We often think of John Philip Sousa as the quintessential American bandmaster, but Sousa stood on the shoulders of a giant—Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore. Sousa considered the immortal Gilmore “The Father of American Bands.” An Irish immigrant, Patrick Gilmore was a brilliant bandmaster who set the stage for Sousa by being the first to effectively organize a touring band, and in doing so brought the great classical works to the heartland of America.
My article, In the Beginning, is a chronicle of Gilmore’s visits to the major cities of the Lehigh Valley—Allentown, South Bethlehem, and Easton.
We often think of John Philip Sousa as the quintessential American bandmaster, but Sousa stood on the shoulders of a giant—Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore. Sousa considered the immortal Gilmore “The Father of American Bands.” An Irish immigrant, Patrick Gilmore was a brilliant bandmaster who set the stage for Sousa by being the first to effectively organize a touring band, and in doing so brought the great classical works to the heartland of America. 
