Symphony No 2, "The Sacred Cloth" - World Premiere-"The President's Own," U S Marine Band

March 23, 2025 world premiere of Onsby Rose's Symphony No. 2, "The Sacred Cloth." Rose is an American composer and Director of Instrumental Activities at Dordt University. The work was commission for "The President's Own," US Marine Band in commemoration of the 250th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps. The composer wrote the following program notes to explain the meaning of the 40 min work:

In the summer of 2023, then U.S. Marine Band Associate Director, Ryan Nowlin, approached me about a commissioned for“The President’s Own
” U.S. Marine Band to be premiered in March of 2025 for the celebration of the 250th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps. We spoke about details and to my great excitement, Ryan indicated that I could write whatever I wanted. There would be no length restrictions, and no other restrictions as to what I could write. The work was to be suitable for our nation’s finest and oldest music ensemble to play not only for this concert, but many times in the future. In addition, the work should be appropriate to hopefully become a masterwork of the wind band repertoire. A work that many work desire to play in perpetuity. With this information I set out to find the music. I have desired to write another symphony for many years. The symphony genre is one that I deeply love, and that allows for true expansion of artistic expression to an extent that allows me as a composer to be true to whatever I feel God is giving me. In late 2023, I began to pray about what the symphony should consist of. One evening as I lay in bed, praying, the words “The Sacred Cloth” came to me very vividly
in my mind. I continued to pray as to what this meant. For the U.S. Marine Corps, it became very evident to me that God was leading my mind toward the symbolism of our dress blue uniform and the required traits that come with being a U.S. Marine. Most peoples from around the world recognize this iconic clothing and associate it with excellence in military skill and virtue. What struck me most about this was that the Marine dress blue uniform is a sacred cloth to all of us that are Marines. It is an honor to wear that uniform, and to be able to call ourselves “Marine.” However, the meaning of this work goes far deeper than that. While written with this in mind, God brought my mind to many other things during the composition of this music. Mainly, that ALL people have a sacred cloth of their own. One evening when praying and considering the music as it was being
created, I clearly saw a vision of my dad. My dad was not a Marine, he did serve in the Army, but long before I was ever born. My dad was a truck driver. It was this profession that provided for his family, and that allowed him to be a part of the interlocking creation of human existence. My vision was simply of him leaving our home early in the morning to go to work. He was wearing his light blue, short-sleeved button-down shirt with his name on one side, and the company he worked for on the other. He had dark navy blue work pants on, and his black boots. I know this seems not to connect, but immediately I knew that the image I saw was representing my dad’s “sacred cloth.” The uniform he associated with his ability to provide for his family and be an active participant in God’s world. While not comparable to Marine dress blues in visual reception or notoriety, it was still equal to him in importance because it allowed him to provide for the
needs and safety of his family and for his own life. It then became very evident where God was leading the inspiration for the work. While the sacred cloth of the Marine Corps is the Marine uniform, and this music clearly is connected to that, we each have our own “sacred cloth.” For me, I
have been out of the Corps for nearly 20 years. My sacred cloth could be the tuxedo in which I conduct concerts. It could be a suit in which I wear to attend academic conferences and the like. But most importantly, we ALL have a sacred cloth. My hope is that this music will connect with all people in whatever it is that you consider your sacred cloth. In the U.S. Marine Corps we relate certain ideas such as honor, courage, commitment, and service as being connected to what we are as Marines and that is represented by the iconic Marine uniform. However, every profession from every walk of life can connect with these words in some way, as all areas of work distinctly have all of these, and every profession in the world is important to allow our world to thrive, grow, and most importantly remain safe, and work in harmony with all of God’s creation. As you listen to this music, I ask that you consider, “What is YOUR sacred cloth?”