The Sousa U.S. Marine Band Marches

This CD collection has 61 marches written by the renowned composer John Philip Sousa and performed by the United States Marine Band. The collection has Sousa's most famous compositions, including Semper Fidelis, the official march of the Marine Corps, and Stars and Stripes Forever--the National March of the United States of America. Considered by music critics to be as important to the evolution of the march as Beethoven was to the development of the symphony, John Philip Sousa standardized the form of the march composition and wrote 136 marches in his career--more than any other composer. Founded in 1798, "The President's Own" United States Marine Band is America's oldest continuously active professional musical organization and performs at presidential inaugurations, State Arrival Ceremonies, and State dinners. The four-disc set has 3 1/2 hours of music. 5 3/4" L x 5" W x 1 3/4" D. (13 1/2 oz.)