Sousa, JP :: Washington Post

Musicians Publications presents John Phillip Sousa's Washing Post arranged for woodwind trio by Bill Holcombe. This arrangement includes a plethora of woodwind parts that are interchangeable depending on the instrumentation available. The score is divided into 3 voices, with the lowest voice in both bass and treble clef. Voice 1 parts include flute, oboe, and clarinet; upper voice 2 parts include flute, oboe, and B-flat clarinet; and voice 3 parts include clarinet, bass clarinet, or bassoon. The many different options in performance make this the perfect medley for a gigging group! This arrangement is intermediate in difficulty.

This march was written in 1889 to help promote an essay contest sponsored by the newspaper of the same name. With Sousa conducting, it was premiered by the U.S. Marine Band during the distribution of the essay prizes on the Smithsonian Museum grounds in Washington, D.C. The 6/8 march happened to be appropriate for a new dance called the two-step and soon became the most popular tune in both America and Europe. Although he received only $25 for its publication, Sousa was quickly inundated with requests for more marches. Of his 136 marches, The Washington Post' and The Stars and Stripes Forever have been the most widely known. -Program Notes for Band

This arrangement contains all the charm of the fully orchestrated march as well as dynamic and stylistic markings appropriate for the genre. The difficulty of Washington Post is intermediate-advanced and the duration is 3:00.