Klarinet Archive - Posting 000088.txt from 2003/06

From: Nancy Buckman <eefer@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] "The Washington Post March"
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 17:23:05 -0400

At 04:45 PM 6/2/2003 -0400, you wrote:

>I DO know the piece, don't get me wrong. I just wanna know if any of y'all=
=20
>could tell me anything ABOUT it.
>Melinda

Hope this helps.

"Washington Post
During the 1880=B9s, several Washington D.C. newspapers competed vigorously=
=20
for public favor. One of these, the Washington Post, organized what was=20
known as the Amateur Authors=B9 Association and sponsored an essay contest=
=20
for school children, commissioning Sousa to compose a march for the
award ceremony. When the new march was played by Sousa and the Marine Band,=
=20
it became immediately popular, and happened to be well suited to the=20
two-step dance, which was just being introduced. A dancemasters'=20
organization adopted it at their yearly convention, and soon the march was=
=20
vaulted into international fame. The two-step gradually replaced the waltz=
=20
as a popular dance, and variations of the basic two-step insured the=20
march=B9s popularity all through the 1890=B9s and into the twentieth=
century.=20
In fact, in some European countries, all two-steps were called =B3Washington=
=20
posts.=B2
Next to "The Stars and Stripes Forever", it has been Sousa=B9s most widely=
=20
known march. (Bierley)"

Nancy Buckman
Principal Clarinet / Orchestra AACC
eefer@-----.net

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