Marche Slave
Marche Slave is not a march at all but an elaborate concert piece; a symphonic tone poem on the subject of the military alliance between Russia and Serbia. The work includes folk songs from both countries.
Serbian folk tunes constitute the principal thematic material in the piece, with Russian airs introduced for symbolic support. It is interesting that Tchaikovsky quoted God Save the Tsar in several ceremonial works. In addition to this one, it was most famously used in his 1812 Overture, written four years after Marche Slave.
Russia and Turkey were at war intermittently for almost 200 years during which time the Czarist Empire slowly drove the Ottoman Turks back from its southern borders. In 1876 Serbia declared war on Turkey, and Russia joined the conflict in1877.
A concert for the benefit of the Serbian wounded and the Red Cross was planned for November 17th 1876 in Moscow. Tchaikovsky, was asked to write something for the occasion, and he completed Marche Slave on October 17th that year. The first performance took place six weeks later in Moscow, with Nikolai Rubinstein conducting. Tchaikovsky referred to Marche Slave as his "Russo-Serbian March". The work evoked tremendous patriotic enthusiasm when it was first performed and today still touches the deepest parts of the soul for the majority of its audience.
This arrangement was made for the combined forces of Black Dyke Band and Cory Band for the British Open Gala Concert given in Symphony Hall, Birmingham on Sunday 14th September 2008, the performance of which was conducted by the arranger.