John Philip Sousa’s Band Played Two Golden Jubilee Concerts at Capitol Theatre in 1928

Advertisements for Sousa’s Golden Jubilee band concerts at the Capitol Theatre on September 15, 1928 appeared in the Manitowoc Herald-News.

On August 15, 1928, The Manitowoc Herald-News reported ‘America’s March King’ John Philip Sousa and his band was to play ‘Two Golden Jubilee Concerts’ at the Capitol Theatre on Saturday, September 15. The concerts were part of a 20-week nationwide tour to commemorate Sousa’s fiftieth year as a professional conductor. During the tour, Sousa’s Band performed in three other Wisconsin communities – Green Bay, Oshkosh and Ripon.

Large newspaper advertisements for the Manitowoc matinee and evening concerts featured a sketch of Lieutenant Commander John Philip Sousa below catchy phrases, ‘LARGEST BAND IN THE WORLD’ and ‘GREATER AND MORE POPULAR THAN EVER.’

Sousa’s ‘Golden Jubilee’ tour ‘From Maine to California’ offered a variety of band music – classical, humorous, jazz, martial, vocal and ensembles of flutes, clarinets and trombones. The concerts celebrated the thirty-first birthday of ‘The Stars and Stripes Forever,’ composed by Sousa in 1896. Sousa’s new marches were also played – ‘The Pride of the Wolverines’ (1926), ‘Riders for the Flag’ (1927), ‘The Minnesota March’ (1927), ‘Golden Jubilee’ (1928) and ‘The University of Nebraska March’ (1928).

Besides marches, the Manitowoc concerts featured vocal numbers by soprano Marjorie Moody, a coronet rendition of ‘Habanera’ from Bizet’s opera ‘Carmen’ by John Dolan, a xylophone solo by Howard Goulden and the humoresque sketch ‘Among My Souvenirs.’

During the intermission of Saturday’s afternoon concert, Sousa presented a loving cup to the Manitowoc high school band and directed the students in a couple of numbers.

It is not recorded if the ‘Wisconsin Forward Forever’ march, composed by Sousa in 1917 and dedicated to the faculty, students and alumni of the university, was played at the concerts.

Near the end of the program, ‘The Stars and Stripes Forever’ was played with eighteen musicians (coronets, trombones and piccolos) across the front of the stage. According to the Herald-News, the popular march “took the house by storm and demonstrated that there is but one John Philip Sousa.”

The local paper further commented, “Manitowoc turned out fairly well on Saturday on the first visit to Manitowoc of John Philip Sousa and his band of 75 musicians, who gave two concerts afternoon and evening at the Capitol theater. The programs proved a rare musical treat and Sousa was generous with his encores. As a result everyone was pleased at the offering.”

John Philip Sousa was born on November 6, 1854 in Washington, D.C. He was conductor of the United States Marine Band from 1880 until 1892. He then formed his own civilian band, which went on concert tours of America and Europe.

During his life, Sousa composed more than 130 marches as well as operettas, waltzes and symphonic works. Among Sousa’s best-known marches are ‘Semper Fidelis’ (official march of the United States Marine Corps) (1888), ‘The Thunderer’ (1889), ‘The Washington Post’ (1889), ‘The Liberty Bell’ (1893), ‘El Capitan’ (1896) and ‘The Stars and Stripes Forever’ – named the national march of the United States by an Act of Congress in 1987.

Sousa, age 77, suffered a heart attack after a local band rehearsal and banquet in Reading, Pennsylvania and died on March 6, 1932. He is buried in Congressional Cemetery, Washington, D.C.

To honor the world-famous bandmaster, four of Sousa’s well-known marches were played by the Manitowoc high school band during a live music program broadcast from WOMT radio station on March 9, 1932. The marches chosen by band members included ‘The Stars and Stripes Forever,’ ‘The High School Cadets,’ ‘The Washington Post’ and ‘Semper Fidelis.’