Sousa was an eclectic
musician who gained experience as an
apprentice in the US Marine Band and
in theatre orchestras before turning
to conducting. In 1892 he formed an
ensemble he called Sousa's Band. This
proved so successful it continued for
nearly forty years. As a composer he
is, of course, best known for his marches,
which rightly gained him international
fame and brought a new identity to national
music. The vigorously distinctive melodic
lines of his marches have turned Sousa
into a veritable celebration of America.
It is hard to think
of these marches being treated to more
vigorous and colourful performances
than they receive from the Eastman Wind
Ensemble and Frederick Fennell. To some
extent the famously vivid Mercury recording
should get the credit for this enthusiasm;
the more so because despite the forty-year-old
vintage the sound is good enough to
merit transfer to the SACD format. It
is a tribute to the present generation
of engineers as well as to their illustrious
predecessors.
With no fewer than
twenty-four marches collected on this
disc, this is an opportunity to hear
examples of Sousa’s output that extend
well beyond The Stars and Stripes
For Ever (which does not feature).
There are some well known pieces, however,
and a marvellously incisive performance
of The Liberty Bell is as good
as anything on the programme; an ideal
introduction to Sousa’s colourful and
exciting art. But the interest extends
to the less well known music, of course.
The titles are as vivid as the music:
The Gridiron Club, The Ancient
and Honorable Artillery Company,
The High School Cadets.
There is just one caveat,
or word of warning. None of these pieces
breaks the four-minute barrier, and
none is shorter than two minutes. This
rightly suggests that there is a formula
at work. Like all the best formulae
Sousa’s is adaptable to various purposes,
but for maximum enjoyment this disc
should be sampled a track or two at
a time rather than complete. Indigestion
can soon set in.
Terry Barfoot
see also review
by Bob Bamlett
Eastman Wind Ensemble 
