# Military Marches: Any "Modern" Ones Been Written? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 3, 2009, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-marches-any-modern-ones-been-written/516149 "2009-11-03T08:03:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-marches-any-modern-ones-been-written/516149/1 "2009-11-03T08:03:13Z")
This is sort of a "spin-off’ from my “Composers” thread. I was wondering if any had been written in the 21st century, and these would be true _military_ marches, not pop songs put into"march-style". Nothing _wrong_ with the traditionial “Sousa” fare, of course. Thanks Q ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-marches-any-modern-ones-been-written/516149/2 "2009-11-03T19:29:03Z")
Yes, [where demand drives supply](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67eBYOBHn1E&feature=PlayList&p=0169E19104D257DD&index=2) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-marches-any-modern-ones-been-written/516149/3 "2009-11-03T20:07:19Z")
The most famous relatively-recent orchestral march may be the [Imperial March](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_WERPN8KO8) from Star Wars (by John Williams). It’s not exactly 21st century, but it makes me suspect that maybe the movies are a good place to look for modern military marches. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-marches-any-modern-ones-been-written/516149/4 "2009-11-03T23:23:18Z")
The theme from the anime _Robotech_, by Ulpino Minnuchi. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-marches-any-modern-ones-been-written/516149/5 "2009-11-04T00:16:18Z")
These are marches which _could_ be used, yes? And I am sorry if I was unclear, but are any of them _being_ used, or are we still traditional? Yeah. I just read over my OP, and it pretty much sucks as to clarity. My bad! Q ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-marches-any-modern-ones-been-written/516149/6 "2009-11-05T02:22:15Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > The most famous relatively-recent orchestral march may be the [Imperial March](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_WERPN8KO8) from Star Wars (by John Williams). It’s not exactly 21st century, but it makes me suspect that maybe the movies are a good place to look for modern military marches. Truly a great one, IMHO. Seriously - can’t you imagine standing on a balcony while your official orchestra belts this thing out and your tanks roll by below, en route to the conquest of Wales? ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-marches-any-modern-ones-been-written/516149/7 "2009-11-11T17:34:29Z")
I wanted to revisit the thread after seeing “To Hell and Back” starring Audie Murphy just now. This was the kind of march music I was talking about. I didn’t see it in the credits, but I figure that music was written by the guy who composed if for the film. This is something I should have mentioned in the OP, but has any of THAT music ever been adapted to the military on the parade grounds? Thanks Q ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-marches-any-modern-ones-been-written/516149/8 "2009-11-11T17:50:06Z")
John Williams also wrote a nice march for the score of “1941”. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-marches-any-modern-ones-been-written/516149/9 "2009-11-11T18:45:10Z")
Is 1971 too long ago? Jerry Goldsmith’s theme from _Patton_ is pretty damn memorable. And whistlable, too, if you agree that’s key to a fine military march. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-marches-any-modern-ones-been-written/516149/10 "2009-11-11T20:31:19Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > I wanted to revisit the thread after seeing “To Hell and Back” starring Audie Murphy just now. > > This was the kind of march music I was talking about. > > I didn’t see it in the credits, but I figure that music was written by the guy who composed if for the film. > > This is something I should have mentioned in the OP, but has any of THAT music ever been adapted to the military on the parade grounds? > > Thanks > > Q Nah. Many films of the era used public domain music, & since this is a military march, I suspect that’s what it was. ---
**Author:** ![ryobserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@ryobserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryobserver)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-marches-any-modern-ones-been-written/516149/11 "2009-11-12T01:08:16Z")
If “modern” can stretch back to the 20th Century, the RAF March Past and US Air Force march would be modern, by definition. So would the Hymn to the Soviet Union, still being used for the Russian national anthem if memory serves. And if “military” can be “that which has been performed/recorded by military bands”, you might consider the marches from the following films: Things to Come The Dam Busters The Great Escape Thunderbirds Are GO (watch the end credits for the actual British military band) Ben-Hur (the Parade of the Charioteers) ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-marches-any-modern-ones-been-written/516149/12 "2009-11-12T01:21:59Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Nah. Many films of the era used public domain music, & since this is a military march, I suspect that’s what it was. Kinda like a high school band uses pop songs, **Bos**? Robert Klein once did a skit on that talking about the song “Going Out Of My Head”, where he sang the song “march style”… Then he says, “They form a giant head, and they go out of it.” 🙂 Q ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-marches-any-modern-ones-been-written/516149/13 "2009-11-12T01:41:54Z")
Louie Louie: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP-3FgHcTYY](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP-3FgHcTYY) Zappa: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvunQfWy2y0](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvunQfWy2y0) My daughter’s band played “Peaches en Regalia” ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-marches-any-modern-ones-been-written/516149/14 "2009-11-12T01:49:40Z")
Daughter also tried to convince the band teacher to do [Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AglUTY_NHM) She thought she had a chance because he’s a trombonist who selects pieces that feature the trombone and, arranged right, this song’s a trombone showcase. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-marches-any-modern-ones-been-written/516149/15 "2009-11-12T02:40:09Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Daughter also tried to convince the band teacher to do [Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AglUTY_NHM) She thought she had a chance because he’s a trombonist who selects pieces that feature the trombone and, arranged right, this song’s a trombone showcase. Can that arrangement be used for the euphonium as well or does it require the abilities of the trombone slide? My brother plays the euphonium and DCI (in which any corps probably wouldn’t play Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines, but you never know) doesn’t use trombones. ---
**Author:** ![Eman\_Resu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bc8723/32.png) [@Eman\_Resu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eman_Resu)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-marches-any-modern-ones-been-written/516149/16 "2009-11-12T03:49:36Z")
Maybe not exactly what you’re looking for, since it’s usually music written in the style of a march, but not actually for a military purpose, but have you thought of checking out some twentieth-century classical composers? The first thing that popped into my head was the march from Hindemith’s [Symphonic Metamorphosis](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt2rXj98YZ0) (the march begins at about 4:06). Then of course you’ve got Charles Ives, who took traditional American marches and contorted them every way he could imagine. Often he aimed to intentionally recreate effects in his compositions that he would hear as accidental results of the circumstances of real performances, such as two marching bands playing different things as they pass by each other, or firemen banging a gong out of time with the music. Check out [They Are There](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10pqluMwgXQ) (on this recording the composer sings and plays piano, adding a slightly more twisted element than the more usual arrangement for orchestra and chorus possesses), [Gong on the Hook and Ladder](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmhZSsasdMk), and [The Circus Band](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXheg8C7Db4). ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-marches-any-modern-ones-been-written/516149/17 "2009-11-12T11:07:28Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > Kinda like a high school band uses pop songs, **Bos**? > > Robert Klein once did a skit on that talking about the song “Going Out Of My Head”, where he sang the song “march style”… Then he says, “They form a giant head, and they go out of it.” > > 🙂 > > Q No, kinda like “we don’t have to pay for classical music”. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-marches-any-modern-ones-been-written/516149/18 "2009-11-12T17:50:46Z")
If I am right, the “Midway March” was something composed for the 1976 movie, and I have heard it once played by a real Navy band. I don’t know how often it’s included in the lineup, though. > **[Featured Content on Myspace](https://myspace.com)** > > Featured Content on Myspace ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-marches-any-modern-ones-been-written/516149/19 "2009-11-13T03:14:40Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Can that arrangement be used for the euphonium as well or does it require the abilities of the trombone slide? > > My brother plays the euphonium and DCI (in which any corps probably wouldn’t play Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines, but you never know) doesn’t use trombones. The arrangement I linked to would as there isn’t the slide between “up” and “down.” I have one (by don’t remember who) that used trombones. Knew the teacher was a trombonist by how often he featured trombones. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-marches-any-modern-ones-been-written/516149/20 "2009-11-13T08:43:22Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > The most famous relatively-recent orchestral march may be the [Imperial March](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_WERPN8KO8) from Star Wars (by John Williams). It’s not exactly 21st century, but it makes me suspect that maybe the movies are a good place to look for modern military marches. > [@Quasimodem](#): > > These are marches which _could_ be used, yes? > > And I am sorry if I was unclear, but are any of them _being_ used, or are we still traditional? I’m reminded of [this mildly controversial incident](http://www.videosift.com/video/Queens-Military-Guard-Plays-Imperial-March-For-Saudi-King) from a couple of years ago.