During World War Two, Salvation Army servicemen serving in Cairo formed a ‘Red Shield Club’, of which one of the elements was a band. Arthur Raikes (more often known affectionately by his middle name, Stan) was for some time in charge of this band and wrote this march in memory of this wartime combination and the enthusiasts who were, at one time or another, members of it.
In retirement, Emil Soderstrom moved to California and honoured his new home with this light-hearted but demanding march. The composer has said that the motif given to the upper cornets in the second strain stands for ‘Ca-li-for-nia’! His love of startling chromatic passages is evident in the ‘break up’ strain of the trio section which is marked by a sudden key change and a fragment of the song Sunshine in my soul today, a reference to the Californian weather.
The centrepiece of this decidedly patriotic and stately march is the Canadian anthem 'O Canada' although the original score (1932) refers to a different set of words ('O Canaan'). The anthem is presented in successively more ornate fashion in the trio section, the musical drama building like a Sousa march so that a da capo is not required. While now considered to be bit of a 'war horse', the march remains great fun to play.
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