October 30th is recognized as National Checklist Day and if there was anyone in the Sousa organization who benefitted from a checklist, it was longtime band librarian, Clarence J. “Buss” Russell!
Mr. Russell joined Sousa’s Band in time for the World Tour in 1910, leaving his post as interim superintendent of schools in Pittsfield, MA, to ‘see the world’ while travelling as a section cornetist. He remained with the Band through the final tour of 1931, becoming the Band’s librarian in 1917 following the end of Edwin G. Clarke’s (Herbert’s brother) managership and continued in that position as well as cornetist for the next fourteen seasons.
While the usual touring season consisted of a few different programs of repertoire, the lengthy annual engagements at Willow Grove Park were another matter. Music for four separate daily programs were prepared based on Mr. Sousa’s selections for each and every musician’s folder from conductor’s folio to drums taking hours of preparation and breakdown; however, Russell’s fastidious nature meant he was always up for the task and obviously, was an invaluable member of the Band.
Mr. Russell was not an all-work-and-no-play kind of gentleman as he can be found in several snapshots of the Sousa Band’s baseball team over the years. He also performed in the Band’s brass sextette, appeared as soloist, and on at least one occasion, conducted an entire Sousa Band concert! His nickname “Buss” was affectionately bestowed on him by his friends and colleagues in the Band as they noted: “Buss was always bustling about.”
Artifacts include:
- an individual inventory sheet or instrument checklist for music within the Sousa Band library
- the verso of the inventory checklist used for keeping track of the new additions to Mr. Sousa’s library. This ‘system’ of new music added was used from 1918 to 1930 and was not limited to these sheets as old Sousa Band programs or scraps of paper were pressed into service which were added to the hardbound, typed catalog of the Band’s library. These checklists also included music for saxophone band, piano, orchestra, as well as vocal and violin solos
- the Sousa Band brass sextette of 1915. From l. to r. Clarke, Perfetto, Corey, Williams, Simon, Russell
- an undated snapshot of Clarence “Buss” Russell at work in the library at Willow Grove Park, ca. 1915-1920, finding time to pose for the camera
- 1921 checklist of violin soloist Florence Hardeman’s encores including those w/band; harp; those played alone; with a short list of solos written on the verso of a Sousa Band program
- 1930 checklist of longtime soprano soloist Marjorie Moody’s repertoire. Miss Moody’s record of Sousa Band service was unparalleled performing from 1916-1931
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