Marshall's Civic Band

Composed in 1902. "On December 1, 1901, while on a tour of England, the Sousa 
Band played a command performance at Sandringham. In a conversation with the 
royal family after the concert Sousa requested and received permission to 
dedicate a march to His Majesty the King. The first draft was completed the 
following April while Sousa was on vacation at Hot Spring, VA, and the new march 
was premiered by the Sousa Band in Montreal on May 21, 1902. A beautiful 
illuminated manuscript was made by the John Church Company, publishers of the 
march, and this was carried to England by George Frederick Hinton, manager of 
the Sousa Band. This manuscript is now at the British Museum in London. 
    "Hidden in the trio of the march is a trombone solo consisting of a fragment 
of 'God Save the King.' When the piece was performed by the Sousa Band, it was 
customary for the trombone section to rise at this pint, play the brief solo 
fortissimo, and then be seated. 
    "For some reason, Sousa revealed his displeasure with the march almost 
twenty-two years after it was written. In the 1923 Sousa Band programs at Willow 
Grove was the following quotation: 
    'I have never written a piece of music that I did not feel 
     the inspiration. I have never turned out but one piece that 
     I consider in any manner mechanical. That was 'Imperial 
     Edward,' the march I dedicated to King Edward on my second 
     command to play before him - and that had to be finished in 
     a hurry. For a part of it I felt an inspiration. For the rest, 
     instead of digging down to the vein of gold, I struck a vein 
     of ashes and used it.'" 
 
The Works of John Philip Sousa 
pgs. 62-63 
Paul E. Bierley 
Integrity Press 
1984