John Philip Sousa

John Philip Sousa
Sousa in 1900; photo by Elmer Chickering
Nickname	The March King
Born	(1854-11-06)November 6, 1854 Washington, D.C.
Died	March 6, 1932(1932-03-06) (aged 77) Reading, Pennsylvania
Place of burial	Congressional Cemetery, Washington, D.C.
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Marine Corps United States Navy
Years of service	Marines: 1868–1875, 1880–1892; Navy: 1917–1918
Rank	Warrant Officer (Marines) Lieutenant Commander (Navy)
Commands held	U.S. Marine Band, U.S. Navy Great Lakes Naval Station Band

John Philip Sousa (/ˈsuːsə/;^[1] November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era, known particularly for American military and patriotic marches. Because of his mastery of march composition, he is known as "The March King" or the "American March King" due to his British counterpart Kenneth J. Alford also being known as "The March King". Among his best known marches are "The Washington Post", "Semper Fidelis" (Official March of the United States Marine Corps), and "The Stars and Stripes Forever" (National March of the United States of America).

His father was Portuguese, and his mother of Bavarian ancestry. Sousa began his career playing violin and studying music theory and composition under John Esputa and George Felix Benkert. His father eventually enlisted him in the United States Marine Band as an apprentice in 1868. After departing the band in 1875, Sousa eventually learned to conduct. From 1880 until his death, Sousa began focusing exclusively on conducting and wrote marches during this time. He eventually rejoined the Marine Band and served there for 12 years as director. Upon leaving the Marine Band, Sousa organized his own band. He toured Europe and Australia and also developed the sousaphone, a large brass instrument similar to the tuba. On the outbreak of World War I, Sousa was commissioned as a Lieutenant Commander and led the Naval Reserve Band in Illinois. Following his tenure there, Sousa returned to conduct the Sousa Band until his death in 1932.

Biography

John Philip Sousa was born in Washington, D.C., on November 6, 1854, to John Antonio Sousa and Maria Elisabeth Trinkhaus. He was of Portuguese and Bavarian descent.^[2] Sousa started his music education by playing the violin as a pupil of John Esputa and George Felix Benkert (born 1831) for harmony and musical composition at the age of six. He was found to have absolute pitch. When Sousa reached the age of 13, his father, a trombonist in the Marine Band, enlisted his son in the United States Marine Corps as an apprentice to keep him from joining a circus band.

Sousa's birthplace, still standing on G St., S.E., in Washington, D.C.

On December 30, 1879, Sousa married Jane van Middlesworth Bellis (1862–1944). They had three children together: John Philip, Jr. (April 1, 1881 – May 18, 1937), Jane Priscilla (August 7, 1882 – October 28, 1958), and Helen (January 21, 1887 – October 14, 1975). All are buried in the John Philip Sousa plot in the Congressional Cemetery. Wife Jane joined Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) in 1907. Daughters Jane Priscilla and Helen Abert also joined DAR in 1907. Their Patriot was Adam Bellis.

Several years after serving his apprenticeship, Sousa joined a theatrical (pit) orchestra where he learned to conduct. He returned to the U.S. Marine Band as its head in 1880 and remained as its conductor until 1892. Sousa led "The President's Own" band under five presidents from Rutherford B. Hayes to Benjamin Harrison. Sousa's band played at two Inaugural Balls, those of James A. Garfield in 1881, and Benjamin Harrison in 1889.^[3][4]

	The Washington Post The United States Marine Band performs The Washington Post, which is one of Sousa's most famous marches
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Sousa organized his own band the year he left the Marine Band. The Sousa Band toured from 1892–1931, performing at 15,623 concerts.^[5] In 1900, his band represented the United States at the Paris Exposition before touring Europe. In Paris, the Sousa Band marched through the streets including the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe – one of only eight parades the band marched in over its forty years. ^[6] In 1911 they went to Australia and performed in Sydney and Melbourne (then the national capital).

The marching brass bass, or sousaphone, a modified helicon, was created by J. W. Pepper – a Philadelphia instrument maker who created the instrument in 1893 at Sousa’s request using several of his suggestions in its design. He wanted a tuba that could sound upward and over the band whether its player was seated or marching. The sousaphone was re-created in 1898 by C.G. Conn and this was the model that Sousa preferred to use.

~ John Philip Sousa~ US Postage, Issue of 1940

Sousa lived in Sands Point, New York.^[when?] A school (John Philip Sousa Elementary) and a band shell are named after him and there is also a memorial tree planted in nearby Port Washington. Wild Bank, his seaside house on Hicks Lane, has been designated a National Historic Landmark, although it remains a private home and is not open to the public.^[7]

Sousa died of heart failure at the age of 77 on March 6, 1932, in his room at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel in Reading, Pennsylvania. He had conducted a rehearsal of "The Stars and Stripes Forever" the previous day with the Ringgold Band. He is buried in Washington, D.C.'s Congressional Cemetery.^[8]

Military service

Sousa served in the U.S. Marine Corps, first from 1868 to 1875 as an apprentice musician, and then as the head of the Marine Band from 1880 to 1892; he was a Sergeant Major for most of his second period of Marine service and was a Warrant Officer at the time he resigned.

During World War I, he was commissioned a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve and led the Navy Band at the Great Lakes Naval Station near Chicago, Illinois. Being independently wealthy, he donated his entire naval salary minus one dollar a year to the Sailors' and Marines' Relief Fund. After returning to his own band at the end of the war, he continued to wear his naval uniform for most of his concerts and other public appearances.

Music

	"Semper Fidelis" Sousa's "Semper Fidelis", the official march of the United States Marine Corps, performed by the U.S. Marine Band in June 1909. "The Stars and Stripes Forever" The United States Marine Band performs "The Stars and Stripes Forever", The national march of the United States
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Marches

Sousa wrote 136 marches, published by the Sam Fox Publishing Company beginning in 1917 and continuing until his death.^[9] Some of his most popular and notable are:

The Gladiator March The Gladiator March, Sousa's first hit. King Cotton "King Cotton", a 1895 Sousa military march. The Gallant Seventh "The Gallant Seventh", was Sousa's most popular march in the 1920s and is distinguished as his only march with two breakstrains. The Thunderer Sousa's The Thunderer (1889), performed in 1896 by the United States Marine Band Manhattan Beach "Manhattan Beach", a commemorative march by John Philip Sousa. Hands Across the Sea Sousa's Hands Across the Sea (1899), performed by the United States Navy Band The Fairest of the Fair Sousa's Fairest of the Fair (1908), performed by the United States Navy Band

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• "The Gladiator March" (1886)
• "Semper Fidelis" (1888) (Official March of the United States Marine Corps)
• "The Washington Post" (1889)
• "The Thunderer" (1889)
• "High School Cadets" (1890)
• "The Liberty Bell" (1893) (credits theme for Monty Python's Flying Circus)
• "Manhattan Beach March" (1893)
• "King Cotton" (1895)
• "Stars and Stripes Forever" (1896) (National March of the United States)^[10]
• "El Capitan" (1896)
• "Hands Across the Sea" (dedicated to the band of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets – the Highty-Tighties) (1899)
• "Hail to the Spirit of Liberty" March (1900)
• "Invincible Eagle" (1901) (Dedicated to Pan-American Buffalo Exposition)
• "Fairest of the Fair" (1908)
• "Glory of the Yankee Navy" (1909)
• "U.S. Field Artillery" (1917) (Modified version The Army Goes Rolling Along is the official song of the U.S. Army)^[11]
• "Who's Who in Navy Blue" (1920)
• "The Gallant Seventh" (1922)
• "Nobles of the Mystic Shrine" (1923)
• "The Black Horse Troop" (1924) (Written in honor of Troop A, 107th Cavalry, Ohio National Guard.^[12]
• "Pride of the Wolverines" (1926)
• "Minnesota March" (1927)
• "New Mexico March" (1928)
• "Salvation Army March" (1930) (dedicated to The Salvation Army's 50th anniversary in the USA)

Sousa wrote marches for several American universities, including University of Illinois, University of Nebraska, Kansas State University, Marquette University, and University of Minnesota.^{[citation needed]}

Operettas

• The Smugglers (1882)
• Désirée (1883)
• The Queen of Hearts (1885), also known as Royalty and Roguery
• El Capitan (1896)
• The Bride Elect (1897), libretto by Sousa.
• The Charlatan (1898), also known as The Mystical Miss, lyrics by Sousa^[13]
• Chris and the Wonderful Lamp (1899)
• The Free Lance (1905)
• The American Maid (1909), also known as The Glass Blowers.

Sousa and his newly-formed civilian band, 1893

These operettas which Gervase Hughes calls "notable" (1) also show a variety of French, Viennese and British influences. (In his younger days, Sousa made an orchestration of H.M.S. Pinafore and played the first violin on the American tour of Jacques Offenbach.) The music of these operettas is light and cheerful. The Glass Blowers and Desirée have had revivals, the latter having been released on CD like El Capitan, the best known of them. El Capitan has been in production somewhere in the world ever since it was written and makes fun of false heroes. Still more outspoken against militarism is The Free Lance, the story of two kingdoms becoming united, which found its way to Germany (as "Der Feldhauptmann") by the time the Berlin Wall came down.

Sheet music cover, 1896

Marches and waltzes have been derived from many of these stage-works. Sousa also composed the music for six operettas that were either unfinished or not produced: The Devils' Deputy, Florine, The Irish Dragoon, Katherine, The Victory, and The Wolf.

In addition, Sousa wrote a march based on themes from Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera The Mikado, the elegant overture Our Flirtations, a number of musical suites, etc.^[14] He also frequently added Sullivan opera overtures or other Sullivan pieces to his concerts.^[15] He is also widely quoted saying, "My religion lies in my composition."^[16]

Other writing, skills, and interests

Sousa exhibited many talents aside from music. He wrote three novels – The Fifth String, Pipetown Sandy, and The Transit of Venus – as well as a full-length autobiography, Marching Along and a great number of articles and letters-to-the-editor on a variety of subjects.

As a trapshooter, he ranks as one of the all-time greats, and he is enshrined in the Trapshooting Hall of Fame.^[17] He even organized the first national trapshooting organization, a forerunner to today's Amateur Trapshooting Association. Sousa remained active in the fledgling ATA for some time after its formation. Some credit Sousa as the father of organized trapshooting in America. Sousa also wrote numerous articles about trapshooting.

Mrs. John Philip Sousa c. 1905

John Philip Sousa, 1911

Sousa's grave at Congressional Cemetery

Perhaps a quote from his Trapshooting Hall of Fame biography says it best: "Let me say that just about the sweetest music to me is when I call, ‘pull,’ the old gun barks, and the referee in perfect key announces, ‘dead’."^[17]

In his 1902 novel The Fifth String a young violinist makes a deal with the Devil for a magic violin with five strings. The strings can excite the emotions of Pity, Hope, Love and Joy – the fifth string is Death and can be played only once before causing the player's own death. He has a brilliant career, but cannot win the love of the woman he desires. At a final concert, he plays upon the death string.

In 1905, Sousa published the book Pipetown Sandy, which included a satirical poem titled "The Feast of the Monkeys". The poem describes a lavish party attended by a variety of animals, but overshadowed by the King of Beasts, the lion…who allows the muttering guests the privilege of watching him eat the entire feast. At the end of his gluttony, the lion explains, "Come all rejoice, You’ve seen your monarch dine."

In 1920, he wrote another work called The Transit of Venus, a 40,000-word story. It is about a group of misogynists called the Alimony Club who, as a way of temporarily escaping the society of women, embark on a sea voyage to observe the transit of Venus. The captain's niece, however, has stowed away on board and soon wins over the men.^[18]

Sousa held a very low opinion of the emerging and upstart recording industry. In a submission to a congressional hearing in 1906, he argued:

These talking machines are going to ruin the artistic development of music in this country. When I was a boy...in front of every house in the summer evenings, you would find young people together singing the songs of the day or old songs. Today you hear these infernal machines going night and day. We will not have a vocal cord left. The vocal cord will be eliminated by a process of evolution, as was the tail of man when he came from the ape.

Law professor Lawrence Lessig cited this passage^[19] to argue that in creating a system of copyrights in which control of music is in the hands of record labels, Sousa was essentially correct. Sousa also was credited with referring to records as "canned music," referring to the fact that cylinder records were sold in cans.

Sousa's antipathy to recording was such that he often refused to conduct his band if it was being recorded. Nevertheless, Sousa's band made numerous recordings, the earliest being issued on cylinders by several companies, followed by many recordings on discs by the Berliner Gramophone Company and its successor, the Victor Talking Machine Company (later RCA Victor). The Berliner recordings were conducted by Henry Higgins^{[disambiguation needed ]} (one of Sousa's cornet soloists) and Arthur Pryor (Sousa's trombone soloist and assistant conductor), with Sousa quoted as saying,^[20] "I have never been in the gramophone company's office in my life." A handful of the Victor recordings were actually conducted by Sousa, but most were conducted by Pryor, Herbert L. Clarke, Edwin H. Clarke, or by four of Victor's most prolific house musicians: Walter B. Rogers (who had also been a cornet soloist with Sousa), Rosario Bourdon, Josef Pasternack, and Nathaniel Shilkret.^[20] Details of the Victor recordings are available in the external link below to the EDVR.

Sousa also appeared with his band in newsreels and on radio broadcasts (beginning with a 1929 nationwide broadcast on NBC). In 1999, Legacy Records released some of Sousa's historic recordings on CD.^[21]

In 1922, he accepted the invitation of the national chapter to become an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi, the national honorary band fraternity. Later, in 1925, he was initiated as an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the national fraternity for men in music, by the fraternity's Alpha Xi chapter at the University of Illinois.

In 1952, 20th Century Fox honored Sousa in their Technicolor feature film Stars and Stripes Forever with Clifton Webb portraying the composer. Fox music director Alfred Newman arranged the music and conducted the studio orchestra for the soundtrack. It was loosely based on Sousa's memoirs, Marching Along.

Sousa also wrote "A manual for trumpet and drum" an excellent booklet, published by the Ludwig drum company, with fine advice for the playing of the drum and trumpet. An early version of the trumpet solo to "Semper Fidelis" is included in this volume.

See also

Biography portal

• Academy of Music/Riviera Theatre
• William Bell (tuba player)

Notes

References

• 75 years after death here, Sousa sells out the Abe – Reading Eagle Newspaper
• Congressional hearing: in Copyright's Communication Policy by Professor Tim Woo, University of Virginia, May 2004 – Caution, 560k PDF.
• John Philip Sousa was raised as a freemason at the Hiram-Takoma Lodge No.10 in the District of Washington

A John Philip Sousa Bibliography-

Books/Collections

• J. P. Sousa Collection. Washington D.C.: Archives of the U.S. Marine Band, 2011.
• The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2011.
• Berger, Kenneth W. The March King and His Band : The Story of John Philip Sousa. New York: Exposition Press, 1957.
• Bierley, Paul E. John Philip Sousa: A Descriptive Catalog of His Works. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1973.
• Bierley, Paul E. John Philip Sousa: American Phenomenon. Miami, FL: Warner Bros. Publications, 2001.
• Bierley, Paul E. The Incredible Band of John Philip Sousa. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2006.
• Bierley, Paul E. The Works of John Philip Sousa. Columbus, OH: Integrity Press, 1984.
• Delaplaine, Edward S. John Philip Sousa and the National Anthem. Frederick, MD: Great Southern Press, 1983.
• Heslip, Malcolm. Nostalgic Happenings in the Three Bands of John Philip Sousa. Westerville, OH: Integrity Press, 1992.
• Lingg, Ann M. John Philip Sousa. New York: Holt, 1954.
• Newsom, Jon, ed. Perspectives on John Philip Sousa. Washington: Library of Congress, 1983.
• Sousa, John Philip. Marching Along: Recollections of Men, Women and Music. Edited by Paul E. Bierley. Boston: Hale, Cushman & Flint, 1928, rev. 1994.
• Sousa, John Philip. National, Patriotic and Typical Airs of All Lands. N.Y.: Da Capo Press, 1977.
• Sousa, John Philip. Through the Year with Sousa: Excerpts from the Operas, Marches, Miscellaneous Compositions, Novels, Letters, Magazine Articles, Songs, Sayings and Rhymes of John Philip Sousa. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell &, 1910.

Articles

• Bennett, Jeb. "John Philip Sousa: 100th Anniversary." Marine Corps Gazzette 64, no. 10 (1980): 31-34.
• Bierley, Paul E. "Sousa: America's Greatest Composer?" Musical Journal 25, no. 1 (1967): 83-87.
• Bierley, Paul E. "Sousa on Programming." Instrumentalist, December 1973.
• Bierley, Paul E. "Sousa's Mystery March." Instrumentalist, February 1966.
• Dvorak, Raymond F. "Recollections of Sousa's March Performances." School Musician, Director and Teacher, December 1969.
• Evenson, Orville. "The March Style of Sousa." Instrumentalist, November 1954.
• Fennell, Frederick. "Sousa: Still a Somebody." Instrumentalist, March 1982.
• Gaydos, Jeff. "Stars and Stripes and Sousa Forever!" Bandwagon, June 1980.
• Goldberg, Isaac. "Sousa." American Mercury 27 (1932): 193-200.
• Goldman, Richard Franko. "John Philip Sousa." HiFi/Stereo Review 19, no. 1 (1967): 35-47.
• Gordon, Marjorie M. "John Philip Sousa: A Centennial-Year Salute to the March King." Musical Journal 11, no. 11 (1954): 28-34.
• Heney, John J. "On the Road with the Sousa Band." School Musician, Director and Teacher, 1976.
• Howard, George S. "A New Era for Brass: Sousa's Role." Music Journal, January 1966.
• Interavia, Lawrence. "Wind Band Scoring Practices of Gilmore and Sousa." Instrumentalist, March 1965.
• Larson, Cedric. "John Philip Sousa as an Author." Etude, August 1941.
• Mangrum, Mary Gailey. "I Remember Sousa." Instrumentalist 24, no. 5 (1969): 38-41.
• Mangrum, Mary Gailey. "Sousa the Patriot." Instrumentalist 24, no. 6 (1970): 33-35.
• Marek, George Richard. "John Philip Sousa." HiFi/Musical America 23, no. 11 (1973): 57-61.
• Mathews, William Smith Babcock. "An Interview with John Philip Sousa." Music: A Monthly Magazine 9 (1896): 487-92.
• Mayer, Francis N. "John Philip Sousa: His Instrumentation and Scoring." Music Educator's Journal, January 1960.
• Peterson, O. A. "The Human Side of Sousa." Musical Messenger, May 1916.
• Pleasants, Henry. "A Look at Sousa: Ormandy and Critics." International Herald Tribune (Paris Edition), December 1969.
• "Sousa and His Mission." Music: A Monthly Magazine 16 (July 1899): 272-76.
• "Sousa as He Is." Music: A Monthly Magazine 14 (May 1899).
• "Sousa's New Marine Band." Musical Courier, November 9, 1892.
• Stoddard, Hope. "Sousa: Symbol of an Era." International Musician, December 1948.
• Thomson, Grace F. "Memories of the March King." Musical Journal 22, no. 5 (1964): 27-49.
• Trimborn, Thomas J. "In the Footsteps of Sousa." Instrumentalist 35, no. 4 (1980): 10-13.
• Wimbush, Roger. "Sousa at the "Proms"" Monthly Musical Record 68:238-40.

Dissertations

• Bly, Leon Joseph. “The March in American Society.” Diss., University of Miami, 1977.
• Bowie, Gordon W. “R. B. Hall and the Community Bands of Maine.” Diss., University of Maine, 1993.
• Carpenter, Kenneth William. “A History of the United States Marine Band.” Diss., University of Iowa, 1971.
• Church, Charles Fremont. “The Life and Influence of John Philip Sousa.” Diss., Ohio State University, 1942.
• Darling, Matthew H. “A Study and Catalogue of the Solos Composed, Arranged, and Transcribed for Xylophone and Band by John Joseph Heney (1902-1978), Percussionist (1926-31) and Xylophone Soloist (1931) with the John Philip Sousa Band.” Diss., University of Arizona, 1998.
• Hemberger, Glen J. “Selected Songs for Chamber Winds and Soprano: Rediscovering a Forgotten Repertoire of John Philip Sousa.” Diss., University of North Texas, 2001.
• Hester, Michael E. “A Study of the Saxophone Soloists Performing with the John Philip Sousa Band, 1893-1930.” Diss., University of Arizona, 1995.
• Jorgensen, Michael R. “John Philip Sousa's Operetta El Capitan: A Historical, Analytical, and Performance Guide.” Diss., Ball State University, 1995.
• Korzun, Jonathan Nicholas. “The Orchestral Transcriptions for Band of John Philip Sousa: a Description and Analysis.” Diss., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1994.
• Kreitner, Mona Bulpitt. “'A Splendid Group of American Girls': The Women Who Sang with the Sousa Band.” Diss., University of Memphis, 2007.
• Norton, Pauline Elizabeth Hosack. “March Music in Nineteenth Century America.” Diss., University of Michigan, 1983.
• Stacy, William Barney. “John Philip Sousa and His Band Suites.” Diss., University of Colorado, 1973.
• Summers, C. Oland. “The Development of Original Band Scoring from Sousa to Husa.” Diss., Ball State University, 1986.
• Warfield, Patrick. “"Salesman of Americanism, Globetrotter and Musician" the Nineteenth-century John Philip Sousa; 1854 - 1893.” Diss., Indiana University, 2003.
• Whisler, John A. “The Songs of John Philip Sousa.” Diss., Memphis State University, 1975.
• Wright, Maurice. “The Fifth String: an Opera in One Act.” Diss., Columbia University, 1989.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: John Philip Sousa

Wikisource has the text of a 1900 Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography article about John Philip Sousa.

• The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music – Provides research-oriented management of band-related collections, including a large portion of Sousa's manuscripts and personal papers, held for use by students, scholars, and performing musicians
• The Works of John Philip Sousa – Marches in MIDI format; from The John Philip Sousa Home Page by David Lovrien, hosted by the Dallas Wind Symphony
• MIDI sequences of piano transcriptions of compositions by Sousa
• Harris, Neil: "John Philip Sousa and the Culture of Reassurance"
• Fennell, Frederick: "The Sousa March: A Personal View"
• Works by John Philip Sousa at Project Gutenberg
  • The Experiences of a Bandmaster – Project Gutenberg e-text of book by Sousa
  • The Fifth String – (ditto)
• Works by The Sousa Band at Project Gutenberg (audio recordings)
• The Feast of the Monkeys – the "nonsense verse" that Sousa wrote.
• "John Philip Sousa". Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=964. Retrieved May 15, 2009. 
• Sousa discography
• Victor Records by Sousa's Band from the Encyclopedic Discography of Victor Recordings (EDVR)
• Numerous Sousa photos
• Free scores by John Philip Sousa at the International Music Score Library Project
• The Mutopia Project has compositions by John Philip Sousa
• Free Brass Band version of Stars & Stripes Forever

Historical recordings

• Recordings by Sousa (archive.org)
• Recordings by Sousa (Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project)