Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-02-12
COLLEGE SONGS.
Origin and History of Some of the More
Familiar Ones.
Do

Origin and History of Some of the More
Familiar Ones.
detroit Post.1
The two very entertaining concerts by
the Yale Glee Club were full of the col
lege smack and flavor, and may be taken
as favorable illustration of the peculiar
song singing which, in the course eff the
last thirty years or 80, has come to be
peculiar feature in the American schools.
There were in the ancient days chapel
choirs and musical clubs of one sort or
another among the students, and it may
be that even the first under graduates OF
Harvard got up quartet occasionally,
for which, according to DR.. Holmes,
their number was just sufficient. Sacred
music could never be out of style in col
leges founded primarily for the education
of ministers, and young men in schools
picked up songs both grave and gay and
sung them there as they might sing them
elsewhere, but, in the course OF the last
three or four decades type OF distinct
college song has grown up and vocal
music has been developed to such an ex-
tent that it would be hard to find Bach
elor of Arts among us who has not at
least been accustomed to JOIN the chorus
sometimes with serious consequences
to the same-When his classmates have
lifted up their voices in song.
College music can hardly be called or
iginal as far as composition Is concerned,
for it is almost universally an adoption
of some old air to new words. One OF
the earliest student songs that became
popular in this country was "Benny Ha
vens, O." so named in honor of MIR. Ben
iamin HaveDs, who kept small mercan-
tile establishment in the vicinity of West
Point, wherein he supplied forums of
punch and other commodities to the tru-
ant cadets at unseemly hours of the
night. The air was the one to which, in
later years. the Irish wearing Of the
Green has been sung. Almost every
Eastern college had local song of its
own, which went to the tune of "Benny
Ravens"
For the introduction of the college song
proper in this country we are, more than
to any other man, indebted to Dir. r.
Storrs Willis, who is now resident of
this city. After graduating in the Yale
Glass of Al he spent six years in Germa-
nv, and on his return took up his abode
for while in New Haven,
and taught the students there the
Latin song of "Gaudeamus," which he
had learned among the German universe
ties .'Gaudeamus" soon came to be re-
garded by the Yale boys with about the
same feeling as Englishmen have for
"God Save the King" or the French Re-
publicans for the 'sMarseillaise. 1t is
sung on all occasions of festivity and of
sorrow, and it has served more than once
as veritable war song, when battles have
been impending with the ''townies.''
Harvard was not slow to catch the sing
ing spirit, and in the course of few
years the students of all the larger East
ern colleges had extensive repertoires of
song which they gave in society halls, in
all accidental gatherings on the college
grounds, and, most of all, perhaps, while
indulging in the classical pastime of sit
ting on the fence. One of the most beau
tiful of all was another imported Latin
song, ssLauriger Horatius." which made
its appearance at Yale about the year
1850. A dozen years later some Southern
students gave the air to the words, "My
Maryland, which became the most pop
ular of the songs of the Re-
bellion. The original :'Lauriger."
as well as "Gaudeamus," s'lnteger
Vita," and several others Of the best
college songs, was arranged and published
in sheet-form by Mr.. Willis, and Of late
years they have been frequently repub-
lished in collections of college songs,
sometimes with, and sometimes without,
permission and acknowledgment.
"Fair Harvard is given the place of
honor at Cambridge, and sHThe Lone
Fish BALL." 'tIt's Way We Have at Old
Harvard 'sUpidee," and "Ba-be- bi-bo-
bu" appeared among the less solemn
songs, and George F. Roots "There's
Music IN the Air. among the sentimental
ones. Of the early ''nonsense-songs" that
came into vogue "Shool," eco -cha-che-
Junk" and s'The Sheepsllin' ito the tune
of ga Little More Cider.'') These have
been supplemented by others, until their
number is legion, as the experience OF the
two nights at Merrill Hall will attest, and
they are heard at Ann Arbor and all other
Western colleges with no less of their
pristine spirit and vigor. Even now a
glee club of Marietta is giving series OF
concerts through Ohio, and probably the
tuneful representatives of other colleges
are also con the road"
operate airs are made to do service, as
in the case of the Trumpet Song from
81 Puritan1a," which is frequently joined
to the words of secret society songs, and
sometimes to the Latin words of "Lauri-
GER" and such odd conjunctions as
sMary had little lamb, shouting the
battle cry of freedom are not uncom-
mon. The wearisone old "Greenville''
is divorced from "Far from mortal cares
retreating," and made almost tolerable
with the words, 'Saw my leg off, short"
the two final notes of each strain of the
tune being omitted. The "Menagerie''
has done good service with the we'll
known chorus:
The elephant now goes round, the band begins
to play,
The boys around the monkeys cage had better
keep away.
The "Derby RAM and "Bigno" are
adaptations of old English school songs,
familiar to young Britons generations
ago. The song of "Pctcr Gray" which
was rendered by the Yale club here with
some variation from the music as first
written, ought to possess
local interest, for in its original
shape it was serious song
,ound ttDIoooont Michipap - of which