Semper Fidelis (March)
Semper Fidelis ( Latin for "[forever] loyal") is an American military march composed in 1888 by John Philip Sousa . It is considered the official march of the United States Marine Corps , which has been the motto of "Semper Fidelis" since 1883.
background
The inspiration for the composition of the march was a conversation with Chester A. Arthur , the 21st President of the United States , which Sousa led as bandmaster of the United States Marine Band at the time. During this conversation Arthur expressed that he would not like the official United States Presidential Salute , Hail to the Chief . Sousa noted that Hail to the Chief was an old Scottish boater song, whereupon Arthur suggested that Sousa make a more appropriate composition for the presidential office. According to the request, Sousa composed two works: Presidential Polonaise (1886) and two years later Semper Fidelis (1888). Neither of the two pieces was able to prevail as the presidential salute, and Hail to the Chief is still played to honor the President .
The name Semper Fidelis is based on the motto of the United States Marine Corps. The same motto is used by the Devonshire Regiment of the British Army and the grenadiers of the Swiss Army .
Web links
- Semper Fidelis (Sousa, John Philip) : Sheet music and audio files in the International Music Score Library Project
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Semper Fidelis on the official website of the United States Marine Corps
- ↑ United States Marine Band - Semper Fidelis on YouTube
- ↑ a b Customs and Traditions : The Marine Corps Motto ( Memento from February 20, 2007 in the Internet Archive ). Reference Branch, History Division . Accessed January 2, 2020.
- ^ A b Hail to the Chief on the Library of Congress website