by John Philip Sousa
Disc: JOHN PHILIP SOUSA MUSIC FOR WIND BAND VOLUME 21
Recording: Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Wind Orchestra
Conductor: Keith Brion
Soloists: Rita Schindler – Harp; Caroline Simpkins – Bassoon
Publisher: NAXOS 8.559863
The twenty-first recording in this extraordinary series focuses on three unique works; each containing some music familiar to the listener. Chris and the Wonderful Lamp is Sousa’s musical based on the legend of Aladdin. Other excerpts have been recorded on previous CDs but this volume features the extensive Selections from Chris and the Wonderful Lamp (arranged Mike Purton). The march in the finale is the Man Behind the Gun. Sisterhood of the States (reconstructed, edited, and realized by Manuel A. Arambola) is from Sousa’s 1916 ballet portraying music from each of our (48) states. The opening march has been published separately as America First. Finally we come to the 1919 Showing Off Before Company (reconstructed, edited and arranged by Kevin R. Tam). Sousa used this “meet the band” routine for his matinee concerts. The musicians would enter the stage section by section playing a mostly familiar solo piece and then be seated. Semper Fidelis was the march that concluded the entrance of all the musicians with Sousa appearing just to conduct the final note (Prior to Semper Fidelis is the popular tune Ja-Da by Bob Carleton).
