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LOOKING UPWARD SUITE
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I- BY THE LIGHT OF THE POLAR STAR II- BENEATH THE SOUTHERN CROSS III- MARS AND VENUS. ALTHOUGH JOHN PHILIP SOUSA IS PRIMARILY KNOWN FOR HIS MARCHES, HE ALSO COMPOSED 11 SUITES INCLUDING THIS FROM 1902. PERFORMED BY THE TMEA ALL STATE SYMPHONIC BAND
highschool bands jazz bands college bands all region bands community bands concert bands honor bands interlochen arts academy marching bands national music camp tmea all state bands university bands
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Contemporary band compositions, classical music arrangements, marches, jazz, symphonies, overtures. A collection from bands that I have played in throughout hi
Hello and welcome! "Symphonic Band Performances" is a compilation of recordings from several high school and college bands that I played in including the TMEA (Texas) All State Band, the TMEA Region X All Region Band, the Interlochen Arts Academy National Music Camp, the Cal Poly Tech Band, San Luis Obispo, the USAF Golden West Band, and recordings from my h.s. band, Beaumont H.S. and a few band recordings that were passed down to me. Also included are various All State groups and college and university bands. I participated and played in the large majority of these recordings. There are no professional recordings here and every recording is Public Domain. Most are available for free download. Each song has been converted from the original analog or digital source and edited with Audacity or Dak software. In the majority of these recordings, I play the tenor sax or alto sax, b flat or e flat clarinet, or directing. I was drum major for 2 years in high school, I have a BA from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where I studied music ed, composition and theory. I had about 500 more recordings I was planning to digitize and upload, but this past Nov. 20th, my home was completely destroyed by fire, and all the contents, including all my music and instruments. So, this is it. Please feel free to post a comment here or on my member page. If you like, please become a fan by clicking "I'm a fan" below.
Song Info
Genre
Classical • Symphonic
Charts
Peak #215
Peak in subgenre #13
Author
JOHN PHILIP SOUSA
Rights
public domain
Uploaded
February 28, 2010
Track Files
MP3
MP3 22.9 MB • 192 kbps • 16:38
Story behind the song
Regarded as one of Sousa's most serious compositions, it is also likely the first major twentieth-century wind work by an American. There are three movements: 1. By the Light of the Polar Star The inspiration for the suite, and particularly the first movement appeared on a crisp South Dakota night while Sousa looked at the heavens from his train. 2. Beneath the Southern Cross An advertisement for the steamship Southern Cross sparked this movement. 3. Mars and Venus Inspired by the heavens, Mars is portrayed as a wild west cowboy with Venus as his love interest. A storm scene ensues, Mars returns and the two are intertwined. Although primarily known for his marches, Sousa composed 11 suites, usually inspired by something he saw or read. In this case, the first movement, "By the Light of the Polar Star", came to him while riding a train through South Dakota late one night; he associated the Jingle Bells lyrics with it. The second movement depicts a tropical scene, inspired by an ad Sousa saw for the ship, Southern Cross. The final movement was inspired as he gazed at the heavens and recalled an old song about a soldier and a beautiful woman, bringing to mind the legend of lovers Mars (the god of war) and Venus (the goddess of love). The song evokes feelings of love, sadness, and glory as the soldier goes off to war.
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ALEXIS PATRICK
May 16, 2010
This is so beautiful that it's also criminal.