Lyrics
Written by H.S. Durand 1881
Music composed by Karl Wilhelm; (SATB) arr. Robert Bonds ‘71
Bright College years, with pleasure rife,
The shortest, gladdest years of life;
How swiftly are ye gliding by!
Oh, why doth time so quickly fly?
The seasons come, the seasons go,
The earth is green or white with snow,
But time and change shall naught avail
To break the friendships formed at Yale.
In after years, should troubles rise
To cloud the blue of sunny skies,
How bright will seem, through mem’ry’s haze
Those happy, golden, bygone days!
Oh, let us strive that ever we
May let these words our watch-cry be,
Where’er upon life’s sea we sail:
“For God, for Country and for Yale!” [2]
"Die Wacht am Rhein" is a German patriotic anthem. The song's origins are rooted in the historical French–German enmity, and it was particularly popular in Germany during the Franco-Prussian War and the First World War. The original poem was written by Max Schneckenburger during the Rhine crisis of 1840, and is generally sung to music written by Karl Wilhelm in 1854, seven years after Schneckenburger's death.
There are several songs about Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute traditionally sung at special events.
"O Tannenbaum" is a German Christmas song. Based on a traditional folk song which was unrelated to Christmas, it became associated with the traditional Christmas tree by the middle of the 19th century and sung as a Christmas carol.
"Far Above Cayuga's Waters" is Cornell University's alma mater. The lyrics were written circa 1870 by roommates Archibald Croswell Weeks, and Wilmot Moses Smith, and set to the tune of "Annie Lisle", a popular 1857 ballad by H. S. Thompson about a heroine dying of tuberculosis.
The "Alma Mater" is the official school song of Dartmouth College, an Ivy League university located in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Composed by Harry Wellman, class of 1907, it was officially adopted by the College in 1926. The difficult to sing "Dartmouth Undying" replaced it in the fall of 1972, but the Alma Mater was restored as the official song in early 1973. Richard Hovey of the class of 1885 wrote the original lyrics in 1894, titling the song "Men of Dartmouth". Traditionally the original second verse was only sung during time of war. On May 28, 1988, Dartmouth changed the title and words to reflect the presence of women as part of the College, since Dartmouth had become coeducational in 1972. Nicole Sakowitz, Dartmouth Glee Club President was the first person to conduct the new Alma Mater.
"Annie Lisle" is an 1857 ballad by Boston, Massachusetts songwriter H. S. Thompson, first published by Moulton & Clark of Newburyport, Massachusetts, and later by Oliver Ditson & Co. It is about the death of a young maiden, by what some have speculated to be tuberculosis, although the lyric does not explicitly mention tuberculosis, or "consumption" as it was called then. The song might have slipped into obscurity had the tune not been adopted by countless colleges, universities, and high schools worldwide as their respective alma mater songs.
"Carmen Ohio" is the oldest school song still used by Ohio State University. The song was composed by freshman athlete and Men's Glee Club member Fred Cornell in 1902 or 1903. According to some accounts, he composed it on the train ride home from Ann Arbor, Michigan after Ohio State suffered an 86-0 loss to the Michigan Wolverines. The song was set to the tune of "Spanish Hymn", or "Spanish Chant", and the Men's Glee Club first performed it in 1903; however, it did not gain popularity until after its publication in The Lantern on October 10, 1906. At the following Ohio State-Michigan football game on October 20, 1906, "Carmen Ohio" was published in the program. In 1915, Cornell recalled that he wrote the song in 1903 at the request of the Men's Glee Club, and other family members later stated that the train story might be an exaggeration or outright fabrication. Currently, after every home football game in Ohio Stadium, win or lose, the football team and the crowd sing the first verse of Carmen Ohio, accompanied by The Ohio State University Marching Band. It is also sung by new graduates at the end of the university's commencement ceremonies, after diplomas are distributed.
"On the Banks of the Old Raritan" is a song, or alma mater, associated with Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, in the United States. The original lyrics were written in 1873 by Howard Newton Fuller, an 1874 graduate of Rutgers College. Fuller quickly prepared the song as a school hymn for the college's Glee Club, an all-male choral ensemble, before a performance in Metuchen, New Jersey. Fuller chose to set the lyrics to the tune of melody, "On the Banks of the Old Dundee", a popular Scottish melody regarded as a drinking song, and titled the song for the Raritan River.
"Song to Old Union" is the alma mater of Union College in Schenectady, New York. It was written by Fitz Hugh Ludlow for Union's 1856 commencement ceremonies. It is sung each year at graduation, although it is the rare student or alumnus who knows more than the first verse and chorus.
The "Penn State Alma Mater" is the official alma mater of The Pennsylvania State University. The song was accepted by the university in 1901.
The Ash Grove is a traditional Welsh folk song whose melody has been set to numerous sets of lyrics. The best-known version was written in English by Thomas Oliphant in the 19th century.
"The Good Old Song" is the de facto school song of the University of Virginia. It is often said to be the university's fight song, although the actual fight song is "The Cavalier Song". It is set to the music of "Auld Lang Syne", a song frequently sung on New Year's Eve.
Brown University traditions hold that two songs, "Alma Mater" and "Ever True to Brown", are sung at public events and gatherings related to the university. The traditional alma mater song, "Old Brown," was created in 1860 and "Ever True to Brown", the second school fight song, was written by Donald Jackson. The song is played by the Brown Band at major varsity athletic events and at formal events such as Convocation and Commencement. An unofficial version offers humorous alternative lyrics.
Henry Durand wrote, with Carl Wilhelm, "Bright College Years", the Yale University alma mater.
"Hail to Pitt" is the most traditional fight song of the University of Pittsburgh, which is commonly referred to as Pitt. The saying "Hail to Pitt!" is also the most traditional and commonly used slogan of the University of Pittsburgh and its athletics teams. The slogan is frequently used in promotional material, printed on merchandise and souvenirs. It was also the title of a 1982 history of Pitt athletics by author Jim O'Brien. The slogan is often used among alumni as a statement of affiliation, including as a closing signature in conversation or correspondence between alumni, and is sometime abbreviated as "HTP" or "H2P", the latter of which is a registered trademark of the university and is frequently used on official university signage and merchandise.
"Hark The Sound" is the alma mater (song) of the University of North Carolina. It was written by William Starr Myers, a member of the UNC Glee Club at the time. It is sung at the end of athletic events and other university gatherings, and is one of many alma maters set to the music of "Annie Lisle".
The alma mater of the University of Pittsburgh was adopted soon after the University changed its name in 1908 from the Western University of Pennsylvania to its current moniker. Lyrics were written by George M. P. Baird, class of 1909 and were set to the tune of what was then the Austrian National Anthem. A new tune for the "Alma Mater" hymn was composed by Charles W. Scovel, class of 1883, but it was not widely adopted and was either lost or became obscure.
"Our Alma Mater" is the alma mater of The College of William & Mary. It was written by James Southall Wilson, a William & Mary alumnus from the class of 1904. Usually, only the first and fourth verses are sung. The song is set to the tune of Annie Lisle, which is used in the alma mater songs of many other colleges, most notably Cornell University.
"Dear A&T" is the school song of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. The words were written by Susan B. Dudley, wife of the second president, James Benson Dudley. Music for the poem was composed by Charles E. Stewart, director of instrumental and vocal music at the university from 1909 to 1917.
