This month, let’s talk about the March!
March, March, March on! March in parades. Play a March.
I thought March would be a good time to talk about all the parades in Naperville.
The first parade I remember my parents talking about was the Centennial Parade in 1931. (It’s depicted in the Century Walk mural “Parades of the Century” located just off Main Street.) My mom and dad performed both in the Naperville High School Band as well as the Naperville Municipal Band. They were so proud of telling me that they had marched in that historic parade twice! First, they marched with the Naperville Municipal Band leading the parade and then in the high school band at the end of it.
My first parade was in 1944 when I marched in the Memorial Day Parade (also called the Decoration Day Parade) as a kindergartner. I carried a bouquet of lilacs and my mother met me at the Naperville Cemetery where I placed the flowers on my great-grandfather’s grave. He was a Civil War Veteran. I remember that day was hot and I was hot. I told my mother I was never going to do it again.
Mother responded, “Oh, YES, you are!”
Naperville has celebrated with many parades: Little League, West Suburban Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, children, Last Fling, Sesquicentennial, Hometown Holidays and even a parade to commemorate our Naperville Fire Department’s centennial in 1974.
Also, our high schools and North Central College used to have homecoming parades.
One of the biggest thrills of the Memorial Day Parade used to be after the bands had paraded to Naperville Cemetery. Conductor Elmer Koerner would put them all together to march back downtown.
In 1948, my first year in the Ellsworth School Band, I marched next to my dad in the amassed band. Dad was so proud!
Marching right along…
“The march is the voice of the band, no other musical organization can play a march better than a band!” stated Col. Albert Schopper, conductor of the United States Marine Band from 1955 to 1972.
In the words of “The American March King,” John Philip Sousa, “One good march can make a man with a wooden leg get up and march!” Sousa was born on Nov. 6, 1854 and died on March 6, 1932.
Marching bands are present at most football games and most do an outstanding job of entertaining crowds with stirring music that brings out the best spirit in all who watch and listen.
In addition, to Sousa, our country has been blessed with many good march writers including Henry Fillmore, Karl King, Fred Jewell, J.J. Richards, Walter English and Charley Duble. Let me add that most of these fine march writers grew up in the circus; hence, their marches are challenging and also exciting to hear and perform.
