Stanford University - Quad Yearbook (Palo Alto, CA)

Page 19 text:

.r'rXjrkT.,5, 9 , , sTANFoRD soNGs E returning to the campus from Charlie Meyer's saloon in Menlo Park whither they had gone for the purpose of taking on a stein or two of beer. ' To Wilson is also due our appreciation for his composition of both the lyric and music of Alma Mater Hail, which holds for its chanters almost as much serious meaning as the Hymn. This song was conceived in the spring of 197.1 during the groundfbreaking ceref mony for the Stanford stadium. It was sung for the first time just prior to the kickfoff the day the stadium was dedicated. Perhaps the reader wonders just what part the Hymn plays in this history of Stanford songs. Because it echoes throughout the development of the entire cycle, it now clamors for an explanation. Hail, Stanford, Hail V' was composed in 1893 by Professor Albert W. Smith and Mary Roberts Smith, formerly associate professor of Social Science at Stanford. Mr. Smith, who acted as professor of Mechanical Engineering here from 1892 to 1904, later became president of Cornell University, where he is at present located. Professor Smith tells the story of his inspiration to write the Hymn: I stole alone into the inner quadrangle in sunshine and moonlight and darkness, I walked there with many friends. I grew familiar with the summer smell of tarfweed and eucalyptus, and I crushed bay leaves till all the world seemed bay scented. I breathed the pure, sunfsteepedair. I saw the dark green of the live oaks and the harvest color of the summerfdried fields and the blue of summer skies. I looked into the inspired faces of President Jordan and his chosen group anduwondered how I could ever be contented elsewhere. After all this, and much else that words cannot express, who couldn't write verses? Then, too, Stanford, the new born, needed to be celebrated in songg and so I wrote a little song trying to express my joy in the beauty of the place. Stanford has been kind to this songg has taken it to its heart. I am glad to have contributed this mite to its traditions. Now, after thirtyffour years, the chime master plays occasionally the music of 'Hail Stanford' on the Chimes of Cornell. Whenever I hear it, all the beauty of those early Stanford days comes into memory, I see again the faces of the 'Old Guardf Alas! how many have gone on? Where? Even the Elysian Fields cannot be more beautiful than Stanford in those early years. The latest football song to be accepted by the student body as worthy of a permanent place in the hearts of all Stanford men and women, was The Cardinal Is Waving. William G. Paul, ,I7, is the author of both the words and music of this piece, composed in the fall of 1915. The Glitter of that Glamour is no more, seems to be the general consensus of opinion at Stanford today in so far as song writing is concerned. The attitude of the yell leaders and students is one of apathy and indifference to any new song material and this accounts for the dearth of the latter. Two notable cases of this are at hand in the failure of the student body to adopt last fall either the Trojan Horse Song or Stanford Forever. The lyrics for both songs are by john M., Willits,' 25. E. R. Flint, IOI, arranged the music for the former song from the original by E. F. Goldman, New York band leader, and is entirely responsible for the music of the Stanford Forever march. The Trojan Horse Song was intended to be sung at the StanfordfSouthern California game in Los Angeles last fall. The 'plan was suddenly abandoned. Dr. Ernest W. Martin of the Classical Literature department and director of the Stanford Band, inspired Willits to write the lyric to Stanford Forever, and suggested that the song be of an appropriate nature for the rooting section to sing at the beginning of the game while the Band was parading on the field and playing the march. l'l3l

Page 18 text:

N ETHE sTANFoRD QUADJ 4 f The result was the Stanford Mandalay, inspired by Kipling's On the Road to Mandalay. I Two songs vied for chief honors in IQO3. J. E. Lanagan who came to Stanford in that year to coach football praises The Cardinal Song by Miss Alice Kimball, '04, in the fol lowing words, This was one of the best football songs I ever heard and did much to inspire a rather weak team to fight for a glorious tie against much stronger opponents Miss Kimball is responsible for both the lyric and the music of her song. The Bum Bum Song, which continues to offer such splendid opportunities for bouncing water glasses off tables, was the song which shared with The Cardinal Song the honors of 1903. Cleve Baker, '04, who died in 1912, and Harry E. Bush, '04, received the inspiration for the Bum Bum' Song when in 1902 two University of Virginia men visited the campus and sang several' of their songs. Bush remembers that when Charlie Field heard the song he predicted for it a great future, magnanimously enthusing, Boys, I couldn't have done better myself. These words are inspiring. They will carry the song. The tune is nothing Bush thought he detected a sarcastic note in these lines, but Baker insisted that Charlie couldn't'be blamed for feeling a bit jealous professionally. ,Q The prize song of 1905 was written by Paul C. Edwards, '06, the present editor of the .f-' ' I ,424 '-- . J 1 , 'nh - an xl 55 X ' ' 5' 0 f '25 '- . 219 ff, ' 1113 'San Diego Sun, at six o'clock the morning the contest was to close. It came about through his roomfmate's habit of pulling him out of bed by the toes at any hour whatsoever. The stunt that morning occurred simultaneously with a rendering of Funicula, Euniculi on a slide trombone by another early riser in the Delta Upsilon house. Edwards leaped to his desk, inspired by the possibilities the Italian song offered. In about IO minutes he had produced some words to the effect that California had better give some attention to that streak of Cardinalm on the field. Rather disappointed with the results, Edwards abanf doned his work, 'Imagine his surprise when he was announced winner of the ten dollar prize. The roomfrnate who pulled Edwards out of bed had handed in his song. Come Join the Band, probably considered by outsiders the most representative of Stanford's songs ,and the one into which any group, singing to the Cardinal, will most easily drift, was the second prize song of 1907. It is the work of Mrs. R. A. Rouveyrol, '08, formerly MissgAurania Ellerbeck and now connected with the Century Play Company in New York City. Mrs. Rouveyrol was inspired to write the words to her song the night of the rally which preceded the Big Game, of 1907. The bonfire leaping up in all its fierce' ness called for a serpentine. The band struck up Old Colonial, and the exultant war dance started. The women hummed and some of them sang, Tra la ! The men whistled. And still the music cried out for words! words! words! The next day Mrs. Rouveyrol sat on the Delta Gamma porch and commanded her pencil to supply those words. Thus was Come Join the Bandfwritten. In October, 1909, an Hawaiianfstudent, William Achi, '11, and Geoffrey E. Morgan, '09, now lecturer, composer, and .-teacher, combined forces to turn out Sons of the Stan' ford Red in response to la prize contest, Achi had a great knack at composing and Mor' gan's experience on the Chaparral of which he became editor in his senior year, completed the list of proper ingredients for a spirited song. All the songs were tried out with a crowd of men in the Encina clubroom and Sons of the Stanford Red won first place by an overf whelming decision. Itwas sung for the irst time at the Big Game, November 1 3, 1909. Weston S. Wilson, '13, at present connected with the General Petroleum Corporation of Portland, Oregon, is the man who is responsible for the Burial Song. Wilson reports that the idea occurred to him one evening when he and two or three of his buddies were m it f I1?I

Page 20 text:

SANIDSTONE AND TILE