Lee University, City of Cleveland partner to celebrate Sousa’s Musical Legacy

From the Chattanoogan: Lee University will partner with Main Street Cleveland, Cleveland High School, and the Museum and Cultural Center at 5ive Points to honor the 120th anniversary of the John Philip Sousa Band’s performance, which took place in Cleveland, on Jan. 30, 1906. This concert is in recognition of the rich and long-standing heritage of fine instrumental music in the region.  

Due to inclement weather, this event, originally scheduled to be held at the Bradley County Courthouse Plaza, will now take place in Pangle Hall at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 30.

“Bands and orchestras in Cleveland date back to at least 1858 when the Cleveland Brass Band performed the opening ceremonies for the Cleveland Fair that year,” said Randy Cantrell, a graduate conducting student at Lee. “The bands and orchestras in Cleveland from 1870-1910 were music leaders and celebrities in our region. Sousa came to a town that was celebrating 50 years of musical legacy.”
 
The celebration will include performances from the Lee University Wind Ensemble, directed by Dr. Joshua Pace, and the Cleveland High School Band, directed by Jim Burton and Erik Simpson. Dr. David Holsinger, founder of Lee’s Wind Ensemble, will make a special appearance as well.  

The program features pieces such as “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” and Cleveland’s official song, “The Diplomat March.”
 
Mr. Sousa was an American bandmaster and composer of military marches. In 1868, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps as an apprentice in the Marine Band. He began building his reputation as a bandmaster of great precision through his leadership of this group. In 1892, he formed his own band, a carefully selected group capable of equal virtuosity in both military and symphonic music; with it he toured the United States and Europe and finally made a world tour.
 
Mr. Sousa composed 136 military marches, remarkable for their rhythmic and instrumental effects. They include the famous “Semper Fidelis,” which became the official march of the U.S. Marine Corps, “The Washington Post,” “The Liberty Bell,” and “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”
 
“John Philip Sousa established the concert band as we know it today,” said Mr. Cantrell. “He is responsible for creating the instrumentation we still use, and his band established a level of musicianship that all bands strive for today. Dr. David Holsinger, world-renowned composer and founder of Lee’s Wind Ensemble, programmed a Sousa piece in almost every concert in his time leading the group. Many band programs still perform a Sousa march at each concert, and Lee University's instrumental ensembles are no exception.”
 
The event is sponsored in part by Stephen Nichols, a graduate of Cleveland High School and Lee University.
 
For more information about this event, email rcantr00@leeu.edu.