"Among all men on the earth bards have a share of honor and reverence
because the muse has taught them songs and loves the race of bards.."
AUTHOR: Homer
SEMPER FIDELIS MARCH
INFORMATION FROM:
AUTHOR: Homer
MEANING OF THE QUOTE:
"Many people tend to hold artists is high esteem because
they believe they have been blessed with special talents."
"Many people tend to hold artists is high esteem because
COMPOSER
SOUSA
COMPOSER
SEMPER FIDELIS MARCH
Listen to the Semper Fidelis March
Performed by the United States Marine Band in 1909
and recorded on an Edison cylinder:
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| http://leppardra.deviantart.com/art/Semper-Fidelis-209142848 |
Semper Fidelis is the title of the
official march of the United States
Marine Corps and it is the
United States Marine Corps motto.
official march of the United States
Marine Corps and it is the
United States Marine Corps motto.
Sousa wrote the composition
Semper Fidelis in 1888 while under the
employ of the Department of Defense of the
United States as the leader of the Marine Band
at the White House, in response to a request by
President Chester A. Arthur for something
more appropriate than Hail to the Chief
Semper Fidelis in 1888 while under the
employ of the Department of Defense of the
United States as the leader of the Marine Band
at the White House, in response to a request by
President Chester A. Arthur for something
more appropriate than Hail to the Chief
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| http://op-it-solution.blogspot.com/2012/10/american-folk-songs.html#.VaiA3flVhBc |
HAIL TO THE CHIEF
LYRICS
Hail to the Chief we have chosen for the nation,
Hail to the Chief! We salute him, one and all.
Hail to the Chief, as we pledge cooperation
In proud fulfillment of a great, noble call.
Yours is the aim to make this grand coun-try grander,
Thisyou will do, That's our strong, firm belief.
Hailto the one we selected as commander,
Hailto the President! Hail to the Chief!
(originally an old Scottish boating
song) for use at official functions.
Sousa responded with two pieces,
not one. First he composed
song) for use at official functions.
Sousa responded with two pieces,
not one. First he composed
'Presidential Polonaise' (1886)
http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/recordings/detail/id/5725/
PRESIDENTIAL POLONAISE
"The President's Own"
United States Marine Band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=10&v=NPQ8wqFh74g
then, two years after Arthur's
http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/recordings/detail/id/5725/
PRESIDENTIAL POLONAISE
"The President's Own"
United States Marine Band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=10&v=NPQ8wqFh74g
then, two years after Arthur's
death, he wrote Semper Fidelis.
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| Chester A. Arthur |
The march takes its title from the motto
of the U.S. Marine Corps: "Semper Fidelis:
Always Faithful." The trio is an extension
of an earlier Sousa composition,
'With Steady Step,'
one of eight brief trumpet and
drum pieces he wrote for
'The Trumpet and Drum' (1886).
'With Steady Step,'
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| http://www.jvmusic.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/SIX-SOUSA-MARCHES-.pdf |
drum pieces he wrote for
'The Trumpet and Drum' (1886).
WITH STEADY STEP
Timothy Foley, Conductor
The Great American Main Street Band
He dedicated it to those who
inspired it; the officers and men of
the United States Marine Corps.
the United States Marine Corps.
In Sousa's own words:
"I wrote Semper Fidelis one night while in
tears, after my comrades of the Marine Corps
had sung their famous hymn at Quantico."
In his book,
The Works of John Philip Sousa,
The Works of John Philip Sousa,
Paul Bierley describes the scene:
"As Sousa's band came into view and reached the
reviewing stand on Pennsylvania Avenue, the
trumpet section (with ten extra members)
pealed out the theme in the trio –
nothing like it had been heard before –
it was a proud moment for us all."
Semper Fidelis subsequently gained
recognition as the official march of the U.S.
Marine Crops and was Sousa's first runaway
hit becoming the prototype for the great
American march. Sousa considered
this to be his "most musical" march and
this to be his "most musical" march and
according to him, was one of the five most
effective street marches; the others
are The Thunderer,
THE THUNDERER
MARCH (1889)
John Philip Sousa, Composer
US Army Ceremonial Band
National Emblem,
THE NATIONAL
EMBLEM MARCH (1906)
E.E. Bagley, Composer
Leonard Bernstein, Conductor
Washington Post,
THE WASHINGTON
POST MARCH (1889)
John Philip Sousa, Composer
and High School Cadets.
THE HIGH SCHOOL
CADETS MARCH
John Philip Sousa, Composer
Frederick Fennel, Conductor
Eastman Wind Ensemble
Once he even stated (before World War I)
that it was the favorite march of
of Germany as the Sousa Band
performed this in many foreign countries
always to well received acclaim. As popular
as this march was few people knew that it
had been sold outright to the publisher
for the unbelievably low sum of $35.
performed this in many foreign countries
always to well received acclaim. As popular
as this march was few people knew that it
had been sold outright to the publisher
for the unbelievably low sum of $35.
SEMPER FIDELIS MARCH
Mormon Tablernacle Choir, Vocals
SEMPER FIDELIS MARCH
LYRICS
LYRICS
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| http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Semper_Fidelis |
ANALYSIS OF THE MUSIC
The march has the form Aa/Bb/Cc/Dd, and is
in 6/8 time. The percussive, commanding intro
is like a call to attention, and is followed by a
galloping first theme. There is an organic link
between the second and closing themes, but
what comes between is a contrapuntal tour de
force. After a familiar drum tattoo comes the
famous "bugle call" melody accompanied by a
rolling ostinato in the basses. With the reprise,
swirling clarinets are layered on, and with the
last reprise a trombone countermelody quite
distinctive and equal to the main theme
is like-wise added to the texture.
in 6/8 time. The percussive, commanding intro
is like a call to attention, and is followed by a
galloping first theme. There is an organic link
between the second and closing themes, but
what comes between is a contrapuntal tour de
force. After a familiar drum tattoo comes the
famous "bugle call" melody accompanied by a
rolling ostinato in the basses. With the reprise,
swirling clarinets are layered on, and with the
last reprise a trombone countermelody quite
distinctive and equal to the main theme
is like-wise added to the texture.
INFORMATION FROM:
Introduction to Music Literature
D. Kern Holoman
Winter 2012
D. Kern Holoman
Winter 2012
| John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) Semper fidelis (1888) For military band: piccolos, flutes, clarinets, trumpets and cornets, horns, trombones, tubas, percussion | Type: Sousa march Meter: 6/8 Key: C major Duration: 02:45 |
The Sousa march consists of an introduction,
two 16-bar strains each repeated, then down
a fifth to the key of IV for the trio, often the
most memorable segment. Semper fidelis is
distinguished by its proud 6/8 swagger, fine
melodies, and drum tattoo before the bugle-
call trio. Sousa though the march a thing of
delicacy and finesse, and good performances
take his own suave style into account.
two 16-bar strains each repeated, then down
a fifth to the key of IV for the trio, often the
most memorable segment. Semper fidelis is
distinguished by its proud 6/8 swagger, fine
melodies, and drum tattoo before the bugle-
call trio. Sousa though the march a thing of
delicacy and finesse, and good performances
take his own suave style into account.
The introduction is entirely an eight-bar cadence for the snare-field drums alone:
FURTHER ANALYSIS
INFORMATION FROM:
Semper Fidelis is in the Key of C with a time signature
of 6/8. The introduction opens on a G chord (the
dominate chord for the Key of C) and then slides to a
G diminished 7 and back to G. This figure is repeated
and followed by a 4 measure unison section
which leads to the 1st Strain.
The first strain features a bouncy melody in the upper
voices and a smooth harmony from the lower brasses.
The chords alternate between G and C leading to a
bugle call measure by the trumpets which is answered
by an upward scale (to a D) in the upper voices
followed by a downward scale in the low brass (to a G).
The first strain is then repeated.
The second strain carries a broader melody with 2nd
and 3rd cornets bugling underneath the melody. The
chord progressions are a standard C to F to G7 and
C to G7. The strain ends with a sustained Ab7 leading
to a bugle call in the upper voices which is answered
by the low brass. The second strain is repeated.
The trio is one of the best constructed pieces of music
that I have ever played. The Key changes to F and the
trio repeats twice and builds to a grand finale. It begins
with an eight measure snare drum solo. Fourteen of
the 16 measure trio are in the Key of F. The trumpet
theme was written earlier by Sousa as a trumpet and
drum piece named With Steady Step. Underneath the
bugling trumpets is a low brass run pattern which is
repeated 8 times. On the first repeat, the upper wood-
winds are added with an ornamental melody. The third
time through the trio, the trombones and baritones add
a brilliant 4th melody. Each of the four melodies
in the trio could stand alone, and that is
the beauty of this march.
The trio leads into the grand finale. The upper voices
play a broad melody which is augmented by bugle
passages in the 2nd & 3rd cornets. Underneath all of
this is a quick counter melody by the
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| J.C. Leyendecker: Semper Fidelis |
LINKS
