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American Legion March

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https://digital.library.illinois.edu/items/ee6b6610-c556-0134-2373-0050569601ca-e

Rights Information

No Copyright - United States

Supplementary Document

Title
American Legion March - Lyrics
Composer
Pryor, Arthur  
Publisher
Joseph W. Stern & Co.  
Place of Publication
New York (N.Y.)  
Year of Publication
1919  
Repository
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Rights
No Copyright - United States
Original Location
  • Series 2, Box 12, Folder 5
  • Record Series 12/9/96
Local Identifier
2014_12996_055
Collection Title
James Edward Myers Sheet Music Collection, 1836-1986
Collection
James Edward Myers World War I Sheet Music Collection

Descriptive Information

Title
American Legion March
Composer
Pryor, Arthur  
Publisher
Jos. W. Stern & Co.  
Place of Publication
New York  
Publisher Address
102-104 W. 38th St.  
Year of Publication
1919  
Date of Copyright
1919-11-25
Physical Description
1 score, piano solo ([2], 3-5, [1] p.)
Comment
The founding of the American Legion in the spring of 1919 produced a flurry of musical celebrations, first in dedications and later with eponymous compositions. Pryor's title competed with pieces by Klickmann, Sousa, and many others, but Pryor was relatively quick off the mark, and he strategically introduced his composition with a timely premiere and a well-publicized competition for lyricists. Despite that, however, his march received only a modest number of performances and, in 1920, was quickly eclipsed by similar titles composed by James Shearer and Carl D. Vandersloot. When Edward B. Marks acquired the copyright in 1924, he renamed the music "Arthur Pryor's American Legion"; in that form, it has been anthologized, performed, and recorded intermittently down to the present.
Historical Note
  • The American Legion was founded in March, 1919, in Paris, with the American launch occurring two months later in St. Louis. The first national conference took place in November, in Minneapolis, and it was evidently for that that Pryor wrote his march. E. M. Wickes reported that simultaneous premieres in New York and Minneapolis were given on Armistice Day, but in actuality the march had been played a few days earlier by Louis Hurt's theatre band in Minneapolis and Pryor's own band at the Capitol Theatre, New York.
  • Pryor arranged for the Newspaper Enterprise Association to syndicate publication in hundreds of newspapers, in which entries were solicited for a $100 prize offered by the Capitol Theatre for the best set of lyrics. The contest closed on November 21, but no announcement of the winner has been found.
  • This is the first of two printings of the first edition, distinguished by back covers. In the second edition the music was re-engraved to occupy only two pages.
  • An advertisement in the Philadelphia Inquirer on November 16, 1919, lists a music roll by this title but without giving the composer. It is possible, then that this roll was of James Shearer's composition, which had been copyrighted on November 4. There were no recordings at the time, but Pryor's march has since been recorded and performed several times. A recent arrangement for symphonic wind ensemble by Bertrand Moren is still available.
Musical Note
Pryor's jaunty, syncopated march in duple meter follows the standard form, with a trio in the subdominant and a bridge that leads to the final repeat. The introduction quotes "The Star-Spangled Banner," "Yankee Doodle," and "Dixie," with the bridge developing the last two quotations further. The first strain also briefly quotes the refrain from "Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here," and in the bridge a three-note motive is texted "Home Again," which may be another quotation, as yet unidentified.
Dedication
Cover: To the men who forgot self and regardless of inconvenience, loss, the breaking of home ties and the prospect of death, responded to their country's call in the hour of need—to those whose surviving members constitute the American Legion—this march is dedicated.
Subject - Topic
  • World War, 1914-1918 -- Songs and music  
  • Popular music -- United States -- 1911-1920.  
  • American Legion -- Songs and music.  
  • Marches (Piano)  
Musical Genre
March song
Repository
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Rights
No Copyright - United States
Artist
Starmer [William and Frederick]  
Cover Description
  • Photograph of Arthur Pryor, moon and stars behind and around his head, with publicity icon, BL. Blue on white; signed BR.
  • Top: Standard Edition
  • Below composer’s name: Musical Director / Capitol Theatre / New York City
  • BL, with icon: Can also be had for your phonograph or player piano
Back Cover Description
Sample, in illustrated border, woman at TR, with cross-hatched background, signed Starmer BL: Now I Know (© 1919 08 08)
Interior Description
  • p. 3, above title: Public Performance Permitted Without Fee or License
  • Plate numbers: pp. 3-5, BL: 8861-3
Performance Medium
Piano solo.  
Original Location
  • Record Series 12/9/96
  • Series 2, Box 12, Folder 5
Local Identifier
2014_12996_055
Collection Title
James Edward Myers Sheet Music Collection, 1836-1986
Collection
James Edward Myers World War I Sheet Music Collection
TitleAmerican Legion March
ComposerPryor, Arthur  
PublisherJos. W. Stern & Co.  
Place of PublicationNew York  
Publisher Address102-104 W. 38th St.  
Year of Publication1919  
Date of Copyright1919-11-25
Physical Description1 score, piano solo ([2], 3-5, [1] p.)
CommentThe founding of the American Legion in the spring of 1919 produced a flurry of musical celebrations, first in dedications and later with eponymous compositions. Pryor's title competed with pieces by Klickmann, Sousa, and many others, but Pryor was relatively quick off the mark, and he strategically introduced his composition with a timely premiere and a well-publicized competition for lyricists. Despite that, however, his march received only a modest number of performances and, in 1920, was quickly eclipsed by similar titles composed by James Shearer and Carl D. Vandersloot. When Edward B. Marks acquired the copyright in 1924, he renamed the music "Arthur Pryor's American Legion"; in that form, it has been anthologized, performed, and recorded intermittently down to the present.
Historical Note
  • The American Legion was founded in March, 1919, in Paris, with the American launch occurring two months later in St. Louis. The first national conference took place in November, in Minneapolis, and it was evidently for that that Pryor wrote his march. E. M. Wickes reported that simultaneous premieres in New York and Minneapolis were given on Armistice Day, but in actuality the march had been played a few days earlier by Louis Hurt's theatre band in Minneapolis and Pryor's own band at the Capitol Theatre, New York.
  • Pryor arranged for the Newspaper Enterprise Association to syndicate publication in hundreds of newspapers, in which entries were solicited for a $100 prize offered by the Capitol Theatre for the best set of lyrics. The contest closed on November 21, but no announcement of the winner has been found.
  • This is the first of two printings of the first edition, distinguished by back covers. In the second edition the music was re-engraved to occupy only two pages.
  • An advertisement in the Philadelphia Inquirer on November 16, 1919, lists a music roll by this title but without giving the composer. It is possible, then that this roll was of James Shearer's composition, which had been copyrighted on November 4. There were no recordings at the time, but Pryor's march has since been recorded and performed several times. A recent arrangement for symphonic wind ensemble by Bertrand Moren is still available.
Musical NotePryor's jaunty, syncopated march in duple meter follows the standard form, with a trio in the subdominant and a bridge that leads to the final repeat. The introduction quotes "The Star-Spangled Banner," "Yankee Doodle," and "Dixie," with the bridge developing the last two quotations further. The first strain also briefly quotes the refrain from "Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here," and in the bridge a three-note motive is texted "Home Again," which may be another quotation, as yet unidentified.
DedicationCover: To the men who forgot self and regardless of inconvenience, loss, the breaking of home ties and the prospect of death, responded to their country's call in the hour of need—to those whose surviving members constitute the American Legion—this march is dedicated.
Subject - Topic
  • World War, 1914-1918 -- Songs and music  
  • Popular music -- United States -- 1911-1920.  
  • American Legion -- Songs and music.  
  • Marches (Piano)  
Musical GenreMarch song
RepositoryUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
RightsNo Copyright - United States
ArtistStarmer [William and Frederick]  
Cover Description
  • Photograph of Arthur Pryor, moon and stars behind and around his head, with publicity icon, BL. Blue on white; signed BR.
  • Top: Standard Edition
  • Below composer’s name: Musical Director / Capitol Theatre / New York City
  • BL, with icon: Can also be had for your phonograph or player piano
Back Cover DescriptionSample, in illustrated border, woman at TR, with cross-hatched background, signed Starmer BL: Now I Know (© 1919 08 08)
Interior Description
  • p. 3, above title: Public Performance Permitted Without Fee or License
  • Plate numbers: pp. 3-5, BL: 8861-3
Performance MediumPiano solo.  
Original Location
  • Record Series 12/9/96
  • Series 2, Box 12, Folder 5
Local Identifier2014_12996_055
Collection TitleJames Edward Myers Sheet Music Collection, 1836-1986
CollectionJames Edward Myers World War I Sheet Music Collection

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