Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

The John Philip Sousa Band in the early 1900s.  Notice the raincatcher sousaphone in the midst of the great tuba section!  The tubist playing the raincatcher is probably Jack Richardson.  (If I knew a little more about montaging with computers, I'd cleverly put my picture in his place!)


 

Miscellaneous MIDI Files:

U.S. Field Artillery March by John Philip Sousa

Yep, I played this march when I was in the Army.  I think everyone knows the catchy melody in the trio.  Let's sing it all together, "Over hill, Over dale, We have hit the dusty trail As the Army goes rolling along..."
 

Army of the Nile Quick March by Kenneth J. Alford

This is the same music which is playing on my bio page.  I might make a few people disappointed to let people know that Kenneth J. Alford was not the composer's real name.  His real name was Frederick J. Ricketts and he was a lifetime military musician in England.  The problem was that he had a brother with his same rank and somewhere (at the Hawkes and Son Music Publishing Company, maybe) they had the idea that the Ricketts brothers might get mixed up.  If I remember correctly, Kenneth was his son's name, Joseph was his real middle name, and Alford was his mother's maiden name.  When I was 14, I had to memorize Army of the Nile, as it was our competition march at Colton High for the 1971-72 school year (and it has a tough tuba part, even for me now!)  Fred Ricketts (or Ken Alford, if you wish) is considered the John Philip Sousa of England.
 

Jack Tar March by John Philip Sousa

This is my favorite John Philip Sousa march.  It kind of reminds you of those great old Popeye cartoons from the 1930s.  For a tuba player, it has one of the most melodic parts of any Sousa march, though it's not quite as good as the Fred Ricketts marches.
 

Children's March: "Over the Hills and Far Away" by Percy Grainger

Australian-born, U.S.-naturalized Percy Grainger wrote a lot of music which is still popular with bands.  This very long, difficult (but fun to play and hear) military march was written when he was serving as a clarinetist in the U.S. Army.  It's been arranged quite a number of ways (piano solo, orchestra, etc.)  I'd love to see a high school or military band play this march in a pass and review.
 

Crown Imperial Coronation March by William Walton

Written for the coronation of King George VI (thanks to his brother, the Duke of Windsor's abdication of the Throne), several of the school and college band I either played or conducted used this as an alternative for Edward Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 for graduation ceremonies.  The band arrangement has one of the greatest tuba parts of all time!  Clarinetists freak out when they see this part has 32nd notes.  Keep those valves REALLY oiled up!
 

Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company  by John Philip Sousa

This, in my opinion, is the grandest Sousa march of all.  Don't forget to cry when you hear "Auld Lang Syne!"
 

This is the best I can do for now on the sound files!
Send in those requests for things you'd like to hear!

Edited August 3, 2001