A screamer is a

circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicy ...

march March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20 or 2 ...

intended to stir up the audience during the show.

History

Screamers were mostly composed in a 60-year period (1895–1955). Circuses were in need of music that would stir the audience into a frenzy, as four-footed animals galloped across the ring. Because march music was a prominent part of American music at that time, and because it carried such a quick tempo, it was this that ringmasters demanded.

Musicality

Circus marches are faster than a normal military march, often 130 to 150 beats/minute. Although screamers tend to follow the march form, they are often abbreviated, and additions, such as a quick cornet call introduction to a new

melody A melody (), also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combination of Pitch (music), pitch and rhythm, while more figurativel ...

, are included. A typical screamer lasts a minute to three and a half minutes. Screamers are a very demanding type of music, due to their extremely fast and advanced rhythms, especially the low-brass parts. Double and even triple

tonguing Tonguing is a technique used with wind instruments to enunciate notes using the tongue on the palate or the reed or mouthpiece. A silent "tee" is made when the tongue strikes the reed or roof of the mouth causing a slight breach in the air f ...

is often required in order to play these rhythms. The trio in "

The Melody Shop Karl L. King (February 21, 1891 – March 31, 1971) was a United States march music bandmaster and composer. He is best known as the composer of "Barnum and Bailey's Favorite". Early life Karl Lawrence King was born in the village of Painters ...

" is a good example of this. Many screamers have two prominent melodies playing at once. Although this is not unusual in a march, screamers tend to go further with this. The low-brass section can be playing a long, stately melody, while the

woodwind Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and Ree ...

s can be moving along with a phrase of 16th notes, or vice versa. Due to the circumstances in which screamers are played, dynamics tend to stay at a level forte. Unlike some military marches, ''

piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

'' is rarely used.

Composers

Composers of screamers included Karl L. King, whose work included "Barnum & Bailey's Favorite", Fred Jewell and

Henry Fillmore Henry Fillmore (December 3, 1881 – December 7, 1956) was an American musician, composer, publisher, and bandleader, best known for his many march (music), marches and Screamer (march), screamers, a few of which he wrote for the Band of the Hou ...

John Philip Sousa John Philip Sousa ( , ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic music, Romantic era known primarily for American military March (music), marches. He is known as "The March King" or th ...

wrote "On Parade" and a few others, but his writing in the circus march style is not highly regarded.

Examples

* ''The ABA March'' by

Edwin Franko Goldman Edwin Franko Goldman (January 1, 1878 – February 21, 1956) was an American composer and conductor. One of the most significant American band composers of the early 20th century, Goldman composed over 150 works, but is best known for his March ...

* ''Americans We'' by

* ''

Barnum and Bailey's Favorite "Barnum and Bailey's Favorite" is a circus march written by Karl King for the circus of the same name in 1913. Composition of the march "Barnum and Bailey's Favorite", often referred to as "The Granddaddy of Circus Marches", was composed by Karl K ...

'' by Karl L. King * ''Bennett's Triumphal'' by Melvin H. Ribble * ''The Big Cage'' by Karl L. King * ''

The Billboard March "The Billboard March" is a circus march written in 1901 by John N. Klohr, and dedicated to the ''Billboard'' music-industry magazine. Its tune is widely known among Americans, and it has been repeatedly used in mass media, even though its title is ...

'' by

John N. Klohr John Nicholas Klohr (July 27, 1869 – February 17, 1956) was a composer of band music. Klohr was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. A graduate of the Cincinnati public schools, Klohr set upon a career in music, especially vaudeville. He was a vaudeville ...

* ''Bombasto'' by Orion R. Farrar * ''Bones Trombone'' by

* ''Bravura'' by Charles E. Duble * ''Bugles and Drums'' by

* ''

The Circus Bee "The Circus Bee" is a circus march, or screamer, composed by Henry Fillmore Henry Fillmore (December 3, 1881 – December 7, 1956) was an American musician, composer, publisher, and bandleader, best known for his many march (music), marches ...

'' by

* ''Circus Days'' by Karl L. King * ''Circus Echoes'' by Arthur W. Hughes * ''Circus King'' by Charles E. Duble * ''Coat of Arms'' by

George Kenny George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Giorg ...

* ''Floto's Triumph'' by Fred Jewell * ''His Honor'' by

* ''Invictus'' by Karl L. King * ''In Storm and Sunshine'' by

John Clifford Heed John Clifford Heed (1862–1908) was an American composer and musician, best known for composing over 60 marches. Early life and education Born in Hackettstown, New Jersey, on April 23, 1862, Heed began his musical career with the Hackettstown ...

* ''Klaxon'' by

* ''

'' by Karl L. King * ''Onward and Upward'' by

* ''Robinson's Grand Entree'' by Karl L. King * '' Rolling Thunder'' by

* ''Sells-Floto Triumphal'' by Karl L. King * ''The Squealer'' by

Will Huff William Lockwood Huff (January 16, 1875 – November 5, 1942) was a composer of band music best known for his military marches and the circus march ''The Squealer''. He was born in Massieville, Ohio and grew up in Coalton, Ohio. He took up his fa ...

* ''The Screamer'' by Frederick Jewell * ''Smilin' Jack'' by Robert S. Keller * ''Them Basses'' by Getty H. Huffine

Marches composed for standard march tempo but frequently performed as screamers

* ''

Entrance of the Gladiators "Entrance of the Gladiators" op. 68 or "Entry of the Gladiators" () () is a military march composed in 1897 by the Czech-born Austrian composer Julius Fučík. He originally titled it "", reflecting the use of chromatic scales throughout the p ...

'' (also known as ''Thunder and Blazes'' when played as a screamer) by Julius Fučík

Notes

{{reflist

References

* Fennell, Dr. Frederick: Screamers (Circus Marches),

Eastman Wind Ensemble The Eastman Wind Ensemble was founded by conductor Frederick Fennell at the Eastman School of Music in 1952. The ensemble is often credited with helping redefine the performance of wind band music. Considered one of America's leading wind ensemble ...

. *Whitmarsch, Richard: Sounds of the Circus (28 volumes of circus music) Circus music March music

History

Musicality

Composers

Examples

Marches composed for standard march tempo but frequently performed as screamers

See also

Notes

References