Nov 21, 2010

Lifting Our Voices in Song

In this clip of the Trenton Thanksgiving Day Parade, you'll hear us singing while we march. Audiences like this and cheer us on, but this is not done just to entertain the crowd. It's part of the history. Modern military groups in parades call cadence to keep in step and sing marching songs during drill. In Rev War and Civil War periods, as well as calling cadences, soldiers on the march played and sang popular music, gave inspiring music for their cause, sang the praises about their leader or regiment, marked their return from battle, or sang about military life. In those times when travel took so long by foot, it helped keep up the spirit and helped the endure the hardships.

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