El Capitan March John Philip Sousa Most Decided Notion , Beautiful Land of Spain , Finale Act 2 , A Typical Tune of Zanzibar , and Finale including the main John Philip Sousa personified turn-of-the-century America, themes of Sousa’s popular El Capitan March . the comparative innocence and brash energy of a still new nation. His ever touring band represented America across the globe and brought music to hundreds of American towns. Cyclone Michael Oare John Philip Sousa, born November 6, 1854, reached this exalted position with startling quickness. In 1880, at the age The power and intensity of our ever-changing marine of 26, he became conductor of the U.S. Marine Band. In environment is portrayed in this descriptive work. A simple twelve years the vastly improved ensemble won high renown melodic motif along with syncopated rhythmic energy and Sousa’s compositions earned him the title of “The March effectively depicts the power of nature's most violent storms. King”. Sousa went one better with the formation of his own After a calm, yet foreboding introduction, the mood quickly band in 1892, bringing world acclaim. transforms as the storm draws near. Thundering bass drum rolls and driving rhythmic and melodic ostinatos highlight Sousa’s compositions also spread his fame. Such marches as dynamic and textural contrasts that sweep into the bold and The Stars and Stripes Forever , El Capitan , The Washington exciting conclusion. Post , and Semper Fidelis are universally acknowledged as the best of the genre. Sousa said a march “should make a man with a wooden leg step out”, and his surely did. Although he On A Hymnsong of Philip Bliss David Holsinger standardized the march form as it is known today, he was no mere maker of marches, but an exceptionally inventive Horatio G. Spafford, a Chicago Presbyterian layman and composer of over 200 works, including symphonic poems, successful businessman, planned a European trip for his suites, operas and operettas. His principles of instrumentation family in 1873. In November of that year, due to unexpected and tonal color influenced many classical composers. His last minute business developments, he had to remain in robust, patriotic operettas of the 1890s helped introduce a Chicago; but he sent his wife and four daughters on ahead as truly native musical attitude in American theater scheduled aboard the S.S. Ville du Havre. He expected to follow in a few days. On November 22, the ship was struck Sousa’s operetta El Capitan was one of the earliest musicals by the Lochearn, an English vessel, and sank in twelve by an American composer to have a successful run on minutes. Several days later the survivors were finally landed Broadway. Set in colonial Peru, it tells a farcical story of the at Cardiff, Wales, and Mrs. Spafford cabled her husband, Viceroy of Peru posing as a fearless rebel leader fighting to “Saved Alone.” Shortly afterward Spafford left by ship to join unseat himself. The selection comprises the Prelude , I’ve a his bereaved wife. It is speculated that on the sea near the area where it was Rituals Roland Barrett thought his four daughters had drowned, Spafford penned this Many years ago, in the area of the world known as Belize, text with words so significantly describing his own personal seeping rain water and ground rivers began carving their way grief, “When sorrows like sea billows roll....” It is through the soft bedrock and limestone of the region, noteworthy, however, that Spafford does not dwell on the eventually sculpting some of the most spectacular and theme of life’s sorrows and trials, but focuses attention in the extensive case systems in the world. third stanza on the redemptive work of Christ. Humanly speaking, it is amazing that one could experience such To the people of the Mayan culture, these caves where personal tragedy and sorrow as did Horatio Spafford and still immensely important. The vapor clouds that formed at the be able to say with such convincing clarity, “It is well with mouths of many of the caves suggested to the Mayans that my soul...”. these were the places where wind and clouds are born. To them, here surely dwelled the gods of nature, and caves came Hymnwriter Philip Paul Bliss was so impressed with the to be regarded as a portal between the tangible human world experience and expression of Spafford’s text that he shortly and the invisible world of the gods. For the Mayan people, the wrote the music for it, first published in 1876. Bliss was a underworld of caves was a place where human souls could prolific writer of gospel songs throughout his brief lifetime triumph over death and join the world of their revered and in most cases, he wrote both the words and the music. ancestors. It was in these caves, deep below the earth's This hymn is one of the few exceptions. surface, that the Mayans performed their most secret and There is speculation that this was perhaps the last gospel song sacred rituals. written by Bliss. Bliss and his wife, Lucy, were killed in a train wreck in Ashtabula, Ohio, on December 29, 1876. Most sources mention that Bliss actually escaped from the flames at first, but was then killed when he went back into the train to try to rescue his wife. Neither body was ever found. As a postscript, Bliss’ trunk was salvaged from the wreckage, and in it, evangelist D. W. Whittle found an unfinished hymn, which began, “I know not what awaits me, God kindly veils my eyes....”