Heritage Brass Band Music History Page

05/11/2026

A bit of the history behind Jerry Goldsmith and the "Patton March."

This iconic march originated from film music composed by Jerry Goldsmith (1929 – 2004) for the 1970 release of the film “Patton.” He was a pianist and studied music as a young man…

03/03/2022

Composer Earle Hagen and "Harlem Nocturne" - chances are, he composed the music for a film or television show you watched.

https://heritagebrassband.com/2022/03/03/earle-harry-hagen-the-greatest-composer-nobody-ever-heard-of/

10/14/2021

Harry James and his circus band connection:

Trumpeter Harry Haag James was born on March 15, 1916 to Everett Robert James and Maybelle Myrtle James in Albany, Georgia. His father played trumpet and was working as a conductor for traveling ci…

07/13/2021

Excellent interview podcast - Early American Brass Band Podcast interviews Jari Villanueva. History of Taps, about 22 minutes in.

Episode 6 is a fantastic interview with Jari Villanueva, former trumpeter with the United States Air Force Band. Jari is heavily involved in all things related to 19th century American Brass Band, most notably with researching the history of Taps, and performing and arranging for the Federal City Br...

05/05/2021

We have performed the Navy Hymn many times. This is a short history of the hymn.

The song alternately known as the “Navy Hymn,” “For Those in Peril on the Sea” or “Eternal Father, Strong to Save” dates back to 1860. During the 19th century, h…

03/13/2021

What melody did the Mexican Army play at the Alamo? https://heritagebrassband.com/2021/03/13/el-deguello-el-daguello/

03/02/2021

Frank W. Meacham - composer of American Patrol:

Frank White Meacham was born in Buffalo, New York in 1856 to John Horace Meacham and Mary Emma Page Meacham. He was the middle child of at least five siblings. In the 1865 census, John Horace& #8217…

02/09/2021

Composer/Conductor Josef Franz Wagner:

Wagner was the composer of a well known march called “Under the Double Eagle” in 1893. It has been so often performed by bands over the years that it may be assumed by American listener…

01/28/2021

Brothers of John Philip Sousa -

Antony August Sousa (1868-1918) – He went by the nickname “Tony” and was known as an athlete, composer, author, poet and newspaperman among his other talents. At the time of his d…

01/04/2021

Start the new year off right with a little march music by R. B. Hall. About the composer -

Most often known simply as R. B. Hall, this composer lived most of his life in Maine. He was born in 1858 and died in 1907. He was born in Bowdoinham, ME to Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel W. Hall. Robert t…

12/17/2020

Polka (Brass) Bands in America:

First a description: brass bands consist of mainly trumpets, cornets, trombones, various other brass instruments, and use a sousaphone or tuba for the bass rhythm that the others play around.