[Sports Day BGM] A selection of classic tunes that liven up the venue

In a Persian marketAlbert William Ketèlbey

In a Persian Market – Ketèlbey [Famous Piece · Classical Music]

This piece features music and scene painting rich with exotic flair.

From the caravan’s arrival and a beggar’s plea to the entrance of a beautiful princess and the call to prayer, it unfolds like a grand orchestral story.

The bustling marketplace, depicted through exotic melodies and rhythms, and the princess’s elegant theme carried by clarinet and cello, brim with musicality that sparks the listener’s imagination.

Composed by Albert William Ketèlbey and released in 1920, it became a major hit, selling over one million copies of sheet music by the end of the 1920s.

In actual school sports festivals, it has been used for opening ceremonies and entrance marches, and is loved for lifting participants’ spirits.

Its brilliant, energetic atmosphere makes it a recommended choice for anyone looking to enliven a sporting event.

Weigh anchorCharles Zimmerman

United States Navy official march “Anchors Aweigh” / Anchors Aweigh

A march composed to inspire the Naval Academy’s football team, notable for its powerful brass and percussion.

Written by Charles A.

Zimmermann in 1906, this piece brilliantly captures the proud spirit of the Navy.

Its stirring melody and forceful rhythm, which make listeners sit up straight, vividly evoke the excitement of setting out on a new voyage.

Adopted as the title song of a 1945 musical film, it has also left a significant mark on American culture.

Born as a football fight song, it has been widely performed at ceremonies and enlistments, and even when used as background music for sports days, it continues to move many people as a piece that inspires courage and hope.

Tritsch-Tratsch-PolkaJohann Strauss II

Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka

A polka composed by the German composer Johann Strauss II.

“Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka” is said to mean women’s chatter in German.

The high notes of the flute ring out in the piece, vividly expressing women speaking in high voices.

With its fast tempo and light, lively rhythm, it’s also a great choice for school sports days.

It’s perfect for team events like relay races, three-legged races, and centipede races.

Get into the groove together, keep a steady tempo, and aim for victory!

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Young powerShinichi Takada

“Young Power” (National Sports Festival Song) — Japan Air Self-Defense Force Central Band, Concert at the 2018 Gunma Prefecture Encouragement Rally for Prospective SDF Enlistees and Trainees

This is a classic sports day staple that everyone in Japan knows, created during the postwar reconstruction period.

Composed by Shinichi Takata as a sports song to enliven the National Sports Festival venues, it is notable for its bright and powerful melody.

At the second National Sports Festival held in Kanazawa in October 1947, about 4,200 sixth-grade boys and girls performed a group routine to this piece, captivating the audience.

Since then, it has been widely loved as background music for school sports days and athletic festivals across the country.

With an up-tempo beat that makes you want to run, it was also used at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Koshien High School Baseball Exchange Games.

Highly recommended if you’re looking for a march for sports days or a lively piece for group performances.

light cavalryFranz von Suppé

Overture to “Light Cavalry” — Franz von Suppé

An overture composed by the Austrian composer Franz von Suppé.

Light Cavalry was written as an operetta and is said to depict a glamorous military life set in southern Germany.

The opening trumpet fanfare is striking, and although it bears the name “cavalry,” the piece has an elegant and lavish structure.

It is widely used as background music for sports days and is recommended as an entrance or marching tune! Let’s all march together, feeling the excitement and anticipation before the big event!

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Behold, the hero returns.George Frideric Handel

Handel: Oratorio Judas Maccabaeus, Act III — “See, the Conqu’ring Hero Comes”

Speaking of award ceremonies, this is the song! It’s a classic tune that people of all ages have heard.

Composed by the British composer Handel, it’s a piece of classical music whose title many may not actually know.

Originally, it was a number featured in the music drama Judas Maccabaeus, a heroic tale modeled on the ancient Jewish people.

In Japan, it became established as award-ceremony music after being performed at a Navy sports day in 1874 (Meiji 7).

With the gentle yet solemn tones of instruments like horns and trumpets, it’s a perfect piece to elevate an awards ceremony at a school sports day.

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The Washington PostJohn Philip Sousa

March: The Washington Post

This is a march by the American composer John Philip Sousa, a piece very familiar to Americans.

The owner of the famous American newspaper The Washington Post commissioned Sousa to write music to be played at the awards ceremony for an essay contest the paper had solicited.

Although the paper was apparently fairly ordinary at the time, the piece drew attention because Sousa gave it the same title as the newspaper.

From the stately introduction to the light, bright tones of the brass and the distinctive crash of the cymbals, the music stands out.

It’s perfect for entrances and exits at school sports days! Walking to this piece, you’ll feel like you can stride forward with confidence.

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