Who is not a Sousa fan? I certainly am, so I joined the Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band in order to perform at the umpteenth annual concert celebrating the 169th birthday of John Philip Sousa, America’s foremost composer of military marches. He was a Marine and conducted “The President’s Own” Marine Band from 1880-1892. He wrote more than 130 marches and operettas. I play my flugelhorn among the baritone section of the band. Why “sedentary?” Because this band does not march!
A sold-out crowd of 80 came to little Kenyon Hall (see http://www.kenyonhall.org) in West Seattle on 5 November to enjoy 1.5 hours filled with 13 Marches. The crowd was quite engaged and even boisterous at times. After the band played “El Capitan,” the band director, Liz Dreisbach, passed out some lyrics from Sousa’s operetta of the same name, and they sang as if they were a choir in the cast. They ate Sousa’s birthday cake during the intermission. And with noisemakers, they became percussionists, on signals from the band’s Sedentary Majorette, Edith Farrar, when the band played “Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.”
Sousa (1854-1932) was born in Washington, D.C. and is buried there, too, at the Congressional Cemetery along the west bank of the Anacostia River, a tributary of the Potomac River. Annually, on 6 November, the Marine Band performs “Semper Fidelis” and “Stars and Stripes Forever” (our national march) at his gravesite. You can witness this year’s ceremony here: https://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/33126. If you have trouble with the feed from this link, try the Chrome browser.
Kenyon Hall is operated by a non-profit organization and presents live vaudeville, musical, and theatrical performances and arts-based education. It is home of the 1929 mighty Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ and is West Seattle’s lighthearted entertainment palace. The building is 110 years old and has recently undergone some important interior remodeling. New siding is also planned.
Please click on the photos to enlarge them.
The show consists of 24 songs, half from musicals and movies and half about Christmas. All are favorites of the age group living today in retirement communities. They sing along as I play. And as they listen to me play and talk, they recall where they were and what was happening when they first heard and learned those songs—“Things Remembered.”
For variety and fun, as appropriate for each song, I play three instruments (two trumpets and one cornet) and use four mouthpieces and one mute. One mouthpiece makes my Super Olds cornet sound like a flugelhorn, so in effect, it’s like playing four different instruments for them.
