Liberty Bell (march)
Encyclopedia
"The Liberty Bell" is an American military march
composed by John Philip Sousa
.
It is now most often associated with the British TV comedy program Monty Python's Flying Circus
(1969–74), which began and ended with the first few bars.
"The Devil's Deputy," but financing for the show fell through. Shortly afterwards, Sousa and his band manager George Hinton attended the Columbian Exposition in Chicago
. As they watched the spectacle "America", in which a backdrop depicting the Liberty Bell
was lowered, Hinton suggested "The Liberty Bell" as the title of Sousa's recently completed march. Coincidentally, Sousa received a letter from his wife, saying their son had marched in a parade in honor of the Liberty Bell. Sousa agreed. He sold "The Liberty Bell" to the John Church Company
for publication, and it was an immediate success. The march is played as part of an exhibit in the Liberty Bell Center.
The United States Marine Corps Band has played "The Liberty Bell" march at three presidential inaugurations: the 1993 inauguration of President Bill Clinton
, the 2005 inauguration of President George W. Bush
, and the 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama
.
"The Liberty Bell" is also the official march past of the Canadian Forces Public Affairs Branch.
's use of the melody is ironic
; the bouncy melody of the march may be what the troupe found appealing. Python member Terry Gilliam
, its only American, decided to use the theme. He has said the piece was chosen because the troupe thought it could not be associated with the program's content, and that the first bell strike and the subsequent melody gave the impression of getting "straight down to business". It was also chosen because it was in the public domain
and free from royalties, as there was no budget for theme music copyright
s.
The Monty Python mode of presenting the tune was with a single strike of the bell, lifted from the third section and increased in volume, followed by a strain of each of the first two sections, followed by the famous stomping foot and a noticeably flatulent
"splat" sound reminiscent of a whoopee cushion
(though the first episodes used a "hiss"). At the end of Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl
, the entire march was played over the closing credits
.
"The Liberty Bell" was used by the Foot Guards
before it became associated with the television series, after which they chose another march. Nevertheless, the march remains popular with British military band
s.
Because he is a fan of Python, the radio broadcaster Steve Oliver
uses the music as his opening music on his Sherwood Radio show.
The Liberty Bell march was played in full at President Bill Clinton
's 1993 inauguration ceremony.
music, the second section of The Liberty Bell is included in the diegesis of the of the 1983 film Octopussy
. In the section wherein the Liberty Bell is played, scores such as Thunder and Blazes can be heard as well.
American march music
American march music is march music written and/or performed in the United States.-History:The true "march music era" existed from 1850 to 1940s as it slowly became shadowed by the coming of jazz. Earlier marches, such as the ones from George Frideric Handel, Wolfgang Mozart, and Ludwig van...
composed by John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era, known particularly for American military and patriotic marches. Because of his mastery of march composition, he is known as "The March King" or the "American March King" due to his British counterpart Kenneth J....
.
It is now most often associated with the British TV comedy program Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python’s Flying Circus is a BBC TV sketch comedy series. The shows were composed of surreality, risqué or innuendo-laden humour, sight gags and observational sketches without punchlines...
(1969–74), which began and ended with the first few bars.
History
"The Liberty Bell" was written for Sousa's unfinished operettaOperetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
"The Devil's Deputy," but financing for the show fell through. Shortly afterwards, Sousa and his band manager George Hinton attended the Columbian Exposition in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. As they watched the spectacle "America", in which a backdrop depicting the Liberty Bell
Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American Independence, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formerly placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House , the bell was commissioned from the London firm of Lester and Pack in 1752, and was cast with the lettering "Proclaim LIBERTY...
was lowered, Hinton suggested "The Liberty Bell" as the title of Sousa's recently completed march. Coincidentally, Sousa received a letter from his wife, saying their son had marched in a parade in honor of the Liberty Bell. Sousa agreed. He sold "The Liberty Bell" to the John Church Company
John Church Company
The John Church Company was a 19th-century American publishing company that specialized in sheet music. They had offices in Cincinnati, Ohio; New York, New York; and Chicago, Illinois. The company published the works of John Philip Sousa, Dan Emmett, and other composers.The company was bought out...
for publication, and it was an immediate success. The march is played as part of an exhibit in the Liberty Bell Center.
The United States Marine Corps Band has played "The Liberty Bell" march at three presidential inaugurations: the 1993 inauguration of President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, the 2005 inauguration of President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, and the 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
.
"The Liberty Bell" is also the official march past of the Canadian Forces Public Affairs Branch.
Composition
The march follows the standard form of AABBCDCDC. The trio (section C) uses tubular bells to symbolize the Liberty Bell ringing in the distance. The bells usually begin during the first breakstrain, but some bands use them at the first trio.Monty Python
The British comedy troupe Monty PythonMonty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
's use of the melody is ironic
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
; the bouncy melody of the march may be what the troupe found appealing. Python member Terry Gilliam
Terry Gilliam
Terrence Vance "Terry" Gilliam is an American-born British screenwriter, film director, animator, actor and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam is also known for directing several films, including Brazil , The Adventures of Baron Munchausen , The Fisher King , and 12 Monkeys...
, its only American, decided to use the theme. He has said the piece was chosen because the troupe thought it could not be associated with the program's content, and that the first bell strike and the subsequent melody gave the impression of getting "straight down to business". It was also chosen because it was in the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
and free from royalties, as there was no budget for theme music copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
s.
The Monty Python mode of presenting the tune was with a single strike of the bell, lifted from the third section and increased in volume, followed by a strain of each of the first two sections, followed by the famous stomping foot and a noticeably flatulent
Flatulence
Flatulence is the expulsion through the rectum of a mixture of gases that are byproducts of the digestion process of mammals and other animals. The medical term for the mixture of gases is flatus, informally known as a fart, or simply gas...
"splat" sound reminiscent of a whoopee cushion
Whoopee cushion
A whoopee cushion, also known as a poo-poo cushion and Razzberry Cushion, is a practical joke device, used in a form of flatulence humor, which produces a noise resembling a raspberry or human flatulence. It is made from two sheets of rubber that are glued together at the edges...
(though the first episodes used a "hiss"). At the end of Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl
Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl
Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl is a 1982 concert film in which the Monty Python team perform many of their greatest sketches at the Hollywood Bowl. The show also included filmed inserts which were mostly taken from two Monty Python specials, Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus, which had been...
, the entire march was played over the closing credits
Closing credits
Closing credits or end credits are added at the end of a motion picture, television program, or video game to list the cast and crew involved in the production. They usually appear as a list of names in small type, which either flip very quickly from page to page, or move smoothly across the...
.
"The Liberty Bell" was used by the Foot Guards
Foot Guards
-British Army:The Foot Guards are the Regular Infantry regiments of the Household Division of the British Army. There have been six regiments of foot guards, five of which still exist. The Royal Guards Reserve Regiment was a reserve formation of the Household Brigade in existence from 1900-1901...
before it became associated with the television series, after which they chose another march. Nevertheless, the march remains popular with British military band
Military band
A military band originally was a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the title of Bandmaster or Director of Music...
s.
Because he is a fan of Python, the radio broadcaster Steve Oliver
Steve Oliver
Steve Oliver is a California based guitarist & vocalist. He creates and performs music in a wide variety of styles including Jazz, Pop, Latin and World Music....
uses the music as his opening music on his Sherwood Radio show.
The Liberty Bell march was played in full at President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's 1993 inauguration ceremony.
Other apperances in popular culture
As part of a broader variety of circusCircus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
music, the second section of The Liberty Bell is included in the diegesis of the of the 1983 film Octopussy
Octopussy
Octopussy is the thirteenth entry in the James Bond series, and the sixth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's title is taken from a short story in Ian Fleming's 1966 short story collection Octopussy and The Living Daylights...
. In the section wherein the Liberty Bell is played, scores such as Thunder and Blazes can be heard as well.
External links
- The Liberty Bell (audio file) – In MIDIMusical Instrument Digital InterfaceMIDI is an industry-standard protocol, first defined in 1982 by Gordon Hall, that enables electronic musical instruments , computers and other electronic equipment to communicate and synchronize with each other...
format; from the John Philip Sousa website maintained by David Lovrien, hosted by the Dallas Wind SymphonyDallas Wind SymphonyThe Dallas Wind Symphony is a professional concert band based in Dallas, Texas .The DWS was founded in 1985 by Kim Campbell and Southern Methodist University music professor Howard Dunn... - The Monty Python version – In MP2MPEG-1 Audio Layer IIMPEG-1 Audio Layer II or MPEG-2 Audio Layer II is a lossy audio compression format defined by ISO/IEC 11172-3 alongside MPEG-1 Audio Layer I and MPEG-1 Audio Layer III...
format; from the same website - An 1896 Recording (Probably the first) played by the Edison Grand Concert Band, from the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- Sheet music for a piano arrangement, courtesy of the Mutopia Project