STB-97-08
Music by Brother J. L. F. Mendelssohn.
John Philip Sousa
By: Paul E. Bierley
Paul E. Bierley is a member of Whitehall
No. 761, Whitehall, Ohio, and is considered
a leading authority on John Philip Sousa. He
has published a biography of Sousa titled
John Philip Sousa, An American Phenome-
non as well as other books and articles on
Brother Sousa. He is a former aeronautical
engineer, is founder/editor of Integrity
Press, and has performed many years as a
professional musician (tuba). For informa-
tion on his books, contact Integrity Press,
61 Massey Drive, Westerville, OH 43081 or
call 614-994-1600.
(This article originally appeared in the Oct.
1997 Scottish Rite Journal and is reprinted
with permission as a Short Talk Bulletin).
--Editor
John Philip Sousa (1854-1932), the man
called "March King," was proud to be a
native-born American. And make no mistake
that he was also proud to be a Mason.
Sousa's Masonic affiliations aren't com-
mon knowledge, but he entered Masonry at
age 26 and was a Master Mason for 51 years.
A summary of his Masonic career is seen at
the end of this article. Three of his best
known marches have Masonic origins: "The
Crusader" (1888), "The Thunderer" (1889),
and "Nobles of the Mystic Shrine" ( 1923).
He came about petitioning the Cratt natu-
rally since his father was a Mason. Also,
when Sousa became leader of the United
States Marine Band in 1880, he learned the
importance of military bandmasters being
Masons and took the first steps shortly
thereatter.
It is interesting that quite a few members of
Sousa's professional civilian band, formed
after he left the Marine Corps, were Masons.
The percentage increased when Sousa
became a Shriner in 1922, and toward the end
of his career, nearly half the bandsmen them-
selves were Shriners. Shrine organizations
around the country sponsored many Sousa
Band Concerts in the late 1920s.
Masons in America have traditionally been
outspoken on the subject of patriotism, and it
could be said that Brother Sousa led one sec-
tion of that parade. As a matter of record, he
probably expressed his patriotism in a more
dramatic way than any other composer of any
era of any country.
Sousa loved his native country with a pas-
sion seldom demonstrated more eloquently,
and he took every opportunity to let the world
know. If asked about his occupation, he was
quick to answer, "I'm a salesman of Ameri-
canism." No shirtsleeve patriot, this Sousa.
He was born in our nation's capital in a
section then known as the "Navy Yard." As
he put it, his home was "in the shadow of the
Capitol dome," and as he witnessed the
sights and sounds of Civil War activities, his
love of America grew. He enlisted as an
apprentice in the U.S. Marine Band at age
13 and eventually spent a total of 19 years in
military service.
Some of Sousa's marches have strictly mil-
itary titles, but his colors show through
clearly in his patriotic titles. Consider these
examples: "America First," "Hail to the Spirit
of Liberty," "The Invincible Eagle," "The
Messiah of Nations," "Liberty Bell" and, of
course, his most famous composition, "The
Stars and Stripes Forever."
If we take a look at other titles, we'll see
that he was actually telling the story of his
beloved country through his music: "The
American Maid," "The National Game," "Boy
Scouts of America," "Washington Post,"
"High School Cadets," "New York Hippo-
drome," "Northern Pines," "Dwellers of the
Western World," "Fairest of the Fair," and
"Daughters of Texas." The list goes on and on.
His patriotism was manifested in his
music, but, more importantly, he lived it in
his everyday life. With his professional band,
which was considered the best in the world,
he traveled widely to show other nations
what America had to offer in the way of
artistic development. When he organized his
band in 1892, many of the musicians were of
foreign extraction. When he died 39 years
later, the band was 100 percent American.
While making tours of his own country,
patriotism was always part of the Sousa
showcase. He made the most of every situ-
ation, to be sure. During the Spanish-
American war, for instance, he developed an
extravaganza called "The Trooping of the
Colors" which brought audiences to an
unprecedented patriotic height. At that time
he volunteered to leave the highly lucrative
band business to be a United States Army
bandmaster, but he was stricken with bouts of
typhoid fever and pneumonia, and he did not
recover until after the war.
His patriotism was even more evident dur-
ing World War I. At age 62, he enlisted in the
U.S. Navy (at the symbolic salary of $1/
month) to train Navy bandsmen at Great
Lakes Naval Training Station north of
Chicago. While there, he took a huge
"jackie" band (a band made up of recruits)
on a tour to raise money for war causes.
When regrouping the Sousa Band after the
war, he usually wore his lieutenant comman-
der's uniform at concerts.
At every Sousa concert (some 15,000 of
them!), one would find a taste of patriotism.
This was no accident, because he was a
patriot at heart, thus accounting for the inspi-
rations which led to many of his most popu-
lar compositions. The most famous of all his
marches is, or course, "The Stars and Stripes
Forever." It is our official national march and
is considered by many to be the finest march
ever written. The title says exactly what
Sousa meant it to say. One can only imagine
the lecture received by his publisher, who
suggested that "Forever" be removed trom
the title!
"The Stars and Stripes Forever" is now part
of our national heritage, and Sousa did his
utmost to make it that way. Members of his
band caught the spirit and carried the tradi-
tion through one more generation after Sousa
passed on. This author has personally inter-
viewed over 50 former Sousa bandsmen, and
when asked if they ever tired of playing
"Stars," the consensus was that this would
have been unthinkable.
Sousa never tired of it either. Late in his
career, he was asked what single piece of
music he would choose to hear just before
he died. His answer? "The Stars and Stripes
Forever." His reason? "I would meet my
Maker face to face with the inspiration that
grows from its melodies and the patriotism
that gives it meaning." This year, inciden-
tally, marks the centennial of the march's
first performance in Philadelphia on May
14, 1897.
A patriotic thought could bring tears to
Sousa's eyes, and his inspired melodies have
brought tears of joy to the eyes of millions
of his fellow Americans. Stories of his per-
sonal acts of patriotism could easily fill a
book. When we speak of him as one of our
Masonic Brothers, we can all stand a little
taller.
John Philip Sousa's Masonic History:
15 July 1881, Initiated, Hiram Lodge No.
10, Washington, DC (never transferred); 2
September 1881, Passed, Hiram Lodge; 10
November 1881, Raised, Hiram Lodge; 16
September 1886, Received Capitular
Degrees and exalted in Eureka Chapter No.
4 (later Eureka Naval Chapter); 3 December
1886, Received Order of Red Cross, Malta,
and Temple- 10 December 1886, Knighted
in Columbia Commandery No. 2, Knights
Templar, Washington, DC; 21 April 1922,
Initiated in A.A.O.N.M.S., Almas Temple,
Washington, D.C., named hororary leader of
Almas Temple Band; 10 March 1932, a
Masonic memorial service was held at the
grave site in Congressional Cemetery,
Washington, DC, after Sousa's death. This
band has performed several ceremonies at
Sousa's grave.
Free JavaScripts provided
by The JavaScript Source