A transcription of John Philip Sousa’s iconic The Stars and Stripes Forever for the pipe organ by James Kennerley.

The official national march of the US, The Stars and Stripes Forever was composed by Sousa in 1896 for the US Marines Band. The three themes of the final trio were intended to represent the three regions of the United States: the main theme portrays the North; the piccolo obligato the South, and the West by the bold countermelody of the trombones. The three come together in the final section, representing the Union itself.

This transcription was created to maximize the resources of the Kotzschmar Memorial Organ in Portland, Maine, including the multiple manuals, orchestral stops, percussion sounds, and the Pedal Divide feature. This version can technically be played on two manuals, though three are preferable. I have deliberately left stop indications to a bare minimum, instead preferring to illustrate the salient orchestral timbres from the full score, with an understanding that the most successful registration schemes will vary widely from instrument to instrument.

Watch a performance of this transcription by James, performed on the Kotzschmar Memorial Organ in Portland, Maine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4hX18P_2Is