Description
A handshake across the ocean stands for friendship between nations in the title of this 1899 Sousa march, and the score carries a motto to the effect of: a sudden thought strikes me - let us swear an eternal friendship. It was written just after the Spanish-American War, and its theme of international friendship is said to reflect the mood of that moment.
The accompaniment is mostly the familiar march pattern of alternating bass note and chord, which keeps the left hand leaping. In cut time (2/2), it lasts about 2 minutes 22 seconds and has 1,512 notes, moving from the introduction through contrasting strains to a trio in a new key. The range runs from G1 up to B-flat 6.
The left hand shuttling between bass and chord is the main challenge of this advanced march, and when it falters the whole tempo wobbles. Follow just the left hand with the hand colours, and repeat the accompaniment-heavy stretches with the A-B loop until the distances are in your hand. Secure the left hand at a slower playback speed, then add the right-hand melody, keeping the two broad beats of cut time through to the end.
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Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
About the Composer
John Philip Sousa (1854-1932)
John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) was an American composer and bandleader known as 'The March King.' He composed numerous marches, including 'The Stars and Stripes Forever,' and played a major role in developing the American concert band tradition. This site includes ten of his works, such as 'The Liberty Bell March.'
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