"Centennial Mass" sheet music

The 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition World's Fair celebrated the 100th anniversary of Texas's independence from Mexico. The celebration included a Catholic Mass held at the Exposition’s Catholic Day. Fort Worth resident and devout Catholic William Marsh wrote and composed the music for the Mass.

Marsh’s “Centennial Mass” was performed by 2,800 singers during the Exposition’s Catholic Day religious service. Held on October 11, 1936, the religious service was led by 30 bishops for an estimated 20,000 people in attendance. Inside the sheet music's front cover, Marsh noted that "this Mass … is intended primarily for use in the out-of-doors" and "is designed to be sung by a large divided choir" — a perfect fit for the Texas Centennial's location at Dallas's Fair Park. In a letter from the Centennial's Chairman of the Catholic Exhibit Rev. O'Donohoe, he requested that Marsh name the Mass in honor of Franciscan missionary Antonio Margil, who founded several missions in Texas in the 1700s. A dedication to Margil is featured on the first page of "Centennial Mass."

Composer, musician, and music professor William J. Marsh (1880–1971) was born and raised in Liverpool, England, and immigrated to Fort Worth, Texas in 1904. He lived in Fort Worth for the rest of his life, holding teaching positions at Texas Christian University and Our Lady of Victory Academy. He composed more than 100 works during his career, mostly classical, operatic, and religious pieces. Many of these works took inspiration from or celebrated his adopted home, including his most well-known work, "Texas, Our Texas," the state's official song.