# Sousa march played in Rose Parade yesterday **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 2, 2003, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sousa-march-played-in-rose-parade-yesterday/146269 "2003-01-02T21:09:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sousa-march-played-in-rose-parade-yesterday/146269/1 "2003-01-02T21:09:35Z")
The Marine Corps band played a stirring march in the Rose Parade, as they always do. This one, which I’ve heard since childhood, seems to be polyphonic, with trumpets and higher-pitched woodwinds playing a sort of fanfare, while the bass and contrabass instruments play a repeated, fast phrase that rises and falls. In fact when I heard this as a kid I pictured a ship being lifted and lowered by large waves at sea. I thought it may be “Billboard,” or something like that, but I’m not sure…it might help if there’s a website that plays Sousa music… 😕 ---
**Author:** ![binx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@binx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/binx)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sousa-march-played-in-rose-parade-yesterday/146269/2 "2003-01-02T21:14:30Z")
My mother (84) had a very dear friend who would play Souza marches before dinner every night and make she, her husband and children (all six of them) march around the table before being seated. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sousa-march-played-in-rose-parade-yesterday/146269/3 "2003-01-02T21:19:37Z")
[Try MP3.com](http://search.mp3.com/bin/search?section=song_mp3&query=sousa&exact=&matchany=). ---
**Author:** ![Genseric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Genseric](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genseric)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sousa-march-played-in-rose-parade-yesterday/146269/4 "2003-01-02T21:52:46Z")
I don’t know how familiar you are with Sousa’s work, but typically if Sousa’s playing, it’s either Stars and Stripes Forever, or The Washington Post. I didn’t see the parade, but listen to The Washington Post, here [http://www.dws.org/sousa/mid/washpost.mid](http://www.dws.org/sousa/mid/washpost.mid) and see if that’s it. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sousa-march-played-in-rose-parade-yesterday/146269/5 "2003-01-02T22:01:11Z")
> [@](#): > > I don’t know how familiar you are with Sousa’s work, but typically if Sousa’s playing, it’s either Stars and Stripes Forever, or The Washington Post. Funny, I hear the Liberty Bell more often than not. ---
**Author:** ![Badandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/73ab20/32.png) [@Badandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badandi)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sousa-march-played-in-rose-parade-yesterday/146269/6 "2003-01-02T22:07:00Z")
What you’re describing sounds **a lot** like the Billboard March. It’s not one of Sousa’s more famous marches, but it is played somewhat frequently. ---
**Author:** ![Genseric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Genseric](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genseric)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sousa-march-played-in-rose-parade-yesterday/146269/7 "2003-01-02T22:22:08Z")
If we’re talking about the same Billboard March, then it’s not Sousa’s. John Klohr wrote the Billboard March. Here’s a MIDI [http://www.thejoyboys.com/sound/billb.mid](http://www.thejoyboys.com/sound/billb.mid) ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sousa-march-played-in-rose-parade-yesterday/146269/8 "2012-04-01T06:57:23Z")
It’s “Semper Fidelis.” 😃 :o