Still going through the circus museum stuff. Music is a big part of the circus production. It attracted audiences to the circus, and the circus depended on large audiences to keep the lights on, so to speak. Music was used in the parade through town when the circus arrived, accompaning the floats and wagons that rolled down the main drag to the circus site. Music was neccessary behind daring acrobatics and the clown's comic routines. It was used pretty much the way you'd think it would be: as a soundtrack for the thrills and spills, the oohs and aahs, the elephants and sideshow freaks.
An interesting fact I learned, though, is that Sousa's
The Stars and Stripes Forever march was a 'disaster' signal. If something serious happened in the big top, the band would play it and help would come running.
Tune in next time for a look at some old band instruments! Like the ones seen in this picture!
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