Easter Monday on the White House Lawn

The title of this quite uncharacteristic Sousa march refers to a traditional Washington event that used to occur the day after Easter Sunday: the annual Easter Egg roll. The American practice of having children roll Easter eggs on a lawn is no longer widely spread; in fact, it may persist only at the White House, where the President and other politicians come out to be seen smiling tenderly at little toddlers who are no doubt quite puzzled at this strange sort of game they have been taught to play.

Though it has become a kind of quaint reminder of past days, it was more in fashion in 1928, when Sousa commemorated one such event held under the dour public persona of President Calvin Coolidge.

This is a very lightly treading march, with high, playful orchestration. Clicking drumsticks and other novelty effects abound and paint a charming and sentimental picture of the tykes, seemingly following the various falls and triumphs of the little ones. It even uses some lightly applied "Jazz Age" syncopations.

While we've made a little fun of the quaint feeling of the piece and the institution of White House Egg Rolling, this is actually an excellently conceived and well-worked-out little march. It shows a good deal of the spirit the Sousa more often used in his several successful operettas and dance genre pieces, such as polkas and quadrilles.

Nevertheless, it is true that Easter Monday is not one of the 60 Sousa marches recorded with Sousa's authority during his lifetime.

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