The song Bella Ciao was sung by the left anti-fascist resistance movement in Italy against Mussolini during WWII, comprised of anarchists, communists, socialists and other anti-fascist partisans. The author of the lyrics is unknown, and the music seems to come from an earlier folk song sung by riceweeders in the Po Valley. It is sung by leftists in many languages around the world and is a standard of radical marching bands in the US and Europe.
traditional, Italy
Cheat Sheet:
- 4-bar trombone opening
- full band plays 16-bar phrase
- 8-bar drum break
- full band plays 16-bar phrase
- 8-bar drum break
- full band plays 16 bar phrase, slowing down at measure 12. Hold last note
until 'bones come in double time.
- full band plays 16-bar phrase double time.
* last two steps do not apply during marching situations, for which we play
through the phrase 4 times w/drum breaks in between.
During fake ending, played while stationary, the band slowly drops to the floor and "dies" and is resuscitated when the trombones play us into the speeded up verse. Then we dance like mad and run in chaos to finish the song.
