“The Directorate” (1894)

 

Not dedicated to band directors, as the title might imply, this march was written in appreciation of an honor bestowed upon Sousa by the Board of Directors of the 1893 St. Louis Exposition. The Sousa Band had been in existence for less than a year at that time but had created such a sensation at the exposition that the directorate held a held a special ceremony in his honor during the final week. In the brief ceremony, the governor of Missouri presented “The March King” with an elaborate medal of gold, rubies, and diamonds. To add the finishing touch, the Sousa Band struck up “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow.”

Paul E. Bierley, The Works of John Philip Sousa (Westerville, Ohio: Integrity Press, 1984), 43. Used by permission.