94 Piccolos? NO Piccolos? The Stars and Stripes Forever as You Rarely Hear It
Some of the more “interesting” versions of the patriotic classic, and more
There are some things you can count on over the 4th of July weekend. The food. The fireworks (because EXPLOSIONS!!!). The speeches full of empty platitudes and homilies from all the politicians and wanna-bes, before they scuttle back under their rocks to do their donor’s bidding. Not that I’m jaded, or anything….
And, the music.
Every 4th of July weekend, the air is filled with patriotic music, and one you’ll hear over and over is Sousa’s The Stars and Stripes Forever. Some versions are good, some are excellent, and some are…right up there with the ending scene of The Music Man.
I’ve been in the orchestra, as Principal Trombonist, for the Music Man. Yes, the book really does say “Play Badly.” It’s supposed to sound like €kids playing their instruments for the first time—but the parents don’t care. If you haven’t watched it lately, you should. It’s a Masterclass in how parents ought to support their kids, and you can watch the clip HERE.
Anyway…there are a few versions of The Stars and Stripes Forever you likely DIDN’T hear this weekend—until now.
Ever wondered what S&SF would sound like with 94 piccolos? Now you don’t have to wonder (there are two play-throughs here, the second with the madness starts at 3:45):
If you’re in the mood for a little Cold War-era music, here’s a version by the massed military bands of the Soviet Union. Watch the reactions at the end, and remember—if it hadn’t been for those never-to-be-sufficiently-damned Bolsheviks, all of our lives would have been a lot better:
Mercifully, there’s only one piccolo
To keep the piccolos from getting the big head (or you just want to ruin their day, or week, or entire year), play them this clip from the four ladies of Bones Apart:
Bite me, piccolos
Finally, there’s one more piece that’s always played on the 4th of July: the 1812 Overture. The second-best version I’ve ever heard of this was a Symphony in the Park performance, with 105mm howitzers firing from one side of the orchestra. Because EXPLOSIONS!!!
Here’s my personal favorite, performed by the Trombonists of The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own”:
Happy Independence Day weekend! And to all the piccolo players out there: this is YOUR weekend—enjoy it! Just remember:
Opinions do not reflect the views or opinions of ALPolitics.com. No piccolos were harmed in the creation of this piece.
