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"The Liberty Bell" (1893) is an American military march composed by John Philip Sousa. It is now most often associated with the British TV comedy program Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969-74), which began and ended with the first few bars. It was used as the main theme of the video game Hogs of War, and a simplistic version appeared in the video game Bully: Scholarship Edition

History

"The Liberty Bell" was written for Sousa's unfinished operetta "The Devil's Deputy," but financing for the show fell through. Shortly afterwards, Sousa and his band manager George Hinton attended the Columbian Exposition in Chicago. As they watched the spectacle "America", in which a backdrop depicting the Liberty Bell was lowered, Hinton suggested "The Liberty Bell" as the title of Sousa's recently completed march. Coincidentally, Sousa received a letter from his wife, saying their son had marched in a parade in honor of the Liberty Bell. Sousa agreed. He sold "The Liberty Bell" to the John Church Company for publication, and it was an immediate success.

The United States Marine Corps Band has played "The Liberty Bell" march at three presidential inaugurations: the 1993 inauguration of President Bill Clinton, the 2005 inauguration of President George W. Bush, and the 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama.

Composition

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The march follows the standard form of AABBCDCDC. The trio (section C) uses tubular bells to symbolize the Liberty Bell ringing in the distance. The bells usually begin during the first breakstrain, but some bands use them at the first trio.

Monty Python

Monty Python's use of the melody is ironical; the bouncy melody of the march may be what the troupe found appealing. Terry Gilliam said the theme was chosen because they thought it could not be associated with the program's content, and that the first bell strike and the subsequent melody gave the impression of getting "straight down to business." It was also chosen because it was in the public domain and free from royalties, as there was no budget for theme music copyrights.

The Monty Python mode of presenting the tune was with a single strike of the bell, lifted from the third section and increased in volume, followed by a strain of each of the first two sections, followed by the famous stomping foot and a "splat" sound (though the first episodes used a "boom"). At the end of Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl, the entire march was played over the closing credits.

"The Liberty Bell" was used by the Buckingham Palace Guard before it became associated with the television series, after which they chose another march. Nevertheless, the march remains popular with British military bands.

References

1. "The Works of John Philip Sousa". John Philip Sousa - American Conductor, Composer & Patriot. Dallas Wind Symphony. Retrieved September 10 2007. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
2. YouTube - Monty Python's Flying Circus - Main Theme
3. Liberty Bell March History
4. Michigan State University Libraries - Vincent Voice Library
5. http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/forum_thread.php?id=10950&nowrap=true 2005
6. Television's Greatest Hits Volume II trivia booklet. Published by TeeVee Toons (1986).

External links

• The Liberty Bell (audio file) – In MIDI format; from the John Philip Sousa website maintained by David Lovrien, hosted by the Dallas Wind Symphony
• The Monty Python version – In MP2 format; from the same website
• An 1896 Recording (Probably the first) played by the Edison Grand Concert Band, from the Internet Archive
• Sheet music for a piano arrangement, courtesy of the Mutopia Project.

• American patriotic songs
• Military marches
• Compositions by John Philip Sousa
• 1893 works