“The Stars and Stripes Forever” is Sousa’s most famous composition. He composed the march at sea on Christmas Day in 1896 and committed the notes to paper on his arrival in the United States.

In 1987, it was made the national march of the United States by an act of Congress.

God bless America!

Broadcast on Thanksgiving 1929. This is a rare recording of both Sousa’s voice, and Sousa conducting his band. Sousa hated recordings as he feared that records would replace live music, so most recordings of the Sousa band were lead by someone else.