In Memoriam: President Garfield's Funeral March | |
---|---|
by John Philip Sousa | |
Opus | 132 |
Genre | Dirge |
Occasion | State funeral of James Garfield |
Composed | 1881 |
Premiere | |
Performers | "The President's Own" United States Marine Band |
Audio sample | |
2015 performance by the United States Marine Band |
"In Memoriam: President Garfield's Funeral March" is a funeral dirge composed by John Philip Sousa in 1881, while serving as director of "the President's Own" United States Marine Band, for the state funeral of President of the United States James Garfield. It was debuted during the committal of Garfield's remains and, 51 years later, was performed at Sousa's own funeral by the Marine Band. It is one of only two compositions Sousa dedicated to an American president, the other one being "President Garfield's Inauguration", both of which were made to Garfield.
On July 2, 1881 at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington, D.C., President of the United States James Garfield was shot at close range by Charles J. Guiteau who, upon being apprehended by police, yelled, "Arthur is now President"! [1] Garfield, then the third youngest president in American history, died 79 days later in Elberon, New Jersey where he had been taken to recover. [1] The announcement of Garfield's death came as a surprise to the public as news accounts prior to that point had reported he had been recovering satisfactorily. [1]
Both John Philip Sousa and Garfield were members of the same Masonic lodge. [2] While reclining in bed, Sousa heard newspaperboys shouting the news of Garfield's death. [3] Shocked, he left his bed and went for a long walk through Washington. [3] By the next morning he had composed the melody for what would be called "In Memoriam: President Garfield's Funeral March". [3] On returning home, he committed it to paper. [3] "In Memoriam" was one of only two compositions Sousa dedicated to American presidents, the other was "President Garfield's Inauguration March", composed earlier in the year 1881 for the occasion of Garfield's inauguration. [4]
"In Memoriam" was performed by "the President's Own" United States Marine Band, under Sousa's direction, as Garfield's body arrived in Washington for the lying in state. [5] The Marine Band's first trip outside of Washington, under Sousa, occurred the following week when it traveled to Cleveland, Ohio for the funeral where the dirge was again performed during funeral rites. [5]
Fifty-one years later, "In Memoriam" was performed for Sousa's own funeral by the Marine Band as his remains were escorted to the Congressional Cemetery for interment. [3] [6]
John Philip Sousa was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to distinguish him from his British counterpart Kenneth J. Alford. Among Sousa's best-known marches are "The Stars and Stripes Forever", "Semper Fidelis", "The Liberty Bell", "The Thunderer", and "The Washington Post".
James Abram Garfield was the 20th president of the United States, serving from March 1881 until his assassination in September 1881. A lawyer and Civil War general, Garfield served nine terms in the United States House of Representatives and is, to date, the only sitting member of the House to be elected president. Before his candidacy for the White House, he had been elected to the U.S. Senate by the Ohio General Assembly—a position he declined when he became president-elect.
"The Liberty Bell" (1893) is an American military march composed by John Philip Sousa.
"The Washington Post" is a march composed by John Philip Sousa in 1889. Since then, it has remained as one of his most popular marches throughout the United States and many other countries.
In memoriam is a Latin phrase equivalent to "in memory (of)", referring to remembering or honouring a deceased person.
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The United States Navy Band, based at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., has served as the official musical organization of the U.S. Navy since 1925. The U.S. Navy Band serves the ceremonial needs at the seat of U.S. government, performing at presidential inaugurations, state arrival ceremonies, state funerals, state dinners, and other significant events.
The Gallant Seventh is a march composed by John Philip Sousa in 1922 whilst recovering from a broken neck. The march takes its name from the 7th Regiment of the New York National Guard. The conductor of the Regiment band was Major Francis Sutherland, a former cornetist in Sousa's own civilian band.
Stars and Stripes Forever is a 1952 American Technicolor film biography of the late-19th-/early-20th-century composer and band leader John Philip Sousa. This 20th Century Fox feature was produced by Lamar Trotti, directed by Henry Koster, and stars Clifton Webb, Debra Paget, Robert Wagner, and Ruth Hussey. The film's title is taken from Sousa's "The Stars and Stripes Forever", which has become the best known of his military marches. The film was released twenty years after Sousa's death.
James A. Garfield, the 20th president of the United States, was shot at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington, D.C., at 9:30 am on Saturday, July 2, 1881. He died in Elberon, New Jersey, 79 days later on September 19, 1881. The shooting occurred less than four months into his term as president. Garfield's assassin was Charles J. Guiteau, whose motive was revenge against Garfield for an imagined political debt and getting Chester A. Arthur elevated to president. Guiteau was convicted of Garfield's murder and executed by hanging one year after the shooting.
The inauguration of James A. Garfield as the 20th president of the United States was held on Friday, March 4, 1881, at the East Portico of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. This was the 24th inauguration and marked the commencement of the only four-year term of James A. Garfield as president and Chester A. Arthur as vice president. Garfield was assassinated 199 days into this term, and Arthur ascended to the presidency. Chief Justice Morrison Waite administered the presidential oath of office.
At 2:15 a.m. Eastern Time on September 20, 1881, Chester A. Arthur was inaugurated the 21st president of the United States. The inauguration marked the commencement of Chester A. Arthur's only term as president. The presidential oath of office was administered by New York Supreme Court Justice John R. Brady at Arthur's private residence in New York City. Two days later, Arthur underwent a second inauguration ceremony in Washington, D.C., with the oath administered by Morrison Waite, the Chief Justice of the United States. Arthur became president following the death of his predecessor James A. Garfield, who had been assassinated by a troubled office seeker, Charles J. Guiteau.
"Semper Fidelis", written in 1888 by John Philip Sousa, is regarded as the official march of the United States Marine Corps. This piece was one of two composed in response to a request from United States President Chester A. Arthur for a new piece to be associated with the United States President. The words semper fidelis are Latin for "always faithful." The piece was created for a wind band in addition to a percussion section. There is a very prominent drum solo in the middle of the piece which includes a skillful dynamic change. It features staccato notes and sharp tonguing.
"The Royal Welch Fusiliers" is a march composed by John Philip Sousa in 1929, and then rewritten in 1930. It is the only march written by Sousa for a British Army regiment.
Jason K. Fettig is a United States Marine Corps colonel who is the music adviser to the President of the United States and the 28th director of the United States Marine Band.
The John Philip Sousa Baton is a conducting baton originally presented to John Philip Sousa upon his resignation as the director of the United States Marine Band. After his death, it was donated to the Marine Band, and since it has been traditionally passed to the new director from the outgoing director of the band during the change of command ceremonies.
"Nobles of the Mystic Shrine" is a march composed by John Philip Sousa upon the request of his nephew, A. R. Varela. Sousa dedicated the march to the Almas Temple and the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. It was first conducted in June 1923, with a band of around 6,200 members—the largest Sousa had ever conducted. It is one of the few Sousa marches with the first strain written in the minor mode. Contemporary versions of the march recorded by the Ottoman military band also use the Jingling Johnny in the final strain.
Stephen Bulla is an American composer and musician best known compositions for the United States Marine Band and The Salvation Army.
Sousa was not well acquainted with the President, but he was greatly shaken at the news of his assassination. In the autobiography he tells of hearing paperboys shouting the news of Garfield's death. It was unexpected, because the President had been recovering satisfactorily from the gunshot wound of two months earlier. Shocked, Sousa rose from his bed and went outside for a walk. With the event weighing heavily on his mind he walked all through the night and into the next morning. When he returned home he immediately committed the dirge "In Memoriam" to paper. The dirge was played by the U. S. Marine Band as the President's body was received in Washington and then again at its final resting place in Cleveland. It was afterward played infrequently by the Marine Band until half a century later, when it was played while John Philip Sousa's body was being escorted to the grave in Congressional Cemetery.