Our Director March

F.E. Bigelow

This article is a stub. If you can help add information to it,
please join the WRP and visit the FAQ (left sidebar) for information.

General Info

Year: 1892 / 2003
Duration: c. 2:00
Difficulty: III (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: C L Barnhouse
Cost: Score and Parts - $60.00 | Score Only - $6.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Flute/Piccolo
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Cornet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion, including:

Bells
Bass Drum
Snare Drum

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Here's one of the most famous marches of all time, ready for bands at the medium-easy level to enjoy! It is bright, crisp, exciting and playable all the way. You'll enjoy the tuneful melodies in 6/8 time, and with the arranging skills of James Swearingen, and you can be sure your band will enjoy a successful performance. Attention to details such as articulation and dynamic contrasts make this a simply outstanding edition for developing bands.

- Program note by publisher

Bigelow composed this march in 1892 for Joseph Morrisette, the director of the Ashland Brass Band. In addition to his arrangement for band, which Jean Missud published in 1895, editions were soon issued for guitar, banjo, mandolin, flute, cornet, cello, and orchestra.

In 1916, the trio of Our Director became the fight song of Harvard College. It has since been adopted by numerous schools -- in quick time as a fight song or slowly as an alma mater. It was widely used in vaudeville and silent films (as a curtain raiser and as exit music), and it was even sung as the Battle song of Liberty during World War I. Bigelow obviously knew the right ingredients for a good march as well for a good prescription.

- Notes from “Program Notes for Band”

Media

Audio: Reference Recording

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

California State University, Fresno, Symphonic Band (David Fullmer, conductor) - 15 March 2013 (2013 Sutherland Wind Festival (Fresno, Calif.))

Works for Winds by This Composer

Battle Son of Liberty
Our Director March (arr. Hildreth) (1892/1918/1929)
Our Director March (arr. Swearingen) (1892/2003)
NC-4 March (1919)
Our Leader March

Resources

Bigelow, F.; Swearingen, J. (2003). Our Director : March [score]. C.L. Barnhouse : Oskaloosa, Ia.
Smith, Norman E. (2002). ‘’Program Notes for Band.’’ Chicago: GIA Publications. pp. 67-68.