I've been playing Sousa's Stars and Stripes since I was in 6th grade thanks to my junior high band director, Mr. Janusek. We played it at the end of every concert. So it is not surprising that it is one of my absolute favorite marches (my favorite is National Emblem - if you have never heard it, go listen to it. Now!). I also played it almost every summer in junior high, high school, and college when the community band gave a brief patriotic concert outside on the Fourth of July.
I cannot remember if I played Chimes of Liberty at any of those concerts, but I have the part, so it must have come up at some point. However, I know that I played Goldman's march a month or so ago with the Columbia Community Band. When we started rehearsing it and I began to play the piccolo solo, I thought, "Hmmm...this seems eerily familiar."
So was it familiar because I had played it before? Maybe. Or...was it familiar because it appears to be inspired by Sousa's Stars and Stripes? Maybe. Probably both. Sousa composed his march in 1897. Goldman, according to the Wikipedia, composed his march prior to 1922; although I found somewhere else that it was composed in 1937. Either way, it would be safe to say that Stars and Stripes came before Chimes of Liberty. No judging here, by the way. Stealing is the highest form of flattery, right? Unless you are in high school, college, or something similar writing a paper. Then that's plagiarism and completely against every school's Academic Honor Code.
Anyway, take a listen.
Stars and Stripes:
Chimes of Liberty:
They seem to have some similarities, don't they? For instance, they are both super fun to play!
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