One of the greatest entertainment vehicles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries was the traveling circus. When the circus came to town, everyone came out to see this spectacular show. It was a major form of entertainment for many years, hence the slogan, “The Greatest show On Earth!” It still exists today. Circus music is a mainstay and is absolutely indispensible to the varied acts of the show. The music became almost a genre in itself.
The Circus Parade through the town streets offered an exciting preview of all the glories to come in the Big Top. This parade soon became a tradition in America’s smaller towns and cities. One of the most ornate and decorated wagons was the horse drawn band wagon. The musicians would play while the parade advanced down the street. The band wagon, along with the elephants and big cats, became a major attraction in the parade.
After the Civil War ended in 1865 there was a plethora of military band musicians looking for work and most of the circuses were looking for excellent musicians to fill their bands. Many of these military musicians found gainful employment with circuses.
The years 1870 to 1880 saw the size of the band increase from just several musicians to a full instrumentation concert band. Prior to 1870 very little special music was composed for the circus. After 1870 music specially composed for enhancing the entertainment aspects of the show and even certain acts like animal, trapeze and clowns were becoming the standard. By 1890 the music directors were part of the planning of the circus acts. It was obvious that by the last decade of the 19th century music had become a critical part of the circus.
The “Center Ring Concert” often occurred prior to the beginning of the show. It became so popular that people would come early just so they could hear a concert of fine music and it soon became part of the total circus entertainment. Of course, the time period was long before mass-produced recordings, radio or touring ensembles were common-place like today. In small towns this concert of classical and theatrical show music from Europe and Broadway was possibly the cultural highlight of the year in rural America.
“The Great Merle Evans” (1891-1987) called “The Toscanini of The Big Top,” was the most famous director of circus music. He conducted and wrote for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Band from 1919 to 1969 – 50 years! He was, without a doubt, the dean of circus band directors. Evans directed over 18,250 performances without ever missing one.
Music for circus performance was at its peak around 1900. Some of the most notable composers were from the first two decades of the 20th century. Russell Alexander (1877-1915) and Walter “Woody” English (1867-1916), two very famous circus composers, were musicians in the Barnum & Bailey Band at the turn of the century.
Karl King, Fred Jewell, Charles Duble, Henry Fillmore, J.J. Richards, Al Sweet and P.G. Lowery were other famous circus music composers and musicians. These men were all leaders around 1900 to 1930, “The Golden Age of the Circus.” Many others, too numerous to mention, all contributed to the wealth of circus music.
Some of the most recognizable tunes from these great composers include: Ringling Brothers Grand Entry; Barnum and Bailey’s Favorite; Entry of the Gladiators; The Circus Bee; The Flying Trapeze; The Billboard March; Bravura; Jewells Triumphal; Lassus Trombone and Colossus of Columbia.
As more and more railroad companies came on the scene, the circuses immediately saw the advantage of using the train to transport the circus including the animals, cast of entertainers and equipment from town to town more rapidly than ever before. Special rail cars had to be built to accommodate elephants, big cats, horses and other animals that were part of the show.
In the past, the circus went to their winter quarters in Sarasota, Florida and some stayed in Peru, Indiana, the boyhood home of the famous song-writer, Cole Porter. Both places have circus museums and in Sarasota they often present live performances for visitors. Check the internet for information on these well-visited attractions.
After 1930, the circus saw a decline commensurate with the early days of the great depression and the on-set of radio and mass recordings. To learn more about circus music, history and lore contact Windjammers Unlimited, Inc. at www.circusmusic.org. The Windjammers is a society of enthusiasts who play and preserve the heritage of traditional circus music. Many thanks to Dr. Patricia Wheeler, a member of Windjammers and a flutist in the Danville Community Band, for making available resources to research this article.
Please submit your questions and comments to banddirector01@comcast.net
Visit our website at www.danvilleband.org for up-to-date information about the Danville Community Band.
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