This march was written in 1895 when the Sousa Band played for three weeks at the Cotton States And International Exposition. This was a time when in southern USA cotton production was vitally important - the phrase Cotton is King was appropriate and widely used.
This arrangement was prepared for the 2010 Summer concerts of Brass Band of the Western Reserve, musical director Dr Keith M Wilkinson. The staging directions for back-row cornets in the last section will enhance the performance.