Heritage of the March

Heritage of the March is a series of 185 vinyl records of marches and galops released from 1973 to 1988. It remains the largest single march music record series in history, featuring close to 3,000 different marches. The records were distributed for free by march collector Robert Hoe and the series was continued after his death by the Robert Hoe Foundation created by his wife, Marilyn C. Hoe. Most records featured the marches of two composers (one per side) played by a military, college, high school, or community band. The albums were given volume numbers 1 through 90 and A through QQQQ.

C. L. Barnhouse Company also publishes sheet music under the "Heritage of the March" label.

The liner notes from the first record noted that the series was not meant to be chronological, the order in which composers were presented was determined solely by logistical matters, and the total number of albums in the series was not predetermined. The liner notes also stipulated that "The marches selected have rarely, if ever, appeared in commerically [sic] recorded form. The most popular and widely played marches will be omitted for obvious reasons of policy." Later, the series was envisioned as 15 albums featuring an American composer on one side of the record and a foreign composer on the reverse. All of these early albums were performed by the United States Navy Band under the direction of Donald W. Stauffer.

As the series continued to grow, other military bands in the United States were included with the United States Coast Guard Band, United States Military Academy Band, and the Armed Forces Bicentennial Band recording volumes 16 through 30. Starting with volume 31, the series was opened to a wider number of bands both inside and outside the armed services, including bands outside the United States. These recordings formed the "numbered" portion of the series. The "lettered" portion of the series presented additional music by composers who had already been featured in the numbered albums.

There were a few irregularities in the series' numbering and lettering system. Volumes 89 and OOOO were omitted. Volume QQQQ was erroneously labeled as the previously released Volume PPPP. Volumes 54 and 84 were each two-record sets. All together, there were 91 numbered and 94 lettered albums.

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