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Fact #179183

When:

Short story:

During an extensive European tour, Sousa And His Band undertake a Royal Command Performance at Windsor Castle, Windsor, England, UK, Europe, for the English Royal Family.

Full article:

Sousa’s 1903 European tour consisted of 362 concerts in 133 cities and towns throughout northern and central Europe, but one concert bears special note. It was a command performance at Windsor Castle for the royal family in England.

This was not the first time Sousa encountered His Majesty the King. A little over a year earlier, Sousa received the Medal of the Victorian Order from King Edward VII of England. He received this award following a surprise birthday concert he conducted for King Edward VII’s wife, Queen Alexandra.

This time, in addition to his own family, King Edward VII had invited several foreign dignitaries, and all the members of His Majesty’s Scots Guard Band to attend Sousa’s concert. The concert took place at 10 pm on January 31, 1903 and lasted two hours! The band played God Save the King as the king and queen entered the hall.

This was followed by El Capitan by Sousa. The second number was Pryor’s (virtuoso musician Arthur Pryor) own trombone solo, Love’s Enchantment, followed by the three movements of Sousa’s Looking Upward Suite. Then Estelle Liebling took center stage with Thou Brilliant Bird, from the Pearl of Brazil, by Felicien David. She was accompanied by Marshall Lufsky (1878-1948), who played the flute obbligato.

Among other compositions, the band played Pryor’s caprice, The Passing of Rag Time, and of course, Sousa’s Imperial Edward March, which he had composed and dedicated to the King in 1902.
(Source : http://sbomagazine.com/6202-how-good-were-the-players-in-sousa-s-band.html)