March

2023/03/29

Katsuyuki Namba

American Film Critic and Researcher, 1989 Law Graduate

The film "Selma" (2014) depicts the grueling Selma marches rather than the famous March on Washington known for Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" public speaking. It was a movement seeking substantial voting rights for Black people.

This march takes place three times at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. The first time, police attack the people who set foot on the bridge. This is the "Bloody Sunday" incident. It moved public opinion. Public opinion supported a second march, but this time Dr. King stopped the march on the bridge. He feared a repeat of the tragedy, but many of his fellow Black citizens saw it as a failure on his part.

However, that night, a white minister participating in the march was killed, and that anger prompted a third uprising. It was like a civil war. But a march is different from a military advance. Soldiers advance, but anyone—women, the elderly, children, and even the sick—can participate in a march. That is why it is non-violent. The series of scenes, which include archival footage, is a must-see. Here, the people finally cross the bridge, and Dr. King's public speaking rings out loudly. This all took place in March 1965.

Osamu Tsukahara

Music Teacher, Keio Senior High School

One of the occasions where all approximately 2,000 students of the high school gather is the autumn athletic meet. A time signal announces the opening. Then, the brass band begins playing a march, and the officials and athletes are led by it to march around the track. It is a symbolic scene of the high school. It has been 27 years since I became the director of the brass band, and for this marching, I have consistently selected marches composed by Sousa.

"The Stars and Stripes Forever," "The Fairest of the Fair," and "The Washington Post." Every piece is familiar, elegant, and beautiful. But they are difficult to perform. There are many points to watch out for during seated practice, such as phrasing with detailed rhythms and the sense of beat, but the hardest part is marching while playing. The basic of marching is left foot on the strong beat and right foot on the weak beat, but some students appear whose playing and footwork are so mismatched it's almost impressive. After-school practice continues late into the night...

I never thought such a scene would become a distant memory. Due to the influence of COVID-19, athletic meets were cancelled or reduced in scale, and marching was not held for three years. I hope that next year will be the year that marching finally returns.

Ryuichi Hotta

Professor, Faculty of Letters, Keio University

March 1st is apparently "March Day," but this seems to originate from a play on words based on the homonyms "March" (the month) and "march" (to walk). In fact, the etymologies of the two words are completely different. The month "March" goes back to the Latin Mārs, referring to Mars, the Roman god of war and also the god of agriculture and livestock. March is the time when the winter cold ends, military actions resume, and farming begins. In the ancient Roman calendar, it was truly the month that marked the start of the year.

On the other hand, the verb "march" likely goes back to a root meaning "border or territory." A sign used to indicate a boundary is called a "mark," which shares the same root. "Denmark" means "territory of the Danes." Border areas are militarily important, and it is essential to mark them with footprints through military marches. The meaning of "to march" was born from this. Although the etymologies of "March" and "march" are different, it is an interesting coincidence that both were military terms. I prefer peaceful marches involving agriculture and musical performance.

Chikako Kitagawa

Associate Professor, Faculty of Business and Commerce, Keio University

Everyone has likely heard the Wedding March that begins with "Tan-ta-ta-taaan." It is music that appears in the third act of "Lohengrin" by the 19th-century German composer Wagner. Lohengrin, a mysterious knight who suddenly appears, and Elsa, the Princess of Brabant, have a fateful encounter and are led to their bedroom on their wedding night accompanied by a march also known as the "Bridal Chorus." However, immediately after, their marriage falls apart. This is because the knight made Elsa promise not to ask his name or origins as a condition of marriage, but she utters that forbidden question. Having revealed his secret, Lohengrin departs, and Elsa dies of despair. It is actually quite an unlucky piece of music.

But in the first place, a relationship between a man and a woman that denies the natural emotion of wanting to know the name of a loved one and is predicated on absolute obedience to the man could never work out. Their marriage was destined to fail from the start. The beautiful Wedding March, full of blessings, further highlights the tragic development that follows.