Song of the Day: Arthur Fiedler & The Boston Pops, “The Stars and Stripes Forever”

Song of the Day 1 Minute

Last night when I went to bed, I thought, “I’m forgetting something,” and at about 3 AM I remembered: I hadn’t set up the Song of the day…

It’s kind of a tradition here at The Sound of One Hand Typing to play this on Independence Day, and I’m not about to break tradition now. John Phillip Sousa wrote this in 1895 on a trans-Atlantic voyage. When he got home, he committed it to paper, and never changed it. It’s the official march of the United States. Arthur Fiedler, for many years the conductor of The Boston Pops Orchestra, loved this piece of music, and the Pops recorded it on a number of occasions and frequently played it at the end of their concerts, especially the annual Independence Day celebration on the Esplanade in Boston. The tradition has continued under subsequent directors John Williams and Keith Lockhart.

Published by John Holton

Internet disc jockey, lover of old TV (especially the commercials), inveterate wise guy.

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12 thoughts on “Song of the Day: Arthur Fiedler & The Boston Pops, “The Stars and Stripes Forever””

  2. Pingback: A Second-Half Week That Was – The Sound of One Hand Typing

  4. ‘Stars And Stripes Forever’? Really, JOHN?

    Well, to each their own. But me, as I type this, I’m eating an ice cream that I bought off the ice cream truck, and I’m listening to Chicago’s ‘SATURDAY IN THE PARK’, which I’ve had playing on repeat for the last 20 minutes, (A longstanding 4th of July tradition of mine.)

    ~ D-FensDogG
    STMcC Presents BATTLE OF THE BANDS

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    1. Sure! It’a kind of a tradition here. I always loved watching Arthur Fiedler conduct this one. He really got into it. (I never saw him live, just on TV.) The first night John Williams conducted the Pops after Fiedler died, he walked off the stage and the orchestra played it without a conductor. Talk about a tribute…

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  6. John Phillips Sousa is a favorite 9f mine (being a high school marching band geek) and living in Maine for several years of course Arthur Fiedler! Happy Independence Day!

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