[March] A curated selection of classic marches and dazzling crowd-pleasers for concerts!
A march is a type of musical piece for marching.
In everyday settings, it’s often used as background music for parade-style processions at school sports festivals.
Originally, marches were performed for military parades and ceremonial occasions such as weddings and funerals.
When we think of marches, we often picture powerful percussion rhythms and bright, brassy melodic lines.
However, there are also pieces known as concert marches—written for performance in concert settings—that are characterized by an elegant, beautiful atmosphere.
In this article, we’ll introduce a variety of marches all at once, and we hope it will help you choose background music for processions or select repertoire for concerts.
Playlist
| [March] A curated selection of classic marches and dazzling crowd-pleasers for concerts! | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| show_chart | Title | Playlist | Review |
| 1east | ArsenalJan Van der Roost |  play_arrow | I've performed it as an entrance song at sports days and ceremonies... |
| 2east | March ‘Memories Refrain’Itō Shion |  play_arrow | A modern march notable for its key changes and instrumental call-and-response |
| 3east | The Wind of ProvenceTasaka Naoki |  play_arrow | A wind band piece that paints the landscapes of Spain and Provence in music |
| 4east | March “Blue Sky”Takagi Toko |  play_arrow | A bright wind ensemble piece like a blue sky |
| 5north_east | March “Blue Spring”Suzuki Masashi |  play_arrow | Visits school wind bands across the country to provide performance instruction... |
| 6south_east | Ceremonial MarchSakai Takasuke |  play_arrow | Representative wind band works by Takamasa Sakai |
| 7east | The Star-Spangled Banner ForeverJohn Philip Sousa |  play_arrow | “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” which has been designated as the official march of the United States, is … |
| 8east | Combat MarchMiki Yūjirō |  play_arrow | When people hear this song, many of them think of baseball... |
| 9east | Kimi ga Yo MarchYoshimoto Kōzō |  play_arrow | I arranged Japan’s national anthem, “Kimigayo,” into a march... |
| 10east | Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1Edward Elgar |  play_arrow | Edward Elgar, a British composer… |
| 11east | Weigh anchorCharles Zimmerman |  play_arrow | Naval marches stir the hearts of many people |
| 12north_east | March, April, MayYabe Masao |  play_arrow | It’s a set piece for the 1993 All-Japan Band Competition… |
| 13south_east | The Washington PostJohn Philip Sousa |  play_arrow | Even among the marches beloved by the American people… |
| 14east | Military MarchFranz Schubert |  play_arrow | Three Military Marches composed in 1818... |
| 15east | Best FriendMatsuura Shingo |  play_arrow | The required piece for the 2003 wind band competition... |
| 16east | A Trumpeter’s HolidayLeroy Anderson |  play_arrow | The famous song often heard at events like school sports day races, “Tra…” |
| 17east | Toys ParadeHirayama Yūichi |  play_arrow | Two [events/plans/etc.] that were canceled due to the impact of the novel coronavirus… |
| 18east | Concert Suite The Nutcracker, Op. 71 — No. 1: MarchTchaikovsky = Pletnev |  play_arrow | To Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky… |
| 19east | Brian’s holidayNaitō Jun’ichi |  play_arrow | This is the set piece for the 2008 wind band competition... |
| 20east | Artillery of HonorJohn Philip Sousa |  play_arrow | Also known by the alternate title “Auld Lang Syne March,” it is… |
| 21north_east | Beyond the K-pointTakahashi Shinya |  play_arrow | Composed as the fourth set piece in 1999, thi… |
| 22south_east | the beauty among beautiesJohn Philip Sousa |  play_arrow | In 1908, John Philip Sousa... |
| 23north_east | Radetzky MarchJohann Strauss I |  play_arrow | Not only among marches but also within classical music... |
| 24south_east | Under the banner of the double-headed eagleJosef Franz Wagner |  play_arrow | Familiar as a march, “Under the Double Eagle’s Banner…” |
| 25east | American PatrolFrank White Meacham |  play_arrow | Frank W. Meacham of the United States was 18… |
| 26east | Officer cadetJohn Philip Sousa |  play_arrow | An American composer, known as the March King, wh… |
| 27east | El CapitanJohn Philip Sousa |  play_arrow | By John Philip Sousa, 1… |
| 28east | March “Sky of Hope”Wada Makoto |  play_arrow | This song was selected as the fourth required piece in 2012 and... |
| 29east | March “Beyond the K-Point”Takahashi Shinya |  play_arrow | The appeal of brass band marches that liven up sports days |
| 30east | Sports Show MarchKoseki Yūji |  play_arrow | As the theme song for NHK’s sports broadcasts... |
| 31east | Funeral MarchSetoguchi Fujikichi |  play_arrow | A masterpiece that arranged Auld Lang Syne into a march |
| 32east | March “Patriotism”Saitō Ushimatsu |  play_arrow | A heavy, robust march for the navy, featuring a compelling, majestic melody. |
| 33east | old friendCarl Teike |  play_arrow | A famous German military march, from 1889... |
| 34east | March “Ramses II”Abe Yuichi |  play_arrow | A wind ensemble piece themed on an ancient Egyptian king |
| 35east | Grand MarchKonagaya Soichi |  play_arrow | “Grand March” is by the composer Soichi Konagaya, and it... |
| 36east | Colonel BogeyKenneth Joseph Alford |  play_arrow | Also familiar from the parody song of Monkey, Gorilla, and Chimpanzee... |
| 37east | Warship MarchSetoguchi Fujikichi |  play_arrow | Based on a song composed as a military march in 1893... |
| 38east | Album for the Young, Op. 68 No. 2: “Soldiers’ March”Robert Schumann |  play_arrow | Soldiers’ march, characterized by chords and dotted rhythms |
| 39east | Tokyo Olympic MarchKoseki Yūji |  play_arrow | A song of hope for the 1964 Olympics |
| 40east | Young powerShinichi Takada |  play_arrow | A classic sports day song with a bright, powerful melody |
| 41east | Festive MarchDan Ikuma |  play_arrow | This piece was composed in 1959 to celebrate the engagement of the then Crown Prince… |
| 42east | RaijinJohn Philip Sousa |  play_arrow | …by America’s John Philip Sousa… |
| 43east | Seventy-six TrombonesMeredith Willson |  play_arrow | American composer Meredith Wilson sa... |
| 44east | Olympic MarchKoseki Yūji |  play_arrow | Produced for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics… |
| 45east | The wind of MayMajima Toshio |  play_arrow | A legend who led Japan’s wind band world, Ma... |