The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa

John Philip Sousa’s magnum opus The Stars and Stripes Forever has now been expertly realized for mallet quartet by Tyler Tolles. Scored for four players on two marimbas (and optional xylophone), this arrangement conjures fresh charm from a classic piece of American musical history.

The work calls for Player 1 to play the “piccolo solo” on a xylophone for maximum effect or, optionally, on the top end of a low A marimba if a more minimal setup is preferred. Either way, Tolles’ adept arrangement makes the piece sound as if it were originally conceived on these instruments.