University of Pittsburgh Alma Mater

University of Pittsburgh Alma Mater

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 (adopted as the German National Anthem in 1922). 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. [http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittyearbooks&cc=pittyearbooks&idno=1916e49702&node=1916e49702%3A2&frm=frameset&view=image&seq=472 1916 Owl Yearbook] ] [ [http://www.pittband.com/schoolsongs.aspx School Songs on Pitt Band website] ]

Lyrics

The lyrics below to the University of Pittsburgh Alma Mater are attributable to the 1916 edition of "The Owl" student yearbook. The song is to be sung con spirito (as a triumphant anthem, not as a dirge). Some printings of the Alma Mater do not repeat the first verse at the end of the song.

Alma Mater, wise and glorious,
Child of Light and Bride of Truth,
Over fate and foe victorious,
Dowered with eternal youth,
Crowned with love of son and daughter,
Thou shalt conquer as of yore,
Dear old Pittsburgh, Alma Mater,
God preserve Thee evermore!
First beyond the mountains founded,
Where the West-road opens free,
When twin rivers forest bounded,
Merge and journey toward the sea,
In the dawning of the nation
Ere the clouds of strife had cleared,
'Rose Thy rough-hewn habitation,
By our prophet fathers reared.
Close Thy mother-love embraces
All who gather at Thy knee,
Castes and classes, creeds and races,
Mother, are as one to Thee;
Thou who unto knowledge bore us,
In the good old days long gone,
Raise Thy Gold and Blue high o'er us,
Land and we will follow on.
Alma Mater, wise and glorious,
Child of Light and Bride of Truth,
Over fate and foe victorious
Dowered with eternal youth,
Crowned with love of son and daughter,
Thou shalt conquer as of yore,
Dear Old Pittsburgh, Alma Mater,
God preserve Thee evermore.

Music

The official alma mater of the University of Pittsburgh is set to the tune of Joseph Haydn's 1797 music for "Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser" ("God save Francis the Emperor") and was used as the official anthem of the Austrian emperor until the end of the monarchy in 1918. Haydn also used the tune in the second movement of one of his string quartets, the "Kaiserquartett". It was adopted as the music for the German national anthem, "Das Deutschlandlied", in 1922 during the time of the Weimar Republic and is still used as the German national anthem today. The tune is also used in the English-speaking world as a hymn tune, often used for the hymn "Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken" by John Newton. In this context, the tune is called "Austria", "Austrian Hymn", or "Emperor's Hymn" [http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/g/l/glorious.htm] The tune is also used for the hymn "Not Alone for Mighty Empire" by William Merrill. [http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/n/a/nalonfme.htm]

Abandoned Alma Mater

Lyrics to a possible predecessor of the current University of Pittsburgh Alma Mater appeared in the 1914 Owl student yearbook. The author was credited as simply "B.-'09" and although no mention was made of possible accompanying music, the Owl contained the following lyrics. [citation
title = The Owl (1914)
publisher = Junior Class of the University of Pittsburgh
date = 1914
location = Pittsburgh, PA
pages = 6-7
url = http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittyearbooks;cc=pittyearbooks;idno=1914e49702;q1=band;frm=frameset;view=image;seq=19;page=root;size=s
accessdate = 2008-04-11
] The current Alma Mater first appeared in the 1916 Owl.

Alma Mater
A Chant for Unwreathed Victory

————

O Thou, who tread'st, with valiant feet,
The rugged road of hostile years,
Whose lot hath been the glean-ed ears
Snatched from a world of garnered wheat,
O hungered tender of the vine
Wright of unguerdoned husbandry,
O thirst-irked treaderout of wine
Red crushed for others' revelry,
Wreathed in new song, I bring to Thee
The love of those whose hearts are thine.
Upon they hip the sword of might,
In thy firm hand the torch of truth,
Thy cheeks flushed with eternal youth
Thy sapphire eyes thought-starred with light ;
Strong limbed and goddess molded, free,
Aureant armored, laurel crowned,
And 'neath thy fountain brests close bound
With cinctures of self mastery
Hear thou the song we sing for Thee
In whose fair strength our hope is found.
O Thou, who from reluctant dust
Mingled with labor's sweat and tears, —
Strong in a faith that knows no fears,—
'Gainst scourge of flame and jealous thrust
Hast reared Thy pillared citadel ;
O keeper of the sacred fire,
O warder of Pirene's well
O pioneer of hearts' desire,
On in they triumph mounting higher
To thunderous song no storm can quell.
Thy faith mocks our inconstancy,
Thy lavish palms, our avarice,
Thou giv'st beyond great rubies' price,
A niggard alms we grudge to Thee ;
We buy world-laughter and reproach
In love of show and civic guad,
For alien brows Thy cruse we broach,
Thy wealth we squander far abroad ;
How long shall scorn and churlish pence
Be bartered for thine opulence?
God help thy loyal sons to plead
Thy righteous cause till men shall rise
To aid Thee in thy high emprise
And guard thee in thine hour of need ;
God rear thy temples on the height,
Loosen thy burdens, set them free.
God give thee champions to fight
The winning fight for truth and thee.
God give thee faith to keep aright
Thine upwards path of destiny.

ee also

*Hail to Pitt
*Pitt Victory Song
*Pitt Band
*University of Pittsburgh
*German National Anthem

External links

* [http://www.pittmensgleeclub.org/music/Alma_Mater.mp3 MP3 of the Pitt Alma Mater by the Pitt Men's Glee Club]
* [http://www.pittband.com/music/20%20Pitt%20Alma%20Mater.mp3 MP3 of an instrumental performance of the Pitt Alma Mater by the Pitt Band]
* [http://www.pittmensgleeclub.org/ Pitt Men's Glee Club]
* [http://www.pittband.com/ Pitt Band]

References


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