Marching In

Last updated
"Marching In"
Author Isaac Asimov
Country United States
Language English
Genre(s) Science fiction
Published in High Fidelity
Publication type Periodical
PublisherABC Consumer Magazines
Media typePrint (Magazine, Hardback & Paperback)
Publication dateMay 1976 [1]

"Marching In" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. The story was written at the request of the American publication High Fidelity , with the stipulation that it be 2,500 words long, set about twenty-five years in the future and deal with some aspect of sound recording. [2]

Science fiction Genre of speculative fiction

Science fiction is a genre of speculative fiction that has been called the "literature of ideas". It typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, time travel, parallel universes, fictional worlds, space exploration, and extraterrestrial life. Science fiction often explores the potential consequences of scientific innovations.

Short story Chinese Mirja work of literature, usually written in narrative prose

A short storyand poem is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a "single effect" or mood, however there are many exceptions to this.

Isaac Asimov American science-fiction and non-fiction writer

Isaac Asimov was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. He was known for his works of science fiction and popular science. Asimov was a prolific writer who wrote or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards. His books have been published in 9 of the 10 major categories of the Dewey Decimal Classification.

Contents

Plot summary

In the year 2001, Jerome Bishop, a jazz composer and trombonist, is asked by Dr. Cray to assist in a project at a mental hospital, lending his musical knowledge to an experimental treatment of depression.

Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, United States. It originated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and developed from roots in blues and ragtime. Jazz is seen by many as "America's classical music". Since the 1920s Jazz Age, jazz has become recognized as a major form of musical expression. It then emerged in the form of independent traditional and popular musical styles, all linked by the common bonds of African-American and European-American musical parentage with a performance orientation. Jazz is characterized by swing and blue notes, call and response vocals, polyrhythms and improvisation. Jazz has roots in West African cultural and musical expression, and in African-American music traditions including blues and ragtime, as well as European military band music. Intellectuals around the world have hailed jazz as "one of America's original art forms".

Although initially doubtful that he has anything to offer, he agrees to work on it and returns a few days later. He suggests to Dr. Cray that the irresistible rhythm of a revival hymn can snap anyone out of depression and demonstrates this by humming the opening beat of "When the Saints Go Marching In", which makes the patient feel much better and even gets Dr. Cray's toes tapping.

Hymn type of song specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer

A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word hymn derives from Greek ὕμνος (hymnos), which means "a song of praise". A writer of hymns is known as a hymnodist. The singing or composition of hymns is called hymnody. Collections of hymns are known as hymnals or hymn books. Hymns may or may not include instrumental accompaniment.

"When the Saints Go Marching In", often referred to as "The Saints", is a Black spiritual. Though it originated as a Christian hymn, it is often played by jazz bands. This song was famously recorded on May 13, 1938, by Louis Armstrong and his orchestra. The song is sometimes confused with a similarly titled composition "When the Saints Are Marching In" from 1896 by Katharine Purvis (lyrics) and James Milton Black (music).

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References

  1. Asimov, Isaac (1980) In Joy Still Felt , Avon Books, p. 721
  2. Asimov, Isaac: The Bicentennial Man and Other Stories , pages 172-173. Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1976.

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