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A concert march is a march specifically composed for a concert band, brass band or an orchestra (to be played at a formal concert or other audience event). Prior to 1820, the majority of march music was composed for military use by military bands. Beginning in the 1820s a shift occurred in which mainstream classical composers wrote less frequently for military ensembles but would create concert marches to be played by orchestras as character pieces.[1] Because concert marches are played by ensembles that are stationary, composers creating concert marches ceased connecting the march to the context of marching feet. This separation from its original context led to stylistic changes; making a clear separation in style between the military march and the concert march.[2]
In the United States, the popularization of the concert march can be traced to late 19th century with publications like Metronome magazine embraced the form as its own separate genre of march.[3] With the growing prevalence of concert bands, the concert march developed as a way to perform marches on stage.[4] John Philip Sousa was instrumental in the development of American approach to the concert march. Previously the older da capo march utilized a circular structure which Sousa felt lacked a climax inherently within its compositional form. Within the concert march genre, Sousa pursued a new dramatic shape and theatricality within the march which he began experimenting with in the 1880s.[5] His style influenced other composers of band music in this genre.[6] Sousa was a supporter of the community band movement of the late 19th century and early 20th century in the United States, and many of his compositions, including his concert marches, became a staple part of the community band repertoire.[7][6]
Concert marches are included in the curriculums of school band programs.[8] As with every single type of march (from Military to Concert to Screamer and contest marches), they usually have an introduction, at least three melodies, and a trio.[9]
Some of the most-performed concert march composers are Edward Elgar, William Walton, Johann Strauss II, Josef Wagner, Julius Fučík, John Philip Sousa, John Williams, Karl L. King, Henry Fillmore, C.L. Barnhouse, Kenneth Alford, and J. J. Richards.
Concert marches by composer
editA-C
edit| Composer | Concert marches | References |
|---|---|---|
| Howard E. Akers (1913–1984) | "El Alamo" (1960) | [10] |
| Gabriel Allier (1963–1924) | "Marche de Gala" | [11] |
| Emil Ascher (1859–1922) | "Fanfare Militaire" (1899) | [12] |
| Alfred John Ashpole (1892–1990) | "Hemingford", "Sheringham" | [13] |
| Christoph Bach (1835–1927) | "Grand Festival" (1888) | [14] |
| George D. Barnard (1858–1933) | "Elk's Parade" (1890) | [15] |
| James Barnes (b. 1949) | "Golden Brass" (1974), "Sterling Brass" (1981), "Festival Concert March" (1982), "Thunderbolt" (1984) | [16] |
| Robert L. Bauernschmidt Jr. (1922–2010) | "The Californian" 1957 | [17] |
| Gordon Beecher (1904–1973) | "The Ramparts We Watch" | [18] |
| Walter Beeler (1908–1973) | "Legions of Victory" | [19] |
| Theodore Bendix (1862–1935) | "Dance of the Bugs", "Pansies" (1905) | [20] |
| David Bennett (1892–1990) | "Majesty of America" (1949) | [21] |
| Robert Russell Bennett (1894–1981) | "The Fabulous Country" (1975) | [21] |
| Joe Berryman (1904–1988) | "Goliad" (1936), "Spanish Castle" (1958) | [22] |
| Jerry Bilik (b. 1933) | "The 49th Star" (1959) | [23] |
| G. Bonelli | "Symphonic Concert March" (composed before 1915; published 1968) | [24][25] |
| Rosario Bourdon (1885–1961) | "Through the Line" (1937), "Step Ahead" (1942) | [26] |
| Richard W. Bowles (1918–2009) | "Burst of Flame" (1955), "Heat Lightning" (1958), "The Minstrels" (1965), "The Show Piece" (1967), "Sword and Shield (1971) | [27] |
| Oscar Bradley (1889–1948) | "We the People" (1955) | [28] |
| Forrest Buchtel (1899–1996) | "Festal Day" (1934) | [29] |
| James Burden (1923–1983) | "Royal Pageantry" (1980) | [30][31] |
| John Cacavas (1930–2014) | "Burnished Brass" (1963), "The Sentry Boy" (1965), "Gallant Men" (1967), "Tunes of Glory" (1971) | [32] |
| Roland Cardon (1929–2001) | "Nuts City" (also known as "Bastogne"), "Ostrawa" | [33] |
| Charles Carter (1926–1999) | "Capitol Hill" (1964), "Zodiac" (1973) | [34] |
| Albert L. Casseday (1892–1970) | "Texas Plains" (1928) | [35] |
| James Curnow (b. 1943) | "Spirit of '76" (1975), "High Bridge" (1976), "Journey to Centaurus" (1980), "The Minuteman" (1988), "Shenandoah" (1989) | [36] |
| Frederic Curzon (1899–1973) | "Sol e Sevilla" (published using the pseudonym José Jordana) | [37] |
D-I
edit| Composer | Concert marches | References |
|---|---|---|
| Melvin L. Daniels (b. 1931) | "Tower" | [38] |
| Davide delle Cese (1856–1938) | "Inglesina" | [39] |
| Joseph de Luca (1890–1935) | "Medieval Pageantry" (1929) | [40] |
| Lamont Downs (b. 1951) | "RS-2" (1970), "DDA 30X" | [41] |
| Vivian Dunn (1908–1995) | "Cockleshell Heroes", "Comando Patrol" | [42] |
| John Edmondson | "Major Murray" (1986), "Omaha Beach" (1987), "Invincible" (1988) | [43] |
| Austyn R. Edwards (1891–1977) | "All State Triumphal" (1944) | [44] |
| Frank William Erickson (1923–1996) | "Beaded Belts" (1955), "Citadel" (1964) | [45] |
| Emil Ermatinger (1873–1953) | "Schlusselbanner" | [46] |
| Joseph Farigoul (1860–1933) | "Marche de Cortege" | [47] |
| Kenneth Farrell (1920–2002) | "Thunder West" (1956) | [48] |
| Sandy Feldstein (1940–2007) | "First Concert March" (197?), "Celebration" (1980), "Circus Maximus" (1984), | [49] |
| Carl Frangkiser (1894–1967) | "Majestic Splendor" (1941, published using the pseudonym M. Sanford) | [50] |
| John Francis Gilder (1837–1908) | "Transcendental" (1890) | [51] |
| Don Gillis (1912–1978) | "Unistrut Concert March" (1958) | [52] |
| Morton Gold (b. 1933) | "Concert March" | [53] |
| Gus Guentzel (1868–1950) | "The Host of Youth" (1943) | [54] |
| Herbert Haines (1880–1923) | "London Scottish Concert March" | [55] |
| Harold E. Harris | "Glory of America" (1940) | [56] |
| Lumir C. Havlicek (1895–1969) | "Westmoreland" | [57] |
| Frank Henninger | "Inferno" (1934) | [58] |
| Dieter Herbog (1925–2005) | "Hallo Partner" (1973), "Schlagzeilen" (1967) | [59] |
| Guy Earl Holmes (1873–1945) | "March Heroic", "Heroic" (1935), "Colorado" (1937), "Victory and Fame" (1939), "Stratoliner" (1941), "March Courageous" (1943), "Champion of Champions" (published posthumously in 1955), | [60] |
| Hiroshi Hoshina (b. 1936) | "Prince of Antares" (1967) | [61] |
| John Howlett (1906–1985) | "Leicester Square Looks Round" (1953) | [62] |
| Arthur Wellesley Hughes (1870–1950) | "Vindicator" | [63] |
J-N
edit| Composer | Concert marches | References |
|---|---|---|
| Robert E. Jager (b. 1939) | "Courage to Serve" (1972) | [64] |
| Edward Jakobowski (1856–1929) | "Soldier's Life" (published posthumously in 1942) | [64] |
| Joseph Willcox Jenkins (1928–2014) | "Pieces of Eight" | [65] |
| Cecil Karrick (1918–2014) | "Dean Dowdy" (1988), "Capital City" (1988) | [66] |
| Karl King (1891–1971) | "Diamond Jubilee" (1961) | [67] |
| John Leroy Kinyon (1918–2002) | "Monterey Jack" (1969) | [68] |
| Ervin Kleffman (1892–1987) | "America, The Glorious" (1954), "Pride of the Pacific" (1955) | [69] |
| Lev Knipper (1898–1974) | "Am-Rus" (1943) | [70] |
| William P. Latham (1917–2004) | "Brighton Beach" (1954), "Proud Heritage" (1956) | [71] |
| Jack Kenneth Lee (1921–2005) | "Crown of Glory", "Land of Liberty" | [72] |
| Franz Lehár (1870–1948) | "Gold and Silver Concert Waltz" (arranged as a concert march by Frank D. Cofield; published 1959) | [73] |
| Erling Ingvald Lian (1917–1998) | "Cardinals on Parade" (1953) | [74] |
| Robert Lowden (1920–1998) | "Hollybush" (1968), "Stratford Cove" (1985) | [75] |
| Donald N. Luckenbill (1915–2006) | "The Men of the Legion", "When the Sirens Sound" | [76] |
| Dudley H. McCosh (1881–1929) | "Grand Opening" | [77] |
| Anne McGinty (b. 1945) | "The Challenger" (1986), "Diamond Ridge" (1989) | [78] |
| George Frederick McKay (1899–1970) | "Western You" (1941) | [79] |
| George Melachrino (1909–1965) | "London Pageant" (1951) | [80] |
| Donald I. Moore (1910–1998) | "Marcho Scherzo" (1952), "Seadragon" (1959) | [81] |
| Theldon Myers (b. 1927) | "Constellation" (1961) | [82] |
| Václav Nelhýbel (1919–1996) | "High Plains" (1972) | [83] |
| Sammy Nestico (1924–2021) | "Horizons West" (1963), "Vaquero Concert March" (1967) | [84] |
O-S
edit| Composer | Concert marches | References |
|---|---|---|
| Geoffrey O'Hara (1882–1967) | "Youth on Parade" (c. 1938) | [85] |
| Joseph Olivadoti (1893–1977) | "Hall of Fame" (1931), "March of Youth" (1936), "National Victors" (1936), "Scepter of Liberty" (1941), "Legions of Victory" (1941), "Pride and Progress" (1956), "Our Glorious Land" (1957), "Look Forward" (1959), "Festive Spirit" (1960) | [86] |
| John O'Reilly (born 1940) | "First Concert March" (1988) | [87] |
| Eric Osterling (1926–2005) | "The Nutmeggers" (1954), "Glory of the Sea" (1957), "Totem Pole" (1959), "Mount of the Might" (1962), "Bandology" (1963), "Thundercrest" (1964), "Tall Cedars" (1968), "Mustang" (1968), "Questar" (1978), "Showstopper" (1979), "Bandalier" (1984), "First Flight" (1986), "The Suncoaster" (1987) | [88] |
| Acton Ostling (1906–1993) | "Brass Pageantry" (1949), "Echoes of Freedom" (1954), "Friends of Old" (1954) | [89] |
| Graham T. Overgard (1903–1994) | "Ballade Bravura" (1958) | [89] |
| Thad Parr | "Men of Minnesota" (1949) | [90][91] |
| Heinz Dieter Paul (1943–2019) | "Potz Blitz" (1977) | [92] |
| Stan Pethel (b. 1950) | "Hall and Gwinnett" (1975) | [93] |
| James Ployhar (1926–2007) | "Sodermanland" (1972), "The Original 13" (1975) | [94] |
| Jindřich Praveček (1909–2000) | "Die Goldene Stadt" (1974) | [95] |
| Heribert Raich (b. 1939) | "Kreuzfahrt" (1973) | [96] |
| Alfred Reed (1921–2005) | "Pro Texana" (1984), "Second Century" (1986), "Golden Eagle" (1990), "Mr. Music!" (1990) | [97] |
| Joseph John Richards (1878–1956) | "Emblem of Unity" (1941), "Crusade for Freedom" (1951) | [98] |
| Miklós Rózsa (1907–1995) | "El Cid" (1961) | [99] |
| Hilarion Rubio y Francesco (1902–1985) | "Anniversary", "Kinayumos", "Sanebel", "The Serenade" | [100] |
| Karl Safaric (born 1944) | "Junge Garde" (1982) | [101] |
| Takanobu Saitō (1924–2004) | "Kagayaku Eikan" (1968) | [102] |
| Mariano San Miguel Urcelay (1879–1935) | "La Guardia de Corps" | [103] |
T-Z
edit| Composer | Concert marches | References |
|---|---|---|
| Paul V. Yoder (1908–1990) | "Victory" (1946) | [104] |
| William G. Yule (1866–1921) | "Peerless Concert March" (1895) | [105] |
| John Stepan Zamecnik (1872–1953) | "March of the Brave", "March of Sparta" (1917), "Sons of Fame" (1936) | [106] |
References
edit- ^ Monelle 2006, p. 130.
- ^ Monelle 2006, p. 131.
- ^ Newsom 1983, p. 46.
- ^ Cater 2018, pp. 2.
- ^ Warfield 2013, pp. 244–245.
- ^ a b Warfield 2013, pp. 244–249.
- ^ Herr 2013.
- ^ Jagow 2007, pp. 128–130.
- ^ Jagow 2007, p. 128.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 5.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 11.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 24.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 25.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 31.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 42.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 45.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 52.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 55.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 56.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 61.
- ^ a b Bierley 1991a, p. 64.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 71.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 75.
- ^ Smith, Norman; Stoutamire, Albert (2025). "BONELLI, G.". RILM Music Encyclopedias.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 90.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 94.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 96.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 98.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 113.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 116.
- ^ Burden, James H. (2025). "James Burden". RILM Music Encyclopedias.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 121.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 126.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, pp. 128–129.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, pp. 131.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 169.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 381.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 175.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 186.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 187.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 201.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 205.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 210.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 211.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 221.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 222.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 230.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 231.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, pp. 234–235.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 252.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 278.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 279.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 286.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 305.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 310.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 321.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 326.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 334.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 336.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, pp. 347–348.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, pp. 352.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, pp. 355.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, pp. 359.
- ^ a b Bierley 1991a, p. 370.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 373.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 389.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 401.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 405.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 408.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 413.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 441.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 446.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 449.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 457.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 475.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 476.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 507.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 509.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 510.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 514.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 534.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 547.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 550.
- ^ Bierley 1991a, p. 552.
- ^ Bierley 1991b, p. 563.
- ^ Bierley 1991b, p. 564.
- ^ Bierley 1991b, p. 569.
- ^ Bierley 1991b, p. 572.
- ^ a b Bierley 1991b, p. 573.
- ^ "Column: Thad Parr, Worthington's man of mystery". Worthington Globe. November 18, 2011.
- ^ Bierley 1991b, p. 580.
- ^ Bierley 1991b, p. 581.
- ^ Bierley 1991b, p. 589.
- ^ Bierley 1991b, p. 598.
- ^ Bierley 1991b, p. 602.
- ^ Bierley 1991b, p. 613.
- ^ Bierley 1991b, p. 618.
- ^ Bierley 1991b, p. 627.
- ^ Bierley 1991b, p. 651.
- ^ Bierley 1991b, pp. 651–652.
- ^ Bierley 1991b, p. 655.
- ^ Bierley 1991b, p. 658.
- ^ Bierley 1991b, p. 659.
- ^ Bierley 1991b, p. 838.
- ^ Bierley 1991b, p. 840.
- ^ Bierley 1991b, p. 841.
Bibliography
edit- Bierley, Paul E., ed. (1991a). The Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music: Composers and Their Music, Volume I: A-N. Integrity Press. ISBN 978-0-918048-08-0.
- Bierley, Paul E., ed. (1991b). The Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music: Composers and Their Music, Volume II: O-Z. Integrity Press. ISBN 978-0-918048-08-0.
- Cater, Michael (2018). "Expert High School, College, and Service Band Director's Opinions Regarding The Concert March in America: A Qualitative Study" (PDF). International Journal of Music and Performing Arts. 6 (1). doi:10.15640/ijmpa.v6n1a1. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
- Herr, Edwin (2013). "Community bands". In Edmondson, Jacqueline (ed.). Music in American Life: An Encyclopedia of the Songs, Styles, Stars, and Stories That Shaped Our Culture, Volume I. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 979-8-216-12039-1.
- Jagow, Shelley (2007). Teaching Instrumental Music: Developing the Complete Band Program. Meredith Music. ISBN 978-1-57463-201-9.
- Monelle, Raymond (2006). The Musical Topic: Hunt, Military and Pastoral. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-11236-1.
- Newsom, Jon, ed. (1983). Perspectives on John Philip Sousa. Library of Congress, Music Division. ISBN 978-0-8444-0425-7.
- Warfield, Patrick (2013). Making the March King: John Philip Sousa's Washington Years, 1854-1893. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-09507-8.