DEKALB, Ill. — The first university band to play a new US Marine Band-commissioned song is from Illinois.

The Northern Illinois University Wind Ensemble will present the song's collegiate world premiere to commemorate the Marine Corps' 250th anniversary.

Symphony No. 2, or "The Sacred Cloth", had its world premiere on Mar. 23, 2025, for "The President's Own" US Marine Band.

Now, it will be first played at the college level by NIU.

“Last spring, the US Marine Band commissioned a lengthy piece for the 250th birthday of the United States Marine Corps and it was written by a colleague and friend, Dr. Onsby Rose,” said Tom Bough, conductor of the NIU Wind Ensemble . “In correspondence with Dr. Rose I learned that we will be giving the collegiate premiere of the piece, the first ba

See Full Page