Presidential March.
President Washington and his family attended the little theatre in John Street, New York, occasionally, by particular desire of the manager. On these occasions the play-bills would be headed “By particular desire,” and the house would be crowded with as many to see Washington as the play. On one of these occasions, on the entering of the President, he was greeted with a new air by the orchestra, composed by a German musician named Fayles (1789), which was called The President's March, in contradistinction to The March of the Revolution, then very popular. Ever afterwards this air was played by the orchestra when the President entered the theatre. But the public would call for The March of the Revolution as soon as The President's March was ended. The latter air is now known as Hail, Columbia!