"The Liberty Bell", at the time a new composition as yet untitled, was written for Sousa's unfinished operetta "The Devil's Deputy" before financing for the show fell through. Shortly afterwards, while attending the Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Sousa and his band manager George Hinton watched the spectacle "America", in which a backdrop depicting the Liberty Bell was lowered. Hinton suggested "The Liberty Bell" for the title of Sousa's unnamed 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, and he sold "The Liberty Bell" sheet music to the John Church Company for publication; the new march was an immediate success.[2] The march is played as part of an exhibit in the Liberty Bell Center.
The march follows Sousa's "extended" trio form: "HEAD (intro, 1st strain, 2nd strain), TRIO (trio A), interlude, Triumphal return (trio B + final trio)", which since the Liberty Bell has become a standard for military marches.[8] The trio uses tubular bells to symbolize the Liberty Bell ringing.
Instrumentation
This is scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, cymbals, bass drum, snare drum, and strings.
Use in Monty Python's Flying Circus
A version of the march, performed by the Band of the Grenadier Guards and published in 1938, was used as the opening theme of the British TV comedy program Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969–1974). Cast member Terry Gilliam, the only American member of the troupe, argued for the use of "The Liberty Bell" because it had fallen into the public domain by that time and could thus be used without the need to pay royalties.[9] He has said the piece was chosen because the troupe thought it would not be associated with the program's content, and that the first bell strike and subsequent melody would give the impression of getting "straight down to business."[citation needed]
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 animation and a noticeably flatulent "splat" sound reminiscent of a whoopee cushion (the first 13 episodes used a "raspberry"). At the end of the film Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl, the entire march was played over the closing credits.
Other uses
NASA played the march as wake-up calls for two Space Shuttle missions: STS-61-C on January 12–18, 1986, and STS-63 on February 3–11, 1995.[10]
^"The Works of John Philip Sousa". John Philip Sousa – American Conductor, Composer & Patriot. Dallas Wind Symphony. Archived from the original on 8 October 2010. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
