Independence Days

Happy Independence Day!
Burundi, Rwanda, and Somalia (July 1)
Happy Canada Day, Canada (July 1)
Belarus (July 3)
USA (July 4)
Algeria, Cabo Verde, and Venezuela (July 5)
Comoros and Malawi (July 6)
Solomon Islands (July 7)
Argentina and South Sudan (July 9)
Bahamas (July 10)
 São Tomé and Príncipe (July 12)
Happy Bastille Day, France (July 14)

Sousa Marches
as composed and orchestrated
by John Philip Sousa
played by the Pride of the '48 Band

The dust has been blown away from this disk to be played every July for more than  50 years. Long associated with militaries and circuses, yuck. Instead, let's enjoy parades, marching bands, cotton candy, and smiling kids with sparklers.

This high fidelity concert of John Philip Sousa band marches represents in repertoire that which is generally considered the best of the composer's works.

As the name Strauss is synonymous with the waltz, so is the name Sousa synonymous with march music. It may even be said that Sousa is internationally accepted as the march king.

He was born in Washington, D.C. in 1856, the son of a trombonist in the U.S. Marine Corps Band. At the age of 17 he was a well-schooled musician with a thorough training in harmony and composition. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps Band in 1880 and resigned in 1892 to form a military band bearing his name. The band was a tremendous success and toured extensively in the United States and Europe. The great composer and bandmaster died in 1932 while on tour.  

-- from the sleeve notes

Oddio Overplay posted this album in 2003. In 2010, freeder1 added it to the Internet Archive, too.


Our friend Lanark (FMA, Comfort Stand Recordings) released an experimental electronic album celebrating the Independence days of both his homeland  Argentina's 1816 independence from the Spanish Empire and the United States of America's 1776 independence from England.

Lanark wrote, "4th and 9th of july are close enough. why not celebrate then, together, the independence of the united provinces of south and the united states of the north? that's what I did, in the form of a handful of patriotic marches, a little changed."

Día De La Independencia - Independence Day
Lanark

 2005

Music License: Creative Commons BY-NC-ND

You might also enjoy:

Celebrating 50 Years
The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps 

2010

 
Music License: US Public Domain (Original work of the US Federal Government)

 

 

 Past Blogio posts of USA marches and relevant music:

• Memorial Day Offerings
• US Ceremonial Music
• U.S. Army Band Ensembles