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The United States Marine Band: In Performance
Many of the world's finest performing artists have shared the White House stage with the Marine Band. Great tenors and divas, maestros and virtuosos, Broadway stars and jazz greats have all become part of the social history of the White House. "Ever since this wonderful house was built, it has been filled with music. Thomas Jefferson played his violin and
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The United States Marine Band: Hail to the Chief
"Hail to the Chief," with its preceding fanfare Ruffles and Flourishes, is traditionally played to announce the arrival of the president at official functions. The melody was based on an old Gaelic air, and adapted from Sir Walter Scott’s poem, The Lady of the Lake. "Hail to the Chief" is attributed to English composer James Sanderson. The song was al
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The United States Marine Band: John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa, Director (1880-1892), brought world fame to "The President's Own." While the organization was already considered a national institution, Sousa's dynamic leadership transformed the Marine Band's repertoire, emphasized symphonic music, changed the instrumentation, and made rehearsals exceptionally strict. He conducted the band's first sound recordings, initiated its first national concert tour, and began to write the marches that
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The United States Marine Band: Musical Airs
"The White House has been a showcase for the performing arts and has vividly mirrored American life from its earliest days." Dr. Elise K. Kirk, author, Musical Highlights from the White House.The Marine Band has been a premier performer on the White House stage, introducing America to Italian opera and the works of Wagner and Brahms as well as
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The United States Marine Band: Music as Diplomacy
Music has been an essential part of life in the White House from the earliest days of our nation, not only as a "companion" to divert, delight, and "sweeten many hours," as Thomas Jefferson professed, but also as an element of the pageantry accompanying international diplomacy. Through the years the United States Marine Band has musically represented the nation before
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Article
The United States Marine Band: Musical Airs
"The White House has been a showcase for the performing arts and has vividly mirrored American life from its earliest days." Dr. Elise K. Kirk, author, Musical Highlights from the White House.The Marine Band has been a premier performer on the White House stage, introducing America to Italian opera and the works of Wagner and Brahms as well as
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Article
The United States Marine Band: Origins & Traditions
The Marine Band, the first musical ensemble to perform at the White House, has provided a continual opportunity for presidents to enjoy music. President Thomas Jefferson, an avid violinist, called music his "favorite passion." President James Madison invited the band to perform at the first inaugural ball. President Abraham Lincoln found the band's concerts a lift from the gloom of
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The United States Marine Band: Musicians
Since 1798, the Marine Band's primary mission has been to provide music for the President of the United States. Whether performing for South Lawn arrival ceremonies, state dinners, receptions, or accompanying famous entertainers, the musicians appear at the White House nearly 200 times annually. These performances range from a solo pianist or harpist to the full concert band. The band can form
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The United States Marine Band: The President's Own
A long and distinguished association with the presidency has honored the Marine Band. There is a sense of family among band members toward the presidents and their families, and the feeling is mutual. On one occasion during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln appeared outside during a Marine Band concert and the audience clapped and clamored for a speech. The
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The United States Marine Band: The Directors
During its first two centuries, the Marine Band has had more than two dozen directors. Each leader has contributed to the recognition and appreciation of "The President's Own" through their original band compositions, orchestral transcriptions, and programming. Directors serve as music advisor to the White House and traditionally are selected from within the band's membership. As the Sousa baton is
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The Working White House: A Mirror - The 20th Century
Twentieth-century historical forces and social movements left their marks on the working White House. In 1900, nearly 87,000 inhabitants (almost a third of the population) of Washington, D.C., were black, forming the largest urban community of African Americans anywhere in the United States. However, racial segregation, as a formal policy, was endorsed and enforced in the Taft White House (1909-13), and
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The American Presidents and Shakespeare
On April 23, 1932, Shakespeare-lovers from around the country flocked to Washington, D.C., to attend the dedication of the handsome new Folger Shakespeare Library, with President Herbert Hoover and First Lady Lou Henry Hoover sitting on a platform to watch the ceremony. The main speaker was Joseph Quincy Adams Jr., a descendant of Presidents John and John Quincy Adams who taught