Tune of the Day: The Washington Post
This march has been among Sousa's most popular for years, considered by many his best known after Stars and Stripes Forever. It still stands as one of Sousa's most played works, and is performed widely by concert and marching bands alike; it is considered to be an essential piece for band literature.
The Washington Post newspaper claims in its history that this march was written as a tribute to the newspaper and performed by Sousa and his band in 1899. However, the work dates to 1889; moreover, The Washington Post in the march's title referred to the Marine contingent posted in the nation's capital at the time, not to the newspaper. It is true that Sousa performed the march at ceremonies held in 1899 by the newspaper, and the work's title was obviously fitting for the occasion.