Sheet Music: National Emblem

TitleNational Emblem
ComposerEdwin Eugene Bagley (1857–1922)
InstrumentationFlute solo
KeyE-flat major
RangeC4–G6
Time signature2/2
Tempo108 BPM
Performance time2:35
Difficulty levelintermediate
Download printable scorePDF Sheet Music (65 kB) (preview)
Download audio tracksMIDI (change tempo/key) MP3 (1.3 MB)
Date added2009-09-26
Last updated2009-09-26
Download popularity index☆☆☆☆☆ 0.5 (below average)
Categories
Marches, Patriotic

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Saturday 26 September 2009

Tune of the Day: National Emblem

“As perfect a march as a march can be”

The National Emblem march was composed in 1902 by Edwin Eugene Bagley. It is a standard of the American march repertoire, appearing in eleven published editions.

Bagley composed the score during a 1902 train tour with his family band. He became frustrated with the ending, and tossed the composition in a trash can. Members of the band fortunately retrieved it and secretly rehearsed the score in the baggage car. Bagley was surprised when the band informed him minutes before the next concert that they would perform it. It became the most famous of all of Bagley’s marches. Despite this, the composition did not make Bagley wealthy, for he sold the copyright for $25!

Bagley incorporates into the march the first twelve notes of The Star-Spangled Banner ingeniously disguised in duple rather than triple time. The rest of the notes are all Bagley’s, including the four short repeated A-flat major chords that lead to a statement by the low brass that is now reminiscent of the National Anthem.

The best-known theme of this march is popularly sung in the US with the doggerel verse “and the monkey wrapped his tail around the flagpole”. In Britain, the same theme is sometimes sung with the words, “have you ever caught your bollocks in a mangle”.

The march has been featured in movies such as Protocol and Hot Shots!.