Saturday, October 26, 2013

Nobles of the Mystic Shrine

Unique among the many marches penned by John Philip Sousa, his 1923 Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (his only march with a part for harp) also features the triangle and tambourine. It was written at the request of his nephew and sponsor, A. R. Varela, immediately after Sousa became a member of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. Sousa was named the first honorary director of the Almas Temple Shrine Band in Washington during the same period. (Source: Band Music Notes, Norman Smith and Albert Stoutamire.)