Stars and Stripes Forever

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Name = Stars and Stripes Forever


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Published = 1897
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Genre = Patriotic, American march
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Composer = John Philip Sousa
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Misc = "Stars and Stripes Forever" is a patriotic American march widely considered to be the magnum opus of composer John Philip Sousa. By act of Congress, it is the National March of the United States of America.cite web |title=US Code: Title 36, 304 |publisher=Cornell Law School |date=2006-10-30 |url=http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode36/usc_sec_36_00000304----000-.html |accessdate=2006-11-02]

History

In his autobiography, "Marching Along", Sousa writes that he composed the march on Christmas Day 1896. He had just learned of the recent death of David Blakely, then manager of the Sousa Band. Sousa was on a ferry in Europe at the time, and he composed the march in his head. He committed the notes to paper on arrival in America. Although he would conduct performances of it at virtually every concert until his death, only one recording, made in 1909, is known to survive today.

Music

"Stars and Stripes Forever" follows the standard American march form. Its trio is the most famous part of the march. Most bands adopt the Sousa Band practice of having one or three (never two)piccolo players play the famous obbligato in the first repeat of the trio.Fact|Date:July 2008|date=July 2008 In the second repeat (marked "Grandioso"), the low brass joins the piccolo players with a prominent countermelody. The official version, as played by the United States Marine Band, is performed in the key of E flat [http://www.marineband.usmc.mil/downloads/audio/Stars_and_Stripes_Forever_pf.mp3] .

Lyrics

Sousa wrote lyrics to the piece, but they are not as familiar as the music itself. Many other sets of lyrics, patriotic and otherwise, have been written for the last strain. Two of the most widely known such sets begin with the words "Three cheers for the red white and blue..." and "Be kind to your web-footed friends...".

Sousa's lyrics

Let martial note in triumph floatAnd liberty extend its mighty handA flag appears 'mid thunderous cheers,The banner of the Western land.The emblem of the brave and trueIts folds protect no tyrant crew;The red and white and starry blueIs freedom's shield and hope.

Other nations may deem their flags the bestAnd cheer them with fervid elationBut the flag of the North and South and WestIs the flag of flags, the flag of Freedom's nation.

Hurrah for the flag of the free!May it wave as our standard forever,The gem of the land and the sea,The banner of the right.Let despots remember the dayWhen our fathers with mighty endeavorProclaimed as they marched to the frayThat by their might and by their rightIt waves forever.

Let eagle shriek from lofty peakThe never-ending watchword of our land;Let summer breeze waft through the treesThe echo of the chorus grand.Sing out for liberty and light,Sing out for freedom and the right.Sing out for Union and its might,O patriotic sons.

Other nations may deem their flags the bestAnd cheer them with fervid elation,But the flag of the North and South and WestIs the flag of flags, the flag of Freedom's nation.

Hurrah for the flag of the free.May it wave as our standard foreverThe gem of the land and the sea,The banner of the right.Let despots remember the dayWhen our fathers with mighty endeavorProclaimed as they marched to the fray,That by their might and by their rightIt waves forever.

Other lyrics

*This gentle parody, widely known to children and existing in many variations, was sung this way at the end of every episode of the popular 1960s TV series "Sing Along with Mitch". It was also heard in the "Tiny Toon Adventures" episode "Hollywood Plucky", and an episode of "Sesame Street".

:"Be kind to your fine feathered friends":"For a duck may be somebody's mother":"Be kind to your friends in the swamp":"Where the weather is very, very damp" [pronounced to rhyme with "swamp"] :"Now, you may think that this is the end...":"WELL, IT IS!" [abrupt cut to closing credits]

*Muellers Pasta (now a division of the American Italian Pasta Company) urged customers to "eat right with the red, white, and blue" in their ads from the late 1970s.

Trivia

*"Stars and Stripes Forever" is featured in many U.S. musical performances. The Boston Pops and the National Symphony Orchestra traditionally play the piece at the end of their respective 4th of July concerts each year.

*Since its inception in 1925, the All-Ohio State Fair Band has completed every single one of its nearly 60 concerts in the first two weeks of August for the Ohio State Fair with the playing of "Stars and Stripes Forever".

*Some brass quintets, such as the Empire Brass, will play the obbligato on tuba.

*In show business, particularly theatre and the circus, this piece is called the Disaster March. It is traditional code signalling a life-threatening emergency. This helps theatre personnel to handle events and organize the audience's exit without panic. Circus bands never play it under any other circumstances. One example of its use was at the Hartford Circus Fire in July of 1944.

*The Russian born pianist Vladimir Horowitz, who lived most his life in the United States, wrote a famous transcription of "Stars and Stripes Forever" for solo piano to celebrate becoming an American citizen. In an interview, Horowitz opined that the march, being a military march, is meant to be played at a walking tempo. He complained that many conductors played the piece too fast, resulting in music that is "hackneyed."

*There are several orchestral transcriptions of "Stars and Stripes Forever" including one by Conductor Leopold Stokowski and one by Keith Brion and Loras Schissel.

*The student band "Strindens Promenade Orchester" in Trondheim, Norway, has the world record in "speed playing" of "Stars and Stripes" (absolutely all notes must be played). The band calls their speedy rendering of the march "Stars and Stri"b"es", and performs the march at all Saturday parties at the Trondheim Student Society. Set during the fall term of 1999, the record time is 50.9 seconds (nominal time is 3 minutes 50 seconds). For this, the band is noted in the Norwegian edition of the Guinness Book of Records.

*A 1952 film, "Stars and Stripes Forever", gives an account of the composer's life and music.

*This march is the background music of sensationalist news channel "Crónica TV" in Argentina. The tune is also used by association football fans when cheering for the different Argentine teams.

*The song is played traditionally in prerace ceremonies of the Indianapolis 500, which is held Memorial Day weekend.

Media

External links

* [http://artofthestates.org/cgi-bin/piece.pl?pid=348 Art of the States: The Stars and Stripes Forever] arrangement of the march by electronica duo Matmos
* [http://tinfoil.com/cm-9707.htm#e02632] Banjo solo on an Edison cylinder phonograph record from 1902 by Mr. Ruby Brooks.

References