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Fall 2009 Family Program

The Chevy Chase Historical Society honored the life and music of John Philip Sousa on Sunday, October 18, with a 4:00 p.m. family program at the Jane E. Lawton Recreation Center, 4301 Willow Lane, in the Town of Chevy Chase. Sousa directed the Marine Corps Band, which frequently played at the Chevy Chase Lake Dance Pavilion in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chevy Chase Lake, once situated east of Connecticut Avenue and south of Jones Bridge Road, was apopular destination for Washington area residents. Revelers traveled by trolley to the terminus at the lake, where they enjoyed rowing, picnicking, music, and dancing. Important musicians of the day, including Eubie Blake, often performed. Sousa was known to lead his band in musical selections as they made their way to the lake by trolley.

Sousa historian and tuba player Matthew K. Brown brought the great American bandmaster to life in his presentation at the program. Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at Millersville University and TempleUniversity, Mr. Brown has held the principal tuba position with the Palm Beach Opera Orchestra and also has performed with the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, the New World Symphony, and the Miami City Ballet. He has performed hundreds of concerts throughout the United States, including weekly internationally televised performances from the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Mr. Brown gave a fascinating multimedia presentation that inforporated original recordings, photographs, and other ephemera drawn from his personal collection of Sousa memorabilia.

The lively presentation was followed by a rousing performance by a ceremonial unit of the United States Naval Academy Band. Founded in 1854 and comprised of professional, active duty, Navy musicians, the band was instilling patriotism in the hearts of Americans audiences decades before Sousa led musical evenings at Chevy Chase Lake. The October 18 performance by approximately 15 musicians involved all the instruments for which Sousa composed and included a selection of much loved American classics. Following the talk and concert, attendees enjoyed a reception with patriotic cookies and cupcakes.