Frederick Fennell edited the version of Americans We presented this evening. Of the work he shares that:

Americans We, first published in 1929, is as happy a piece of music as I know. Fillmore dedicated it "to all of us," and he meant it. It forms one third of that great triad of marches that are the basis of our patriotic inspiration in this positive and traditional source of such an elusive, personal ingredient. The three marches are, of course, Fillmore's Americans We, Bagley's National Emblem March and Sousa's The Stars and Stripes Forever.

Americans We teams with his other great march, His Honor March, ... to represent Henry Fillmore to all of those people he so sincerely wished to make happy with his music. And highest on his list of those Americans whom he wished to reach with his "old-fashioned patriotism" are the never-ending thousands of young high school band musicians all over the Republic who are its ever-developing present and future.

When [one experiences] this . . . edition of [a] truly great American march classic, please remember that Henry Fillmore always had more fun with his music -- than anybody.

Program note edited from that provided by the editor.