User:Clukkari/Barnum and Bailey's Favorite

Often referred to as "The Granddaddy of Circus Marches", Barnum and Bailey's Favorite was composed by Karl King in 1913 and was published through C. L. Barnhouse Company. The bandmaster of the Barnum and Bailey Circus Ned Brill asked King to write a march for the circus. This was King's ticket into the famous circus' band as he wanted to join the band playing euphonium. As is common in his compositions, Karl King made the euphonium part a major voice in the march. Consequently, this has become his most famous composition and is one of the most recognizable marches of all time.

Composition

The composition is written mainly in standard march form consisting of an introduction, a first strain, second strain, trio and a break strain. The intro, first strain and second strain are all in the key of concert Ab and the piece is written in cut time. A more popular tempo for this march can range anywhere from the half note equals 120 beats per minute or higher like 160 beats per minute. The introduction lasts eight measures with the ensemble playing three chords of Ab, then Db minor second-inversion with concert Fb in the bass voices and then another Ab chord second-inversion with the basses having a concert Eb. The cornets/ trumpets fanfare the next four measures as the basses play counter melody play juxtaposed into the first strain. The first strain has the upper woodwinds, high brass and euphonium playing an eighth note melody as the band swells in dynamics before reaching the end of the strain with more trumpet and euphonium fanfare. In the second strain, the melody starts out in the low winds and brass in a loud and quick fury of notes in a passage in f minor. This is traded off to the high voices in a softer running melody as the euphoniums play a running counter melody. This repeats itself with the trombones and tubas joining the euphoniums in their theme to the end of the strain.

The trio has another introduction that has the high and middle voices playing chords in tied half notes and whole notes as the lower choir plays a little passage of quarter notes (in cut time, the equivalent to eighth notes for common time). It adds one more flat and is now in the key of concert Db Major. The melody for the trio is in the flutes, first clarinet, first trumpet, tenor saxophones and euphonium and is played at a dynamic of piano. What is unique about this piece is the main melody of the trio is repeated with no other voices changing; the portion is repeated at a softer dynamic once more. Much like the second strain, the break strain explodes into its melody from the second strain only this time it is in Bb minor and repeats the passage one whole step down. The last few measures of the break strain jump down from fortissimo to mezzo-forte and build up with eighth notes being passed back and forth between the upper voices and the euphoniums and tenor saxes until the end of the crescendo is reached. The third time through the trio melody, the euphoniums and upper woodwinds play small passages of eighth notes in a major counter melody to the established melody in the cornets, trombones and first bassoons. The section repeats one more time from the break strain and the collective ensemble finishes the piece in bold, homogenized fortissimo ending.

External Links

• Sheet music and recording