Official march of the United States Marine Corps, composed while Sousa was leader of the Marine Band. In a 1927 interview Sousa claimed, “I wrote “Semper Fidelis” one night while in tears after my comrades of the Marine Corps had sung their famous Hymn at Quantico.” He also described its premiere performance:
“We were marching down Pennsylvania Avenue, and had turned the corner at the Treasury Building. On the reviewing stand were President Harrison, many members of the diplomatic corps, a large part of the House and Senate, and an immense number of invited guests besides. I had so timed our playing of the march that the ‘trumpet’ theme would be heard for the first time, just as we got to the front of the reviewing stand. Suddenly, ten extra trumpets were shot in the air, and the ‘theme’ was pealed out in unison. Nothing like it had ever been heard there before – when the great throng on the stand had recovered its surprise, it rose in a body, and led by the President himself, showed its pleasure in a mighty swell of applause. It was a proud moment for us all.”
| Type: | March |
| Year: | 1888 |
| Key(s): | C major, F major |
| Time Signature: | 6/8 |
| Musical Form: | AABBCCCDD |
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Semper Fidelis (March) Concert band sheet music available |
Additional information:
Wikipedia
Complete band parts (Library of Congress)
Complete orchestral parts (Library of Congress)
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