Monument Park concert to commemorate John Philip Sousa's Chair City performances

GARDNER – John Philip Sousa, the composer of "The Stars and Stripes Forever," and ‘Semper Fidelis,’ the official march of the U.S. Marines Corps, performed three times in the Chair City between the years of 1898 and 1912. Those visits will be commemorated with a special public performance by the John Philip Sousa National High School Honor Band in Monument Park on Monday, June 27.

In the event of inclement weather, the performance will be moved to the Gardner High School auditorium.

The original Sousa Band played at two locations in Gardner: Miller’s Opera House (which stood on the site that today is the Levi Heywood Memorial Library) and the Orpheum Theater on Parker Street, which was eventually turned into the Gardner Cinema and is now the site of Orpheum Park.

Mayor Michael Nicholson, who will emcee the event, said a historical marker, presented by the John Philip Sousa Foundation, will be placed at Orpheum Park to commemorate Sousa’s three performances in the Chair City.

A former band student himself, Nicholson said the music of Sousa had become a standard part of every high school band’s repertoire.

“There’s always some type of march (bands play), and 90 percent of them, he probably wrote,” Nicholson said. “Everyone knows the marches he’s written, and you may not even know it’s a John Philip Sousa song, but you’ve heard it.”

The band, which is comprised of 90 students representing 25 states, will include two students who recently graduated from Gardner High School – Olivia Charette on B-flat soprano clarinet and Emily Shouse on tuba.

Charette said she was grateful to see her hard work berecognized by being selected to perform with the band.

“Sousa’s music is really diverse, and that makes the eight pieces we’re playing enjoyable to both us as performers and the audience as listeners,” Charette said. “I’ve been playing Sousa’s music in band class for years now, and to be part of such a special set of concerts is an honor.”

Shouse, who said she was honored to be selected to perform with the band, said she enjoyed playing the music of Sousa.

“I think it’s because with all of his marches, there’s something new about them, something different – not all of his marches are the same,” Shouse explained. “I think it’s a special thing to be a part of this tribute.”

Tiana Graessle from Murdock High School, Brianna Nunez from Narragansett Regional High School, and Declan Leclair from Oakmont Regional High School will also perform.

Thomas Reynolds, administrator of the band, said Sousa's performances in communities such as Gardner and Athol were major musical events of the day.

"Sousa was really pivotal in his effect on music and getting music out to ordinary people all over the country," Reynolds said. "At the time that he was touring all over the country, he was like a rock star to people. Thousands of people would show up because he was a household name to people all over the country."

Sen. Anne Gobi, D-Spencer, who plays the clarinet, once performed Sousa’s music at the Hatch Shell in Boston as part of the National Community Band, which is funded by John Philip Sousa Foundation. She said she was looking forward to watching students from local schools performing at Monument Park.

“I can imagine for these student musicians it will also be an unforgettable experience and an opportunity to make new friendships while also making a whole lot of people happy with the melodic sounds of a talented band,” Gobi said.

Although Gardner will celebrate its 237th birthday on Saturday, June 25, Nicholson pointed out that the Sousa concert would occur on the actual date of the town’s founding. He said the patriotic nature of Sousa’s music also meant that the show was an appropriate celebration of the Fourth of July.

The band will also perform at the Town Hall in Athol, where the original Sousa band played six times, on Tuesday, June 28. That show, along with the one in Gardner, are previews of the main event: a full concert on Wednesday, June 29 at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, where the original Sousa band performed several times.

Nicholson, who will serve as the master of ceremonies at all three performances, said he was surprised to be invited to participate in the celebration of Sousa’s music.

“I wasn’t expecting it, but to able to participate in a way that will boost our music programs in our schools, I was very honored,” he said.

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Gardner concerts to honor John Philip Sousa's performances in city