slower. Many of the marches we recorded came in at 116 beats per minute, except for Sabre and Spurs which we recorded at around 112 in order to emulate the Sousa recording.


Another factor for using the slower tempos is that they stimulate a tempo which would actually have been used for marching and provide for much more precision and clarity. It should also be noted that Sousa condoned no change in tempo once it was set, including the last time through the final strain.


Second is rhythm – It is imperative that the rhythm be as steady as possibly throughout the march. A thoroughly consistent tempo will help in achieving this goal.


Sousa Band recordings do demonstrate some stylistic and imperative devices which compress certain rhythms and expand others – but the most important thing is that these changes are accomplished within the framework of a consistent beat. These slight hesitations and other mannerisms seem to pull shorter-valued notes toward the strong beats, giving a certain life and dance-like character to the music. These effects are very difficult to explain, and nearly impossible to reproduce. When it comes to rhythm in a march, metronomic accuracy is not at all boring.


The third factor – dynamics. All dynamic changes should be exaggerated in order to make a dramatic and audible change for the audience. Dynamics in the Sousa marches are as important as in any other piece of music and the orchestration changes (which we will discuss later) make it possible to achieve some wonderful effects.


If it is necessary to reduce the number of players on each part to get the volume down, do so. The most important thing is to have a wide range of dynamics and keep the tempo steady. The march should not slow down when playing softly and not speed up when playing the loud passages. Although – this was a constant challenge even in making our recordings with the Marine Band.


Fourth – the accents. Correct and judicious use of accents in Sousa marches makes them much more exciting and interesting. Some of the accents are, in some cases, a matter of bringing out what is already written in the parts and others are added to add variety. This is often difficult because the key accents as performed by Gus Helmecke were never written in the printed versions of the marches. Helmecke once asked Sousa why the accents were not written in and Sousa would not commit himself to an answer. Helmecke decided that Sousa refrained from writing in the accents because he didn’t want any other band to play the marches the way his band did. And in the era of competitions between the bands, these “trade secrets” were very highly valued.


Leonard Smith, conductor of the Detroit Concert Band, knew many of the Sousa Band Members and he also performed with Gus Helmecke in the


ala breve


Goldman Band for many years. 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 created them but it is not true. Sousa originated the accents in all of his marches.”


Dr. Smith’s fine recordings of Sousa Marches with his Detroit Concert Band show the benefit of his experience and of good taste. Because the Sousa Band recordings do not employ the accents as used in performance and because they have not always been thoroughly documented elsewhere, the placement of accents is at the discretion of the conductor. The rule in every case is that the accents must enhance the music and not detract from it.


Several of the later editions of Sousa marches as published by Presser contain drum parts as edited by Gus Helmecke. These editions are worthwhile for the drum parts, but the other parts are better obtained from earlier editions.


Fifth – unique effects in the Sousa Marches. Many of the Sousa Marches have distinctive and interesting features which add a great deal to the concert performance of the work. These include regimental trumpet and drum parts (which can be played by a separate section from the band), horses hoofs, the use of orchestra bells or a ship’s bell, bosun’s pipe, whistles, sirens, pistol shots, and more. In addition, several of the Sousa marches contain published harp parts which are quite interesting and add a great deal to the texture of the march. The Sousa Band added a harpist in its later years and it is possible that the harpist played along on the marches but we have chosen to use only those marches which contained printed harp parts.


In performing the regimental trumpet and drum parts, four trumpet players and two percussionists with field drums were positioned off to the side of the band. The sound of the field drums on this regimental part provided an interesting contrast to the sound of the concert snare used in the rest of the march. Orchestra bells were added at the trio to double the melody where a manuscript bell part was found as part of the Sousa Encore Books. Using this effect at the trio is nice but should not be overdone or used on every march. The point of all this is that every interesting feature of each march should be brought out and used to its best effect.


Finally – orchestration changes and other stylistic effects – in general, the note values in the marches should be played shorter than written in order to give a lighter texture to the sound. Sousa was insistent that his players put what he called “daylight” between the notes. Frank Simon commented “it used to burn ‘the Governor’ up when one of his players would fail to space his notes.” The orchestration changes are somewhat different in each march but can be roughly outlined as follows: The introduction and first strains are


played as written. At the pick-ups to the second strain, the cornets and trombones do not play, and the clarinet parts are taken down an octave if they are written above the staff. The dynamic level should be Mezzo Forte. For the second time through the second strain, the brass are back in, clarinets back up to the upper octave, everyone playing Forte to Fortissimo. At the trio, clarinets are again down an octave and the solo and first cornets do not play. The Simon information has the cornets and trombones out altogether at the trio yet, in some cases, we have elected to leave in the 2nd


-3rd cornets playing very


softly and the trombones as well. This should be very soft. In some cases, the trombone part at the trio is different than the part in the last strain. If the trombones do not play at the trio, the entire line would not be played in the march. Keeping the trombones in at the trio also adds nice texture. Some of the Sousa recordings have the trombones in softly so I believe this is a valid option.


At the “Break-Up Strain,” “The Dogfight,” or the “Bridge Passage” (whatever you choose to call it), everyone is in at the dynamic marked. In some cases, Simon instructs different changes but this is generally as printed. In the final strain – cornets and trombones are out the first time through, clarinets playing in the staff – everyone playing Piano to Mezzo Forte. The last time through, everyone is “as written.”


These are very general instructions which do not apply categorically in every march but they do serve as an outline of the general changes which were employed. There is much research and writing to be done on the subject of Sousa and his music. Hopefully, this will one day result in critical editions of Sousa’s works which are true and faithful representations of the way “The March King” himself would have wanted them performed.


Director Emeritus Colonel John R. Bourgeois, USMC (Ret.), was 25th Director of "The President's Own" United States Marine Band. His acclaimed career spanned nine presidential administrations, from Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower to Bill Clinton. Bourgeois is a graduate of Loyola University in New Orleans. He joined the Marine Corps in 1956 and entered "The President's Own" as a French hornist and arranger in 1958. Named Director of the Marine Band in 1979, Bourgeois was promoted to colonel in June 1983. He retired from active duty July 11, 1996. As Director of "The President's Own," Bourgeois was Music Advisor to the White House. He selected the musical program and directed the band on its traditional place of honor at the U.S. Capitol for four Presidential inaugurations, a Marine Band tradition dating to 1801. He regularly conducted the Marine Band and the Marine Chamber Orchestra at the White House, appearing there more frequently than any other musician in the nation.


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