The Liberty Bell
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Product ID: GM1 CL149
By John Philip Sousa
Publisher:
Goodmusic
Arranger:
Lawson
Series:
Concert Classics
Line Up:
Symphony Orchestra
Duration:
3:30
Level: 4
Set & Score
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About this item
The Liberty Bell, some 12 feet in circumference and possessing a 44-pound clapper, was cast in London's Whitechapel and was inscribed with words from Leviticus: "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the Land unto all the inhabitants thereof". It was shipped across the Atlantic to the Pennsylvania State House and became a symbol for freedom. To celebrate its appearance at the Chicago World Fair of 1893, John Philip Sousa composed what was to become one of his most popular marches, The Liberty Bell.
Sousa's tuneful tribute has in recent decades been immortalised as the theme tune for the BBC comedy programme Monty Python's Flying Circus. It is usually heard in various wind/brass band arrangements but the starting pointof this fresh orchestration for standard symphony orchestra was the original piano version of 1893. The original binary form of the march might seem to unsatisfactory in the concert hall: the Monty Python theme would only be heard at the beginning,never to return. In this arrangement the initial theme is brought back at the end to create a ternary structure.
If you wish to play the Pythonesque ending, recalling Terry Gilliam's animation of a large foot squashing all and sundry and bringing the music to an abrupt and somewhat comical end, use the penultimate bar and omit the final bar. For a non-comical ending omit the penultimate bar and play the final bar. If you are feeling really "off the wall" a third, quirky, alternative is to play both!
Instrumentation
Piccolo, Flute, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets in Bb, 2 Bassoons 4 Horns in F, 2 Trumpets in Bb, 3 Trombones, Tuba Percussion (Triangle, Cymbals, Snare drum, Bass drum, Tubular bells), Harp (optional) Strings (Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Double Bass)
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Composer
John Philip Sousa (1854-1932)
John Philip Sousa (November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era, known particularly for American military and patriotic marches. Because of his mastery of march composition, he is known as "The March King" or the "American March King" due to his British counterpart Kenneth J. Alford also being known as "The March King". Among his best known marches are "The Washington Post", "Semper Fidelis" (Official March of the United States Marine Corps), and "The Stars and Stripes Forever" (National March of the United States of America)
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