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The National Fencibles: Concert Band, Conductor Score

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The National Fencibles Cover Image
The National Fencibles: Concert Band, Conductor Score

The National Fencibles: Concert Band, Conductor Score

By John Philip Sousa, ed./arr. by Loras John Schissel

Grade: 4

Item: 36-50105106
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Description
The word "fencible" describes an army regiment raised in Great Britain or in the United States whose duties entailed defense against invasion. The National Fencibles of Washington, D.C., for whom John Philip Sousa composed this march, were organized on June 21, 1887, by a number of young men who had been members of the National Rifles' Cadets and later of the National Rifles. THE NATIONAL FENCIBLES MARCH was carefully edited by Sousa scholar Loras John Schissel to reflect Mr. Sousa's own unique performances of this work. The edition was initially prepared for the superb Copperas Cove (Texas) High School Band and its conductor, Randy Kelley, and this new published edition is dedicated to this outstanding conductor and to Cove bandsmen, past, present, and future.

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Additional Details
Series: Heritage of the Concert Band Series - LudwigMasters
Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.
ISBN10: 1-62-156611-0
ISBN13: 978-162-156-6113
UPC: 612735766771
SKU: 36-50105106
Instrumentation: Concert Band

More about this title

About the Composer: John Philip Sousa

John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) shaped American band music as both composer and conductor. His marches define the genre, and his influence on concert band repertoire remains unmatched; his understanding of brass and woodwind sonorities set the standard for generations of band arrangers and composers.

Beyond his famous marches, Sousa was a meticulous musician who conducted from detailed scores and expected precision from his ensembles. His editorial choices in performance reveal how he shaped tempo, articulation, and balance to maximize the impact of his own compositions, making historically informed editions like this one invaluable to contemporary conductors.

Why we love this

Schissel's editing brings Sousa's own performance practices into the score, giving your band access to how the composer intended this march to sound. Grade 4 bands rarely get repertoire this sophisticated; this march sits at that sweet spot where technical demands are real but the payoff is immediate and thrilling for students and audiences alike.

What to expect

The National Fencibles bristles with pride and military precision without sacrificing musicality. Sousa's melody soars over propulsive accompanimental rhythms, creating that distinctive march energy that feels both ceremonial and joyful.

Who it's for

Grade 4 concert bands ready to tackle authentic Sousa with scholarly underpinnings. This score works equally well for conductors seeking historically informed performance practice and for students discovering why Sousa's marches have endured for over a century.

How to get the most out of it

  • Honor the march's ceremonial origins by maintaining crisp, even articulation in the brass section; Sousa's style demands clarity over weight.
  • Balance the cornets and first trumpet in the melody line so they blend as one voice rather than competing; this unified sound is central to the Sousa march tradition.
  • Use the conductor score's editorial markings as a direct window into Sousa's own interpretive choices; trust these indications for tempo rubato and dynamic shaping.
  • Shape the phrases in the woodwind countermelodies with gentle motion to avoid a square, mechanical feel despite the march's strict meter.

How to use it

Program this as a concert opener to establish ensemble confidence and audience engagement, or place it mid-program as a change of pace from concert works. It pairs beautifully alongside other patriotic or heritage repertoire and works as a fitting finale when you want to send the audience out energized.

Skills your students will build

  • Articulation control in a march idiom (clarity without harshness)
  • Blend and balance in multi-voice brass textures
  • Reading and executing Sousa-specific performance markings
  • Conducting meter and pulse with precision
  • Understanding early American military band traditions

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