One of the most impressive sights at the United States Military Academy at West Point is the entire Corps of Cadets and the West Point Band assembled on the Plain (the parade field), passing in review. Each spring and fall, graduates and former cadets return to West Point to celebrate various reunions and on those occasions, hundreds of these distinguished people form the reviewing party. When members of the West Point Class of 1956 commissioned Steadfast Leadership as a field march to be played during the alumni review on the occasion of their 50th reunion, I was thrilled. As both a former cadet and former director of the West Point Glee Club, I welcomed the opportunity to add to a tradition that I knew and respected.
As per the class's specifications, the march first needed to reflect their time at West Point and on active duty. While covering their cadet experience was fairly easy, representing their active duty time was more of a challenge because the Class of 1956 was the first West Point Class to commission officers into the Army and the newly established Air Force. Using The Official West Point March as a template, the following bugle calls, West Point, Army, Air Force songs, and popular songs appear in the piece to represent the careers of these great individuals:
Introduction: To the Colors (bugle call) Second Strain: Rock Around the Clock (50's rock classic — low brass) Arirang (Korean folk song — trumpets and upper woodwinds) Lord Guard and Guide the Men Who Fly (Air Force Hymn — brass chorale) Army Goes Rolling Along (Army Song — full band) Transition to the Trio: Drill Call (bugle call) Dog Fight: Air Force Song (upper brass and woodwinds) Army Song (low brass and woodwinds) West Point Alma Mater (full band) Benny Havens, Oh (Traditional West Point song — upper woodwinds)
AII of this music had to fit the unique instrumentation of the combined ceremonial elements of the West Point Band, one of the oldest units of any kind in the United States Army. In addition to standard marching band instruments (double reed parts were used only for concert band performances), the West Point Band has a field music division fondly known to cadets and graduates of the Academy as The Hellcats. Consisting of bugles and traditional rope drums, their primary mission is to move the Corps of Cadets through its day, from Reveille to Retreat (To the Colors). Cliff Blackburn designed the bugles used by The Hellcats for the group in 1996. The addition of one key allows the performers to access both the F and Bb overtone series and makes the instruments more versatile in performances with the ceremonial or concert band. While the sound of the bugles is truly unique, band directors can easily substitute trumpets for this part. It was my privilege to conduct the premiere of the march on May 21, 2006, and I'm happy to share this music with you.
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