ear. Tonality and substance are words that are bantered around in relation to classical music, particularly found in music of the masters. Here we are often subjected to massive changes in harmonic content and dark nuances, but great symphonic marches have evolved, giving a spirited rise to the street and concert march. . Large works more often than not require a selected taste. Short program type music is understandable but despite simplicity need to provide a pleasing harmony before they enter into the human psyche. Due to its diversity, popular music in the United States today challenges simple description. The history of popular music in the 1970s and '80s is basically that of rock music, which has grown to include hundreds of musical styles. New styles such as folk, salsa, new wave, funk, reggae, heavy metal, acid rock, punk rock, rap, hip-hop, acid jazz and world music have developed. Country rock, a fusion of country and western and rock 'n' roll, grew popular in the 1970s. A blend of rhythm and blues and gospel music came to be known as soul. Disco, a repetitive dance music, and rap music are direct descendants. Rap developed in the mid-1970s among African-American and Hispanic performers in New York City. It generally consists of chanted, often improvised, street poetry usually accompanied by disco or funk music. The 1990s saw the birth of alternative music or grunge. Techno, a style of dance music that gained popularity in the 1990s, combines computer-generated, disco like rhythms with digital samples. Unfortunately sustainability within the format because of formula writing has hindered learning in modern popular music. However his constant style of the pseudo religious gospel voice inflection together with the use of drum patterns has created an uncomplicated and easily understood learning experience. Next we examine the learning and experience of the Broadway Musical theatre, a form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an integrated whole. Since the early 20th century, musical theatre stage works have generally been called simply, "musicals." Musicals are performed all around the world. They may be presented in large venues, such as big budget West End and Broadway theatre productions in London and New York City, or in smaller fringe theatre, Off-Broadway or regional productions, on tour, or by amateur groups in schools, theatres and other performance spaces. In addition to Britain and North America, there are vibrant musical theatre scenes in many countries in Europe, Latin America and Asia.Some famous musicals include Show Boat, Oklahoma!, West Side Story, The Fantasticks, Hair, A Chorus Line, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, Rent, The Producers and Wicked. Most of the music for the theatre  has had a long lasting effect on audiences. This  translates very easily  into the human memory bank and for which there is common  familiarity along with understanding.  The Sound of Music is the the best illustration of  a show which not only captured the world’s imagination for over fifty years but also introduced several memorable songs such as "Climb Every Mountain," "Do-Re-Me," and  "Edelweiss." Rendering a meaning for marches in terms of  musical expression is simply “beating  of the ground with feet”. The march has evolved  into a distinct style as well as a distinct form. In other words style may range from the works of Wagner(operatic) and Beethoven(Symphonic) to the numerous street and parade marches(Sousa) which were found to be a necessity for men to be kept in step. Thus the march is strictly rythmical. Strict rhythm is observed  regardless of the melody and counter melody  or accompanyment. We can conclude that the march is by far the simplest musical form to remember and to equate to daily life. The names of the marches often will elude us but we often know the tune.  We can whistle and hum the music,or fragments of it. The most well known perhaps of all marches is Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance No1 . Most of us find the name of the music or the  openng unrecognizable but it is in the overwhelming melody of what is known as “Land of Hope and Glory” section  that the march takes on a life of its own. Sousa’s march Stars and Stripes Forever has the same effect. Once it begins there is something  our experience tells us that we know it, and we love it. All marches however  do not excite or give us the same feeling of pleasure, however they fit the human desire to beat our feet and feel uplifted.

The Saxophone: A Musical Instrument for the Ages July 29 2010, 0 Comments

Antoine Joseph SAX – known as Adolphe - was born in Dinant, Belgium, on November 6, 1814, the son of Charles Joseph Sax, instrument maker to the king of The Netherlands. At 14, Adolphe Sax built his own clarinet of fine wood and soon was winning prizes at Europe's new indus¬trial expositions. Sax was a rare young genius: an innovator whose hands were as facile as his mind.

Community Band Spotlight: August 2010 July 29 2010, 3 Comments

Contributed by Jack Kopstein The Repasz Band: An American Treasure The Repasz Band was founded in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in 1831 and is the oldest non-military band in continuous existence in the United States. What could be more American than Mom, apple pie, and a band playing in the park on a sunny summer day? The Repasz Band of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, has been playing out that scene with a proud heritage stretching back over a century and a half. First organized in August 1831 in Williamsport by Jacob L. Mussina, its instrumentation consisted of flutes, clarinets, a piccolo, and only one brass instrument:  a French horn. In 1840, Daniel Repasz became a member of the Band.  Recognized for his dynamic musical character, he became a major force behind the Band’s transformation into a fine brass band.  He was elected as the Band’s fourth director in 1856, and in gratitude for his dedication and accomplishments, the Band members adopted the name Repasz Band in 1859. The Repasz Band has a proud musical heritage, having performed for a variety of civic and military events. Here is a sampling of some of the Band’s more notable engagements: The Band’s first appearance on a national occasion came when it traveled by canal boat to Baltimore, accompanying the Pennsylvania delegation to the Presidential Convention in 1844 where Henry Clay was nominated for President of the United States. In 1861, the Band enlisted in the 11th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, and after three months of service, enlisted in the 29th Pennsylvania Volunteers.  After the Band completed its second enlistment, the greater part of the musicians next enlisted in the 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry and served until the end of the Civil War, seeing action in the Shenandoah Valley, as well as at Lee’s surrender. At Appomattox Court House they played the "Star Spangled Banner" and "Rally Round the Flag" alternating with a Confederate Army Band who played "Bonnie Blue Flag" and "Dixie.] The Band performed at the original dedication of President Grant’s Tomb on April 27, 1897, in New York City. One hundred years later to the day, April 27, 1997, the Repasz Band performed for the rededication of Grant’s Tomb.  At the conclusion of the official ceremonies, in which the Repasz Band was one of only two bands participating, the Repasz Band entertained hundreds of people with a concert of Civil War music. During the Spanish American War, the Band played for the Pennsylvania National Guard from 1898 to the end of the war under the directorship of Herdic Wood (plus three enlistments between 1903 and 1912). In 1899, a spectacular pageant called "The Spanish War," featuring a cast of nearly 1,000 was performed in various locations by the Repasz Band. In 1903, the Band became the official band of the 12th Regiment of the National Guard of Pennsylvania, and marched in that capacity in the inaugural parades of Presidents Theodore Roosevelt in 1905 and Howard Taft in 1909. During World War I, 32 band members (known as the Repasz War Band) joined the Navy on October 17, 1917. Hazel dedicated his composition "Our Blue Jackets" to this impressive band. This contingent of the Repasz Band participated in patriotic parades and toured the country appearing in recruiting drives and Liberty Loan campaigns while stationed at the Pelham Naval Station near New York City.   In 1981, the Band played at the White House to celebrate its 150th anniversary. Frederick E. Manson, in a short article entitled "Personal Recollections of the Repasz," says that "perhaps one of the most splendid personal testimonies to the Repasz came from John Philip Sousa when Sousa's band came to Williamsport in 1915. With his band he was being entertained in the Repasz rooms - the Repasz has entertained every band of prominence visiting Williamsport from Patrick Gilmore's band to Sousa's.  Addressing Mr. Harry Parker, its manager, Sousa said:  'You have what I cannot buy, a loyalty and enthusiasm without which an organization like yours must be mediocre.  Your band has risen above that.'” And it was this loyalty and enthusiasm of the players themselves that inspired the people of Williamsport lately to rally to the support of the old Repasz" when the Lycoming Opera House in Williamsport burned on May 31, 1915.  The band had been based there and lost 84 years' worth of records and memorabilia, its music library, trophies, and most of its uniforms and instruments. Still the band filled an engagement the day after the fire, and in two weeks filled another with "all new equipment made in Williamsport." As described in Edwin L. Suter's article, "Priceless Relics and Famous Library Destroyed by Fire," during the first year of its existence the Band began to gather a collection of music copied by hand into books for each instrument.  In process the "library" of the Band grew to great size.  It was said to be the largest collection of hand copied music in the country.  It represented the work of hundreds of men . . .  Groping among the ruins the other day Mr. Parker extracted an old singed, water-soaked book many years old.  It was all that was recoverable of the famous "library."  In the list of the burned notes of melody were seven sets of instrument books, leather bound and dating back to 1831, and reaching down to the seventies [1870s].  There was no such thing as printed band music when the making of these books was begun and there was no such thing for many years after.  The musical collection of the Band grew with the organization. Another precious relic lost was a banner that the "lady friends" of the Band gave it in 1837.  Back in the days of canal travel, the Band journeyed to Bellefonte by packet boat.  Its musical achievements on that occasion were commemorated by the banner.  Then there was an oil painting, Daniel Repasz and the Village Orchestra, by C. Lawrence, an original member of the Band in 1831, and it's first and only "brass" player at that time (French horn).  There were also a baton and portraits of Captain W. N. Jones, one of the famous drum majors of Civil War days. The organization had sacredly preserved an ancient key bugle, the first brass instrument used in the Band by Daniel Repasz.  Mr. Suter stated that "somewhere in the ruins there is probably a lump of brass representing the old time maker of melody.  The late Herdic Wood, director of the Band for many years, had contributed to the list of things valued - the Lord's Prayer done in scroll work.  The prayer represented the labour of various odd times that, pieced together, made a month of continuous work.  It was destroyed by the flames. A massive cut glass vase, presented to the Repasz musicians by the Corning Band, of Corning, NY, was lost with the rest.  The roster of the Band in Civil War days and other valuable records were burned.  The Band had a collection of portraits and letters of prominent bands and great bandsmen of this and other countries.  These represented Patrick Gilmore, John Philip Sousa, Innes, the Kilties of Hamilton, Ontario, and the "Bess o the Bairnes" from Scotland, and so on, and with them portraits and letters of commendation from United States Army and Pennsylvania National Guard officers.  The art collection comprised about 200 pictures.  They faded and shrivelled in a minute in the furnace of flame that took possession of the band room. During the Depression, with nowhere to rehearse and no money to rent a room, the Repasz Band merged with the Elks Band.  Many of the members played in both anyway, and the Elks offered a home.  From the 1950s through the early 1990s, the Band became known as the Repasz Elks Band. In the late 1940s the Band languished.  Rehearsals were held intermittently, and attendance was poor.  The future was in doubt.  A man named Earl Williams took on the task of saving the Band.  Occasionally referred to as "Mr. Repasz," Earl has been a member since 1938 (an impressive 65 years). Gene Bardo in "The Legacy of the Repasz Band" notes that when the Band was founded in 1831, there were no school bands, and the group was already 74 years old when the first high school band was founded in Connersville, Indiana in 1905.  Modern military bands and their music evolved over a long period of time and also includes groups like the Allentown Band.  Since the time when Daniel Repasz moulded his organization, others headed by such men as Patrick Gilmore, John Philip Sousa, Arthur Pryor, Edwin Franko Goldman, and Harold Bachman came, had their hey-day, and faded into history.  Only the Repasz Band has continued its lineage and to this day looks forward to a promising future. Bibliography taken from the History of the band Gene Bardo, "The Legacy of the Repasz Band," The Instrumentalist, January 1983. InSites, Vol. 5, No. 1, Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce Newsletter, 1989) "A Short History of the Famous Repasz Band, The Oldest Band in America, 1831 - 1931" from the Repasz Band's 100th Anniversary Programme; 1931) Edwin L. Suter, "Priceless Relics and Famous Library Destroyed by Fire," Repasz Band booklet (Grit

The United States Merchant Marine Academy Band - "Cohan's Own" July 29 2010, 0 Comments

During World War II, Maritime Training Facilities were placed in strategic locations around America. These stations included Pass Christian, Mississippi, San Mateo, California, Fort Trumbull, Connecticut, Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn and Kings Point. At the larger locations, professional musicians were recruited to form marching, concert, and dance bands to play for the hundreds of seafarers in training. In 1943, the present Academy at Kings Point was established. With it, a 45 piece professional band, made up of the finest New York City musicians, was recruited and played for thousands of cadets during their intensified wartime training at the Academy. To this day, the raised platform in the mess hall at the Academy, where the present Regimental midshipmen officers sit, and the radio broadcasting booth are vestiges of that professional band. Their duty each day during the war was to play for the entertainment of the troops at all mess sittings and play additional music for dances on weekends, which was broadcast live over WCBS radio. After the war, the professional band was disbanded and music at the Academy became the responsibility of midshipmen. This program had varying degrees of success until 1971, when a full-time Director of Music was appointed and the band members were placed into their own company.

Altissimo Featured on Naxos! July 01 2010, 0 Comments

Starting Thursday July 1st, the world's largest classical music label Naxos will feature Altissimo! album downloads for 25% off* on their classical music website! Click continue reading for more information.

Community Band Spotlight: Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches June 30 2010, 2 Comments

Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches Contributed by Mary Godwin and Laurie Brisson Graduates of the famed Palm Beach High School loved music and performing in the high school band so much that in the summer of 1961 they founded the Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches in order to continue playing together.  The Symphonic Band has spent the past 49 years performing for the community and giving back to the community by awarding scholarships to local students and grants to band and general music programs in the Palm Beach County (FL) school district.  Next year the Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches will be celebrating their 50th anniversary. Scholarship Program For nearly 18 years the Band was under the capable direction of Rudolph von Unruh.  When Mr. von Unruh’s life came to an untimely end in 1982, the Band took the step of formally recognizing Mr. von Unruh’s long-term contribution to the Band by establishing the Rudolph von Unruh Memorial Scholarship which is awarded at the Annual Memorial Scholarship Concert. The proceeds of this concert are awarded as scholarships to deserving local students pursuing a college degree or attending a summer music camp. In 2008 the Band established the Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches’ Rudolph von Unruh Young Musicians Scholarship, a $20,000 endowed scholarship.  For the past couple of seasons, the concert series has been co-sponsored by Palm Beach State College allowing the Band to add money to the principal of its endowed scholarship in addition to funding an annual scholarship.  To date over $230,000 has been awarded in scholarships and grants to benefit the youth of our community. Concert Series Since 1999, the Band has presented a full 5-concert series at the beautiful Eissey Campus Theatre in Palm Beach Gardens and offers an additional 3-concert series at the Duncan Campus Theatre in Lake Worth. To expand the audience base and make the concerts more enjoyable and interesting to our patrons, the band brought in guest artists of local and national acclaim. Internationally renowned conductors, including Colonel Arnald Gabriel, Dr. Alfred Reed, Dr. Paul Yoder, Dr. Harold Walters, Loras Schissel and Commander Alan Beck have been guest conductors with the band. The Baton is Passed Mr. Mark Humphreys was appointed the Symphonic Band‘s conductor in May 2008.  Nearing completion of his second season with the Band, the group continues to grow and has increased in size and instrumentation.  Our programming continues to include a wide variety of music styles and genres ranging from Masterworks to Pop and Jazz, and music from Broadway, and the Movies, composed and arranged by internationally renowned composers and arrangers. Because of their amazing dedication to furthering music education and appreciation in the youth of America via their successful scholarship program, the Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches is Altissimo!'s July Community Band Spotlight. To learn more about the band, you can visit their Website at www.SymBandPB.com.

A Short History of Marches June 30 2010, 3 Comments

In honor of Independence Day, our contributing writer Jack Kopstein thought it would be nice to give a short history of American march music. The following is an informative article he found for us to present.

A Short History of Marches: The origins of European and American march music can be traced to the military music of the Ottoman empire. The martial purpose of the music was to regulate the functioning of armies in the field by communicating orders, and keeping time during marching and maneuvers. The extensive use of percussion, such as cymbals, was also used for psychological effect as their use, especially in Western Europe, was unknown and had the capacity to frighten opponents. Indeed, the subsequent use of cymbals and other such percussive instruments in European 'classical' music was a direct importation from the Ottomans.

In the early 1700's Europeans were first exposed to this type of music and interest would continue to build into the early 1800's when a vogue for Turkish marching bands swept through Europe. Pieces displaying this Turkish influence can be found in the works of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven with a notable example being Turkish March by Beethoven (part of Op. 113): Overture and incidental music for Die Ruinen von Athen.

The origins of march music began before the Gunpowder Age during which armies would maintain their troops' morale by marching with music playing, whether that be from the beat of a drum or fife. American march music showed during the Revolutionary War and earlier wartime conflicts, in which a fife and snare drum would play while the troops marched to battle. This is why it can be said that march music is a military's music. While the tradition of soldiers playing music while marching into battle had ended soon after the American Civil War (mid 1800s), military bands continued to perform marches during related ceremonies and other events. This actually spawned a whole new tradition of playing marches as a source of entertainment.

Marches and the Concert Band Around the late 1800's and early 1900's, most towns, organizations, theaters and even companies would have their own band. These bands, currently known today as community bands, would perform their music at special events much like the military band, but would often play at simple scheduled concerts and tours (such as the traditional gazebo concerts). By this time, published marches were plentiful due to prolific composers such as John Philip Sousa, Karl L. King and Henry Fillmore. Marches became a staple in the repertoire of these concert bands and can hence explain how the popularity of the march spread so rapidly across the world.

Marches and the Circus Marches were further popularized with performances by circus bands. During the same period of the community band/concert band, circuses such as the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Circus would have live music being performed by their own bands. The marches played were often a special variety of the march known descriptively as “Screamers”, “Two-Steps”, and “Cakewalks”. These marches served the purpose of exciting the crowd while circus acts were taking place.

Marches and the Marching Band Again, during the same period college marching bands were also beginning to form. March composers would often dedicate marches to university bands. Marches were performed during half-time shows and pep-rallies. Marches were indeed heard everywhere.

The John Philip Sousa Revolution American composer John Philip Sousa did indeed strongly revolutionize the march. His overall prolific writing of said quality marches added that much to its popularity. According to Sousa researcher Paul Bierley, Sousa’s marches were gems of simplicity and understatement, with rousing counterpoint and overall energy. Sousa also is said to have standardized the traditional march form. American march music was forever immortalized with Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever, a patriotic march which became the official march of the United States of America.

March Music Composers Most march composers come from the United States or Europe, and have some sort of musical background to them. The most popular march composers existed in the late 1800's and early 1900's, mainly because modern march dedicators are hard to come by.

The following is list of march music composers whose marches are frequently performed in the United States.

Russell Alexander (1877-1915)

Kenneth Alford (1881-1945) "The British March King"

Edwin Eugene Bagley (1857-1922)

Hermann Louis Blankenburg (1876-1956)

W. Paris Chambers (1854-1913)

Charles E. Duble (1884-1960)

Henry Fillmore (1881 - 1956) "The Trombone King"

Women's Military Bands June 30 2010, 1 Comment

Research contributed by Dr. Jill M. Sullivan of Arizona State University detailing the history of women in military bands.

Jack's Musings: Another March Perspective April 29 2010, 3 Comments

Another March Perspective By Jack Kopstein Recently I set to work to research an entire parcel of known marches of every type and style. I want to point out that I approached this subject from a different perspective. Often the measures employed with reference to marches are numerous performances on recordings. This method, although the most popular, does not always ring true in a live situation, nor does it cover some good modern marches. Although I have not explored regimental marches, I would believe that the British Grenadiers is no doubt a popular universal march. I took a sampling of world marches from various sources including band and symphony concerts. Thus I was provided with a compelling rationale of what can be considered to be a great march. There is something very special about the march. Real great marches played by bands and orchestras around the world, often offer a challenge for the musicians. Audiences love the melodic and rhythmic nature of the marches. It is summed up in two words: 'toe tapping.' The truly great marches written by expert march composers found their way into the concert repertoire and became the substance of performance and parades. The exciting sounds of the march were mostly the work of a group of unknown and nondescript writers who loved March writing. Naturally we know there were exceptions, names that became synonymous with the march such as Sousa and Alford. But for the most part, outside the intimate band circle, names like J. J. Richards, A W Hughes, Karl L King, and Fred Jewell were unknown. Also the European march writers Carl Teike and the great Herman Blankenburg remain in obscurity by anyone other than band musicians. The March music of the Strauss family became the substance of both small and large orchestras and bands. As a testament to marches, the Radetsky march is played on numerous occasions, yet their music was tuneful, harmonically correct and the melodies linger in the minds of audiences around the world. The wonders of the circus are brought to mind with 'Barnum and Baileys Favorite' and Julius Fucik’s ‘Entry of the Gladiators.' Military precision is exemplified in 'Colonel Bogey' and 'Action Front'. We experience the excitement of the street parade with the marches 'Military Escort', 'E Pluribus Unum'. We are made to feel pride with 'Stars and Stripes Forever' and to stand tall with 'Invercargill'. The late Norman Smith wrote his book “March Music Notes” as a dedication to the hundreds of masterful marches written in the last two centuries. One of the most interesting facets of Smith’s book is a section in which several marches were selected as being the most popular based on input from world contributors. There is a march for every occasion. Marches for concerts, those that mark the Yuletide season, and marches to celebrate national holidays. There are marches written by Gustav Holst to examine the consciousness of a people because they are folk songs. For band musicians there is an indescribable attraction to the music of the march. The sound and action bring us to the edge of our chairs: we are carried away on the momentum of flute and clarinet spirals, flashing trumpets, rhythmic undulations of trombones, thundering footsteps of tubas and crashing torrents of percussion. Much of the music of the 20th century has fallen into disfavor, but like a shining beacon the march remains a symbol for many of us in the world who do walk to the beat of our own drum. Next month we begin a series called The Story of the March

24 Notes That Tap Deep Emotions April 29 2010, 0 Comments

ALTISSIMO FEATURE ARTICLE 24 Notes That Tap Deep Emotions Jari A. Villanueva Altissimo is proud to present the history of “Taps.” We are pleased to provide this article with the permission of the author, Jari A. Villanueva (pictured below). Please access his website TAPS Of all the military bugle calls, none is so easily recognized or more apt to render emotion than the call ‘Taps.’ The melody is both eloquent and haunting and the history of its origin is interesting and somewhat clouded in controversy. In the British Army, a similar call known as ‘Last Post’ has been sounded over soldier's graves since 1885, but the use of Taps is unique with the United States military, since the call is sounded at funerals, wreath-laying, and memorial services. Up to the Civil War, the infantry call for "Lights Out" was that set down in Silas Casey’s (1801-1882) "Tactics," which had been borrowed from the French. The music for Taps was changed by Union General Daniel Butterfield for his Brigade (Third Brigade, First Division, Fifth Army Corps, Army of the Potomac) in July, 1862. Daniel Adams Butterfield (31 Oct. 1831-17 July 1901) was born in Utica, New York and graduated from Union College at Schenectady. He was the eastern superintendent of the American Express Company in New York, when the Civil War broke out. Despite his lack of military experience, he rose quickly in rank. A Colonel in the 12th Regiment of the New York State Militia, he was promoted to Brigadier General and given command of a brigade of the V Corps of the Army of the Potomac. The 12th served in the Shenandoah Valley during the Bull Run Campaign. During the Peninsular campaign Butterfield served prominently when during the Battle of Gaines’ Mill, despite an injury, he seized the colors of the 3rd Pennsylvania and rallied the regiment at a critical time in the battle. Years later, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for that act of heroism. As the story goes, General Butterfield was not pleased with the call for ‘Lights Out,’ feeling that the call was too formal to signal the days end. With the help of the brigade bugler, Oliver Wilcox Norton, Butterfield wroteTaps to honor his men while in camp at Harrison’s Landing, Virginia following the Seven Day’s battle. These battles took place during the Peninsular Campaign of 1862. The call, sounded that night in July, 1862, soon spread to other units of the Union Army and was even used by the Confederates. Taps was made an official bugle call after the war. The highly romantic account of how Butterfield ‘composed’ the call surfaced in 1898 following a magazine article written that summer. The August, 1898 issue of Century Magazine contained an article called "The Trumpet in Camp and Battle" by Gustav Kobbe, a music historian and critic. He was writing about the origin of bugle calls in the Civil War and in reference to Taps, wrote: "In speaking of our trumpet calls I purposely omitted one with which it seemed most appropriate to close this article, for it is the call which closes the soldier’s day-‘Light’s Out’. "I have not been able to trace this call to any other service. If it seems probable, it was original with Major Seymour, he has given our army the most beautiful of all trumpet-calls" Kobbe was using as an authority the Army drill manual on infantry tactics prepared by Major General Emory Upton in 1867 (revised in 1874). The bugle calls in the manual were compiled by Major (later General) Truman Seymour of the 5th U.S. Artillery. Taps was called "Lights Out" in these manuals since it was to replace the "Lights Out" disliked by Butterfield. The title of the call was not changed until later, although other manuals started calling it Taps because most soldiers knew it by that name. Since Seymour was responsible for the music in the Army manual, Kobbe assumed that he had written the call. Kobbe’s inability to find the origin of "Light’s Out" (Taps) prompted a letter from Oliver W. Norton in Chicago who claimed he knew how the call came about and that he was the first to perform it. Norton wrote: Chicago, August 8, 1898 "I was much interested in reading the article by Mr. Gustav Kobbe, on the Trumpet and Bugle Calls, in the August "Century." Mr. Kobbe says that he has been unable to trace the origin of the call now used for Taps, or the "Go to sleep", as it is generally called by the soldiers. As I am unable to give the origin of this call, I think the following statement may be of interest to Mr. Kobbe and your readers. During the early part of the Civil War I was bugler at the Headquarters of Butterfield’s Brigade, Meroll’s Division, Fitz-John Porter’s Corps, Army of the Potomac. Up to July 1862, the Infantry call for Taps was that set down in Casey’s Tactics, which Mr. Kobbe says was borrowed from the French. One day, soon after the seven days’ battles on the Peninsular, when the Army of the Potomac was lying in camp at Harrison's landing General Daniel Butterfield, then commanding our Brigade, sent for me, and showing me some notes on a staff written in pencil on the back of an envelope, asked me to sound them on my bugle. I did this several times, playing the music as written. He changed it somewhat, lengthening some notes and shortening others, but retaining the melody as he first gave it to me. After getting it to his satisfaction, he directed me to sound that call for Taps thereafter in place of the regulation call. The music was beautiful on that still summer night and was heard far beyond the limits of our Brigade. The next day I was visited by several buglers from neighboring Brigades, asking for copies of the music, which I gladly furnished. I think no general order was issued from army headquarters authorizing the substitution of this for the regulation call, but as each brigade commander exercised his own discretion in such minor matters, the call was gradually taken up through the Army of the Potomac. I have been told that it was carried to the Western Armies by the 11th and 12th Corps when they went to Chattanooga in the fall of 1863, and rapidly made it’s way through those armies. I did not presume to question General Butterfield at the time but from the manner in which the call was given to me, I have no doubt he composed it in his tent at Harrison’s Landing. I think General Butterfield is living at Cold Spring, New York. If you think the matter of sufficient interest and care to write him on the subject, I have no doubt he will confirm my statement." -Oliver W. Norton The editor did write to Butterfield as suggested by Norton. In answer to the inquiry from the editor of the "Century", General Butterfield writing from "Cragside", Cold Spring, under the date of August 31, 1898 he wrote: "I recall, in my dim memory, the substantial truth of the statement made by Norton, of the 83rd Pa., about bugle calls. His letter gives the impression that I personally wrote the notes for the call. The facts are, that at the time I could sound calls on the bugle as a necessary part of military knowledge and instruction for an officer commanding a regiment or brigade. I had acquired this as a regimental commander. I had composed a call for my brigade, to precede any calls, indicating that such were calls, or orders, for my brigade alone. This was of very great use and effect on the march and in battle. It enabled me to cause my whole command, at times, in march, covering over a mile on the road, all to halt instantly, and lie down, and all arise and start at the same moment; to forward in line of battle, simultaneously, in action and charge etc. It saves fatigue. The men rather liked their call and began to sing my name to it. It was three notes and a catch. I can not write a note of music, but have gotten my wife to write it from my whistling it to her, and enclose it. The men would sing, "Dan, Dan, Dan, Butterfield, Butterfield" to the notes when a call came. Later, in battle, or in some trying circumstances or an advance of difficulties, they sometimes sang, "Damn, Damn, Damn, Butterfield, Butterfield". The call of Taps did not seem to be as smooth, melodious and musical as it should be, and I called in some one who could write music, and practiced a change in the call of Taps until I had it suit my ear, and then, as Norton writes, got it to my taste without being able to write music or knowing the technical name of any note, but, simply by ear, arranged it as Norton describes. I did not recall him in connection with it, but his story is substantially correct. Will you do me the favor to send Norton a copy of this letter by your typewriter? I have none." -Daniel Butterfield On the surface, this seems to be the true history of the origin of Taps. Indeed, the many articles written about Taps cite this story as the beginning of Butterfield’s association with the call. Certainly, Butterfield never went out of his way to claim credit for its composition and it wasn’t until the Century article that the origin came to light. There are however, significant differences in Butterfield’s and Norton’s stories. Norton says that the music given to him by Butterfield that night was written down on an envelope while Butterfield wrote that he could not read or write music! Also, Butterfield’s words seem to suggest that he was not composing a melody in Norton’s presence, but actually arranging or revising an existing one. As a commander of a brigade, he knew of the bugle calls needed to relay troop commands. All officers of the time were required to know the calls and were expected to be able to play the bugle. Butterfield was no different he could play the bugle but could not read music. As a colonel of the12th N.Y. Regiment, before the war, he had ordered his men to be thoroughly familiar with calls and drills. never went out of his way to claim credit for its composition and it wasn’t until the Century article that the origin came to light. There are however, significant differences in Butterfield’s and Norton’s stories. Norton says that the music given to him by Butterfield that night was written down on an envelope while Butterfield wrote that he could not read or write music! Also, Butterfield’s words seem to suggest that he was not composing a melody in Norton’s presence, but actually arranging or revising an existing one. As a commander of a brigade, he knew of the bugle calls needed to relay troop commands. All officers of the time were required to know the calls and were expected to be able to play the bugle. Butterfield was no different he could play the bugle but could not read music. As a colonel of the12th N.Y. Regiment, before the war, he had ordered his men to be thoroughly familiar with calls and drills. What could account for the variation in stories? My research shows that Butterfield did not compose Taps but actually revised an earlier bugle call. This sounds blasphemous to many, but the fact is that Taps existed in an early version of the call Tattoo. As a signal for end of the day, armies have used Tattoo to signal troops to prepare them for bedtime roll call. The call was used to notify the soldiers to cease the evening’s drinking and return to their garrisons. It was sounded an hour before the final call of the day to extinguish all fires and lights. This early version is found in three manuals the Winfield Scott (1786-1866) manual of 1835, the Samuel Cooper (1798-1876) manual of 1836 and the William Gilham (1819?-1872) manual of 1861. This call referred to as the Scott Tattoo was in use from 1835-1860. A second version of tattoo came into use just before the Civil War and was in use throughout war replacing the Scott Tattoo. The fact that Norton says that Butterfield "composed" Taps cannot be questioned. He was relaying the facts as he remembered them. His conclusion that Butterfield wrote Taps can be explained by the presence of the second Tattoo. It was most likely that the second Tattoo, followed by "Extinguish Lights", (the first eight measures of today’s Tattoo), was sounded by Norton during the course of the war. It seems possible that these two calls were sounded to end the soldier’s day on both sides during the war. It must, therefore, be evident that Norton did not know the early Tattoo, or he would have immediately recognized it that evening in Butterfield’s tent. If you review the events of that evening, Norton came into Butterfield’s tent and played notes that were already written down on an envelope. Then Butterfield "changed it somewhat, lengthening some notes and shortening others, but retaining the melody as he first gave it to me." If you compare that statement while looking at the present day Taps you will see that this is exactly what happened to turn the early (Scott) Tattoo in Taps. Butterfield as stated above, was a Colonel before the War and in General Order No. 1 issued by him on December 7, 1859 had the order: "The Officer’s and non-commissioned Officers are expected to be thoroughly familiar with the first thirty pages, Vol. 1,of Scott’s Tactics, and ready to answer any questions in regard to the same previous to the drill above ordered" Scott’s Tactics include the bugle calls that Butterfield must have known and used. If Butterfield was using Scott’s Tactics for drills-then it is feasible that he would have used the calls as set in the manual. Lastly, it is hard to believe that Butterfield could have composed anything that July in the aftermath of the Seven Days battles which saw the Union Army of the Potomac mangled by Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Over twenty six thousand casualties were suffered on both sides. Butterfield had lost over 600 of his men on June 27th at the battle of Gaines Mill and had himself been wounded. In the midst of the heat, humidity, mud, mosquitoes, dysentery, typhoid and general wretchedness of camp life in that early July, it is hard to imagine being able to write anything. In the interest of historical accuracy, it should be noted that it is not General Butterfield who composed Taps, rather that he revised an earlier call into the present day bugle call we know as Taps. This is not meant to take credit away from him. It is only to put things in a correct historic manner. Following the Peninsular Campaign, Butterfield served at 2nd Bull Run, Antietam and at Marye’s Heights in the Battle of Fredericksburg. Through political connections and his ability for administration he became a Major General and served as chief of staff of the Union Army of the Potomac under Generals Joseph Hooker and George Meade. He was wounded at Gettysburg and then reassigned to the Western Theater. By wars end, he was brevetted a brigadier general and stayed in the army after the Civil War, serving as superintendent of the army’s recruiting service in New in New York City and colonel of the 5th Infantry In 1870. After resigning from the military, Butterfield went back to work with the American Express Company. He was in charge of a number of special public ceremonies, including General William Tecumseh Sherman’s funeral in 1889. Besides his association with Taps, Butterfield also designed the system of Corps Badges, which were distinctive shapes of color cloth sewn on to uniforms to distinguish units. Butterfield died in 1901. His tomb is the most ornate in the cemetery at West Point despite the fact that he never attended. There is also a monument to Butterfield in New York City near Grant’s Tomb. There is nothing on either monument that mentions Taps or Butterfield’s association with the call. Taps was sounded at his funeral. How did it become associated with funerals? The earliest official reference to the mandatory use of Taps at military funeral ceremonies is found in the U.S. Army Infantry Drill Regulations for 1891, although it had doubtless been used unofficially long before that time, under it’s former designation "Extinguish Lights." The first use of Taps at a funeral was during the Peninsular Campaign in Virginia. Captain John C. Tidball of Battery A, 2nd Artillery ordered it played for the burial of a cannoneer killed in action. Since the enemy was close, and worried that the traditional 3 volleys would renew fighting, Tidball had the bugler sound Taps as a tribute to the fallen man. The custom, thus originated, was taken up throughout the Army of the Potomac, and finally confirmed by orders. This first sounding of Taps at a military funeral is commemorated in a stained glass window at The Chapel of the Centurion (The Old Post Chapel) at Fort Monroe, Virginia. The window, made by R. Geissler of New York, was dedicated in 1958 and shows a bugler and a flagstaff at half mast. The window design is based on a painting by Sidney King. In that picture a drummer boy stands beside the bugler. The grandson of that drummer boy purchased Berkeley Plantation where Harrison’s Landing is located. The site where Taps was born is also commemorated. In this case by a monument located on the grounds of Berkeley Plantation. This monument to Taps was erected by the Virginia American Legion and dedicated on July 4, 1969. The site is also rich in history, for the Harrison’s of Berkeley Plantation included Benjamin Harrison and William Henry Harrison-both presidents of the United States and one a signer of the Declaration of Independence. It must be pointed out that other stories of the origin of Taps exist. A popular one is that of a Northern boy who was killed fighting for the south. His father, Robert Ellison a Captain in the Union Army, came upon his son’s body on the battlefield and found the notes to Taps in a pocket of the dead boy’s Confederate uniform. When Union General Daniel Sickles heard the story he had the notes sounded at the boy’s funeral. There is no evidence to back up the story or the existence of Captain Ellison. As with many other customs, the 24 notes that that comprise this solemn tradition began and continues to this day and although Butterfield merely revised an earlier bugle call, his role in producing those 24 notes gives him a place in the history of music as well as the history of war. Jari A. Villanueva is a Master Sergeant in the United States Air Force Band at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington DC. A graduate of Peabody Conservatory and Kent State University, he is currently working on an exhibit to be opened at Arlington National Cemetery and research on what will hopefully result in a work entitled "Day is Done, The History of Bugle Calls in The United States With Particular Attention To Taps."

Community Band Spotlight: Fairbanks Community Band April 29 2010, 0 Comments

Community Music from the Golden Heart of Alaska CONCERT BANDS IN THE LAST FRONTIER Contributed by Jack Kopstein Edited by Krista Slinkard Today's Fairbanks Community Band is part of a long tradition in Fairbanks history. Fairbanks bands have existed almost continuously from the near the beginning of the 20th century, but names and dates are subject to dispute; it all depends on whose memory you consult. Despite changing names, conductors, and even type of music played, the bands of Fairbanks' past inspired the Fairbanks Community Band to be what it is today. The band that is known today has a heritage of many different beginnings as the years went by. Earliest records document a town brass band in 1905 with nine members directed by Charles Westley. According to a concert brochure dated in the 1950s, a 10-piece Cowboy Band was organized in 1909. Then, in 1914, William Gobracht, a very tough instructor with a heavy German accent according to Chuck Grey, organized and directed a band of 18 members. In 1920, V.F. Jake Jacobs took over leadership of the band until 1945. The band was in a hiatus until 1948 when it was taken over by Kenneth Lauritzen, who invited William Gobracht, who by this time was likely in his 80’s, back to conduct some of the rehearsals and a concert or two. Two years later in 1950, Eva Myhre took over as conductor of the community band, which finally had to disband in 1952 due to the Korean War. In 1956 Tom Brady started the University Civic band comprising university students and community members, but no one remembers for just how long this particular phase of the band’s past stuck around. From 1959 through 1961, Bob Boko ran a community Band with Jack O'Connor. In 1961 Jack left the state and Bob Boko took over the reins of the Lathrop High School Band Program. His departure marked the end of the community band program in Fairbanks until the fall of 1994 when George Wiese, Band Director of West Valley High School, and Donald Hildie, Band Director of Lathrop High School, saw a need for a community band. They approached Tracy Gibbons, who was the director of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Wind Ensemble, to see if he would have the time to conduct a community band as well. When he agreed to conduct, the three of them went to an attorney to draw up a set of by-laws for the band and to apply for non-profit status. In 1997, Gibbons left the University of Alaska, vacating his position as conductor, and the Board of Directors asked then-retired band director Boko if he would reprise his role from the early 1960s and take over the job as conductor. When Boko retired from the band in the spring of 2004, the Board called on Hildie, the now retired Lathrop High band director, to assume his position. Hildie agreed and took the job of conductor/music director for the community band in the fall of 2004. After a two-year run as conductor, Don retired from the band after a farewell concert on October 22, 2006 and the baton passed to Ann Musco, a faculty member in the UAF Music Department and conductor of the UAF Wind Symphony. Ann was the director of music and conductor of the concert band until the summer of 2007, when she passed the baton on to Roger Ridenour. The following summer, Roger, expecting to be transferred out of state, resigned as director and was replaced by Wendy Ward, a music teacher in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. At the present time, Wendy is still director of the Concert Band, and is an active member of the Jazz Band, where she plays alto saxophone. The Fairbanks Community Band is a non-profit organization for the presentation and support of rehearsals and concerts. Their members are adult musicians who want to continue performing as a lifelong avocation and to support the musical development of members of the local community. Participants are all volunteers and come from a wide variety of roles within the community. Most of the members received their early training in public school music programs, and some continued to study music through college or in the military. A number of members are active or retired music teachers looking for a creative outlet to play their instruments as well as lead their school groups in music education The concert band (sometimes called a wind symphony or symphonic band) includes about 55 people who play woodwinds, brass, and percussion instruments. Their performances are drawn from the full range of the concert repertoire from marches to symphonies to popular compositions both old and new. The group meets from September through May and plays four concerts each year in a local auditorium at the Park Arts Center. The band does not charge admission for public concerts. Donations are welcome. Both bands present concerts, either separately, together, or with other groups. In the off-season, the band splits into smaller versions including a concert band and a jazz band. The Concert Band is active from May through July, mostly playing concerts outdoors. The outdoor repertoire features music more suitable for that environment than the indoor performance repertoire, but may include some of the same pieces. Outdoor performances are informal. Audiences often move about during concerts. Kids, pets, and families are especially welcomed as are picnic lunches or snacks. The Jazz Band is structured as a traditional Big Band. This is a group of about 16 performers, typically including 5 saxophones, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, piano, bass, and drums. A vocalist or a guitar may be added to the basic group. The Big Band is modeled after the popular bands of the jazz and swing eras, many of which continue today. The history of big band music is rich and diverse. The music includes many forms of dance music and several varieties of jazz. The band often features vocal or instrumental solos by band members or guest artists. Both bands play for community events and in support of non-profit organizations and are also available for hire for private events and special occasions. The Bands play occasional concerts and appear with other local performance groups, and they occasionally join with the Concert Band for a combined concert. Fees for performances are used to expand our libraries and to purchase and maintain our performance equipment. During the summer, the bands play several outdoor concerts including the Wednesday evening concerts program at Golden Heart Plaza in downtown Fairbanks. They are a regular participant in the annual Golden Days Parade, the midnight sun festival, community walks and other celebrations. One or both groups usually play at the fair in August. In addition to the concert schedule, the Concert Band provides music for graduation ceremonies of the Adult Learning Programs of Alaska, and other small schools which cannot provide their own music. We are proud to provide this community service to enhance the experience of students completing their high school education. Because of their high involvement with the local community, and because we happen to think Alaska is pretty cool, we are proud to present the Fairbanks Community Band from Fairbanks, Alaska, as the Altissimo! Community Band Spotlight for the Month of May 2010. For more information on this band, please visit their website here. If you know of a band or are in a band you'd like to see featured in our Spotlight, please email Krista at krista@militarymusic.com.

Jack's Musings: Frederick Neil Innes March 24 2010, 0 Comments

As the saying goes, some are born great, some achieve greatness, while others have it literally thrust upon them. Frederick Neil lnnes achieved his greatness at a young age. When most young boys are playing with marbles, he was already playing trombone in the Life Guards Band of London England...

Cool Yule Hits the Charts! March 24 2010, 1 Comment

An Air Force Band album has hit the charts! Congrats to SMSgt Joe Jackson and the USAF Airmen of Note on this exciting accomplishment!! "Cool Yule" is available on iTunes from Altissimo here. The following announcement was posted on the USAF Band's website (view original post here). "Cool Yule Climbs the Charts!" by Master Sgt. Brian McCurdy The USAF Band 1/31/2010 - BOLLING AFB, D.C. -- In January, "Cool Yule", the latest release from the Airmen of Note, climbed to number 2 on the jazz chart of JazzWeek. JazzWeek is the definitive Jazz and Smooth Jazz national radio airplay chart--a weekly report of the top fifty Jazz and Smooth Jazz recordings played on radio stations across the United States and Canada. Senior Master Sgt. Joe Jackson, the Music Director of the Airmen of Note, was overwhelmed with the massive appeal of the recording. "The public and media response to 'Cool Yule' has exceeded our expectations, and has exceeded any of The Air Force Band CD projects any of us here in the Note have been involved with," he said. To hear what all of the buzz is about, you can download two of the tunes from "Cool Yule" from our website. "Up on the Housetop" (arranged by Master Sgt. Alan Baylock), and "Auld Lang Cha Cha Cha" (arranged by Sgt. Jackson) are currently available. While you're there, you can navigate other downloads available from The USAF Band. Congratulations to the Airmen of Note on this terrific accomplishment!

Community Band Spotlight: Ottawa Wind Ensemble March 24 2010, 0 Comments

Contributed by Jack Kopstein

The Ottawa Wind Ensemble

Altissimo salutes our feature community band which is situated in the Canadian capital of Ottawa and performs numerous engagements in the capital region.

The Ottawa Wind Ensemble (OWE) was formed in 2005, drawing together current and former Canadian Forces musicians, music teachers, and other professional musicians, in a professional calibre group. Under the direction of founding conductor, Mark Rocheleau, this 35 member ensemble performs the symphonic wind ensemble repertoire made famous by the Eastman Wind Ensemble, the rich concert band repertoire from North America and Europe, and the orchestral transcriptions of the famous composers. While the OWE is technically a community band, most of the members are fully involved in a life of music, whether it be as freelance musicians, music educators, or full time professionals. The raison d’être of the OWE is to perform at the highest calibre of musicianship possible, and anyone who attends a concert will appreciate this for themselves. The ensemble’s conductor is Mark Rocheleau. Born and raised in Amherstburg, Ontario, (near the border city of Windsor Ontario), Rocheleau began his formal studies in 1979 at the University of Windsor, majoring on clarinet, and graduating with a Bachelor of Music, and Bachelor of Education. His private clarinet teachers were Dr. Imre Rozsnyai of the University of Windsor and Paul Schaller of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. After four seasons with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, he acquired a direct entry into the Canadian Forces Vimy Band in Kingston in 1985, where he broadened his musical experience playing both clarinet and saxophone. In August of 1994, he was posted to the Central Band of the Canadian Forces here in Ottawa and was eventually selected for a yearlong assistant conductor’s course, which he completed in 1999. In October of 2005, Mark had completed 20 years of service with the Canadian Forces and elected to retire. His project since then has been to form The Ottawa Wind Ensemble, which was founded in September of 2005. Mark Rocheleau is joined in the Ottawa Wind Ensemble by several former professional military musicians who reside in retirement in Ottawa and environs. Several of the musicians have outstanding backgrounds in the music field. Our hats off to the OTTAWA WIND ENSEMBLE, the Community Band Spotlight for March. For more information on the Ottawa Wind Ensemble, please visit their website. Please write to me if you would like your community band to be featured. The line is growing fast so GET ON THE BANDWAGON! **If you are in a band or know of a band we should feature in our Spotlight,  please contact Jack at jack@militarymusic.com or Krista at krista@militarymusic.com

Masters of the March: A Perspective March 24 2010, 1 Comment

Contributed by Jack Kopstein The following two vinyl recordings found in a Canadian Collectors catalogue are two of the most valuable and interesting recordings ever made in Britain. *Unfortunately, these recordings are not available on our website. Masters of the March Volume 1 (Rodney Bashford and Leo Stanley) Band of the Royal Corps of Signals / Droit DR91 Conducted by: Lt. Col. RB Bashford OBE and Major G. Turner MBE Information below appears on both records So many thousands of marches have been written that good march tunes are not easy to come by. Most of the successful ones sound simple, and it is this simplicity that makes them difficult to write. John Philip Sousa (the American march king) said that a good march must make a man with a wooden leg step out. A large proportion of the march repertoire used by the British Army is of foreign origin but in this series we pay tribute to the British march writers past and present. The aim is to offer the listener a cross-section of a composer’s works, and some of the marches are appearing on record/cassette for the first time. Where possible two writers of contrasting styles appear on each recording and when appropriate the composer is invited to conduct his own works, thus ensuring an authentic interpretation. The style of march writing has changed over the years. Many written in the mid 20th century depend inevitably and unavoidably on the cliché but had strong melodic lines with traditional harmonies. The titles rarely had any influence on the musical content and in the main would have been equally successful under other names. Recent contributions are more adventurous in harmony and rhythm and if written for specific occasions composers often draw on appropriate well known themes cleverly weaving them into their original thoughts. Side One – Leo Stanley Alamein / With Might and Main / March of the Commandos / The Partisans / Guard of Honour / The Mechanical Horse / Swift and Sure / Great Occasions Side Two – Rodney Bashford Marche Militaire / Foxhunters March / Splice the Mainbrace / Tyrol Troop / The Galloping Major / The Queen’s Company / Cavalry Walk-  Cavalry Ride – Cavalry Trot / The Light Division / The Inkerman March Masters of the March Volume 2 (JH Howe and Kenneth Alford) Regimental Band of the 1st Bn The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise’s) / Droit DR 92 Conducted by: Major JH Howe MBE and WO KG Lamb FVCM BBCM (Major Howe Bio is taken from record cover) Jimmy Howe comes from a Brass Band family. A native of North East England, he began his musical career playing the cornet in local colliery bands. In 1933, he joined the Royal Scots as a band boy, and served with his regiment in Palestine in 1938, and also in France at the outbreak of World War Two. Captured at Le Paradis, he was a prisoner of war in Poland and organized a Stalag Ban with instruments obtained through the British Red Cross which helped to sustain the morale of the men in captivity. After the war, he studied at Kneller Hall and was appointed bandmaster of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in 1949, serving with them in Hong Kong, British Guyana, Berlin and the United Kingdom. In 1956, he took the Band to Helsinki, playing at the British Industries Fair. He was commissioned Director of Music to the Scots Guards in 1959 and was subsequently appointed senior Director of Music Household Division in 1970. The following year he was awarded the MBE for his services to Army Bands. Since his retirement from the Army in 1974, he has conducted many leading Symphony Orchestras and the radio programme Friday Night is Music Night and Melodies for You. He is still active as a guest conductor and adjudicator of music festivals making appearances in the USA, Canada, and Europe. As well as the marches on this album, he has compositions of light music to his credit, also many arrangements of popular works are to be found in the military and brass band repertoires. He is a Vice-President of the national ex-Prisoner of War Association and an active member of the Dunkirk Veterans  Association. Side 1 – Kenneth Alford Holyrood / The Mad Major / Dunedin / Old Panama / Cavalry of the Clouds / The Vanished Army / Colonel Bogey on Parade Side 2 – Jimmy Howe Fairfield / Pride of Princess Street / The Civic / Balmoral Castle / Pentland Hills / Stalag March / Glasgow Fair / The Corner FlagCOnt

Jack's Musings: Songs of the Soldier February 25 2010, 0 Comments

The lives of soldiers in the armies of the world have often been expressed in song. Cavalry troops often sang on the march. ‘Singers to the Front” would be the shout and the men would form up in three lines while rare songs of every description were heroically voiced. Troopships, particularly of the British Navy were a hotbed of sing-songs with sailors and soldiers joining in and provided instrumental backgrounds with fiddles and concertinas.