Sousa, JP :: The Liberty Bell

Musicians Publications presents John Phillip Sousa's 'The Liberty Bell arranged for flexible flute choir plus by Bill Holcombe. Scored for 4 C flutes, alto flute, and bass flute, this arrangement also includes an optional bassoon, cello, or bass clarinet part to help fill out the bass. It also includes an optional drum set part to really authenticate the Sousa march feel. This arrangement is intermediate in difficulty.

Washington, D.C. native and legendary bandmaster John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) wrote a dozen operettas, six full-length operas, and over 100 marches, earning the title 'March King . He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at an early age and went on to become the conductor of the President s Own Marine Band at age 26. In 1892 he formed Sousa and his Band , which toured the United States and the world under his directorship for the next forty years to great acclaim. Not only was Sousa s band hugely popular, but it also exposed audiences all over the world to the latest, cutting-edge music, bringing excerpts of Wagner s Parsifal to New York a decade before the Metropolitan Opera staged it, and introducing ragtime to Europe, helping to spark many a composer s interest in American music.

Sousa originally wrote Liberty Bell in 1893. It features the chimes, perhaps in homage to the famous American landmark after which it is named. The march is now most famous for its use as the theme song to Monty Python s Flying Circus .

- Andy Pease