Slavonic March

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Slavonic March (also commonly known by its French title Marche slave) is a musical composition written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

In June 1876, Turkish soldiers killed a large number of Christian Slavs. Many Russians sympathised with those they considered to be their fellow Slavs and sent volunteer soldiers and aid to assist the Kingdom of Serbia.

Nikolay Rubinstein, a close friend of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, asked him to compose a piece for a concert benefiting the victims of the Turkish killings. In a burst of patriotism, Tchaikovsky composed and orchestrated what was first known as the "Serbo-Russian March" (later to be known as "Marche Slave") in only five days. The piece premiered in Moscow on November 17, 1876 to warm reception by the Russian people.

Tchaikovsky used two Serbian folk songs (One of them being "Come, my dearest, why so sad this morning?") as the basis for the melody of the piece.

There are many themes to this piece. One of them, a chorale-sounding theme that originated from a Russian folk song, is the main theme in the Jesuit Dallas Alma Mater. "God Save the Tsar" is also heard as a repeating theme throughout the work. The piece also shares a few refrains with the 1812 Overture, with which it is frequently paired in performance.

The heavy metal band Accept covered the theme in his 1985 song "Metal Heart".