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Songs and songbooks
Creator: University of Rochester
Call Number: UA289
Dates: 1875-1997, undated
Physical Description: 6.3 Linear Feet
Language(s): Materials are in English
Repository: University of Rochester Archives
Table of Contents:
Biographical/Historical Note
Scope and Content
Arrangement
Subject(s)
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Access
Use
Citation
Related Materials
Bibliography
Content List
Volumes, 1908-1926, 2000
Pamphlets, 1875-1945
Song Sheets, 1868-1997, undated
Manuscripts, 1890s, undated
Collection Overview
Title: Songs and songbooks
Creator: University of Rochester
Call Number: UA289
Dates: 1875-1997, undated
Physical Description: 6.3 Linear Feet
Language(s): Materials are in English
Repository: University of Rochester Archives
Biographical/Historical Note
Most songbooks containing University songs were published between the 1870s and 1940s. Every few years during this time, committees--organized by class year and under the guidance of faculty and administrators such as Professor Kendrick Philander Shedd, Professor John Rothwell Slater, and Dean Janet H. Clark--would select the songs they felt best represented the University.
The creation of songbooks was largely inspired by a singing tradition started in 1900 by Professor Shedd, himself a member of the Class of 1889. Every Friday at 12:30 p.m. after his class, he led students in the singing of four University songs. As the tradition grew, Shedd and a larger group of students began to sing songs inside the chapel or near the statue of President Martin B. Anderson. This tradition, called Friday Sing, inspired classes to create pocket-sized songbooks such as Some Songs We Sing at Rochester to take to the weekly event. The last Friday Sing was held in 1912, the year Shedd left the University; producing songbooks, however, continued to be a special tradition for many later classes. The College for Women joined this tradition in 1916, and their first songbook was dedicated to their dean, Annette Munro. It was common for committees to dedicate their songbooks to someone they admired. In 1945, Evelyn Meyers, editor of The University of Rochester Songs, dedicated that volume to Dean Janet H. Clark "whose guidance has been invaluable in the furthering of music at the College for Women."
Songs that were frequently published in songbooks include "On the Campus at Old Rochester," "The Dandelion," "The Victory," "Commencement Hymn," "Banquet Song," and, of course, the University alma mater, "The Genesee." Several versions of "The Genesee" can be found (including in this collection); and according to the pamphlet "The Genesee, A College Song," this was because its author, Thomas Thackeray Swinburne, was known to modify his verses. Swinburne, a member of the Class of 1892, wrote "The Genesee" in 1893. It is difficult to determine exactly when this song became the official alma mater, though Professor Slater writes in a 1952 Rochester Review article about Swinburne that it was first publicized in the Interpres yearbook in the early 1900s. At this time, the University was on the Prince Street Campus, which was far from the Genesee River; therefore, the last words of the song, "Beside the Genesee," had more meaning after the River Campus was built.
Professor Slater also played a large part in creating songs. He took on many roles during his time at the University including serving as the first bellman for the Hopeman Chimes located at the top of the Rush Rhees Library. Arthur J. May notes that music was among Slater's favorite hobbies and that, among his contributions, he provided a, "Commencement Hymn," in Latin, for the annual ceremonies. This and other songs appeal to, and seek to foster, pride in the University. As President Rush Rhees was often quoted in songbooks as saying, "College songs are the best evidence and stimulus of college spirit."
Scope and Content
The collection contains four series: Volumes, Pamphlets, Song Sheets, and Manuscripts.
The Volumes series consists of hardcover, published songbooks that contain music and lyrics of University songs, as well as a draft version of a songbook that shows the process of making one of these publications. This series includes one songbook that is not specific to the University, but rather to City of Rochester; this book contains a section called "School and College Songs" where some University songs can be found.
The Pamphlets series consists of published songbooks that are in the form of thin booklets of varying sizes.
The Song Sheets series consists of single sheets, some folded to create multiple pages, that contain one or more songs. These sheets were ready for distribution at the time of their production, but tend to be less formal than songbooks and often contain lyrics only. Most sheets were presented at events such as Class Day, alumni dinners, and fraternity gatherings. This series also contains some non-University songs sheets that were collected along with University material.
The Manuscripts series consists of handwritten or, in several instances, typed songs not ready for distribution. Some manuscripts contain music, and others have lyrics only.
Arrangement
Song sheets that do not have a title have been filed by the first line of the first song on the sheet and are indicated by a dash at the end.
Subject(s):
New York (State)--Rochester
Universities and colleges--Songs and music
Scores
University of Rochester
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Materials acquired from various sources.Access
For access to this collection, please contact the University of Rochester Archives (archives@library.rochester.edu) at least two business days prior to your planned visit.
Please note: Some materials may be restricted or require permission for use.
Use
To request reproductions or permission to publish materials from the collection, please contact the University of Rochester Archives (archives@library.rochester.edu). Researchers may be responsible for determining any copyright questions.
Citation
[Item title, item date], Songs and songbooks, UA289, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of RochesterRelated Materials
Additional materials about University songs are available in the following collections in the Department of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation:
Kendrick Philander Shedd Papers Collection, A.S54
Musical Activities Collection, University Archives
Plates of "The Genesee" by T. T. Swinburne and "On the Campus at Old Rochester," in the Museum Objects Collection, University Archives
Recordings of selected University songs are available on SoundCloud .
Student Activities Office: Subject Folders, 1926-1968, University Archives (See file titled "Songs, 1939-1950.")
The following songbooks are available as cataloged materials. Please see Voyager, the library's online catalog, for call numbers and details:
Banquet Song, Composed for the Seventy-Sixth Convention of the Theta Delta Chi Fraternity, words by W. R. McKim and music by C. W. Watkeys, Rochester, N.Y., June 1923
Campus Song, Published by the Women of the Junior Class, University of Rochester, circa 1925
Song Book of the Alpha Delta Phi, circa 1912
Songs of Alpha Delta Phi
U of R Commencement, 1893
Bibliography
"Friday Sings." Croceus, 1910, page 129. Dept. of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, U of Rochester.
"John R. Slater." Rochester Review, February-March 1938, pages 4-5. Dept. of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, U of Rochester.
May, Arthur J. "Collegians and Graduates in the 'Nineties." A History of the University of Rochester. Unabridged Version. Dept. of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, U of Rochester.
May, Arthur J. "Widening Horizons." A History of the University of Rochester. Unabridged Version. Dept. of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, U of Rochester.
"Tom Swinburne '92 Poet Philosopher of the Genesee." Rochester Review, November 1951, pages 9-10. Dept. of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, U of Rochester.
Administrative Information
Author: Finding aid prepared by Rare Books and Special Collections staff
Publisher: University of Rochester Archives
Address: Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation
River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester
500 Joseph C. Wilson Blvd.
Rochester, New York 14627-0055
archives@library.rochester.edu
Content List
Creator: University of Rochester
Call Number: UA289
Dates: 1875-1997, undated
Physical Description: 6.3 Linear Feet
Language(s): Materials are in English
Repository: University of Rochester Archives
Table of Contents:
Biographical/Historical Note
Scope and Content
Arrangement
Subject(s)
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Access
Use
Citation
Related Materials
Bibliography
Content List
Volumes, 1908-1926, 2000
Pamphlets, 1875-1945
Song Sheets, 1868-1997, undated
Manuscripts, 1890s, undated
Collection Overview
Title: Songs and songbooks
Creator: University of Rochester
Call Number: UA289
Dates: 1875-1997, undated
Physical Description: 6.3 Linear Feet
Language(s): Materials are in English
Repository: University of Rochester Archives
Biographical/Historical Note
Most songbooks containing University songs were published between the 1870s and 1940s. Every few years during this time, committees--organized by class year and under the guidance of faculty and administrators such as Professor Kendrick Philander Shedd, Professor John Rothwell Slater, and Dean Janet H. Clark--would select the songs they felt best represented the University.
The creation of songbooks was largely inspired by a singing tradition started in 1900 by Professor Shedd, himself a member of the Class of 1889. Every Friday at 12:30 p.m. after his class, he led students in the singing of four University songs. As the tradition grew, Shedd and a larger group of students began to sing songs inside the chapel or near the statue of President Martin B. Anderson. This tradition, called Friday Sing, inspired classes to create pocket-sized songbooks such as Some Songs We Sing at Rochester to take to the weekly event. The last Friday Sing was held in 1912, the year Shedd left the University; producing songbooks, however, continued to be a special tradition for many later classes. The College for Women joined this tradition in 1916, and their first songbook was dedicated to their dean, Annette Munro. It was common for committees to dedicate their songbooks to someone they admired. In 1945, Evelyn Meyers, editor of The University of Rochester Songs, dedicated that volume to Dean Janet H. Clark "whose guidance has been invaluable in the furthering of music at the College for Women."
Songs that were frequently published in songbooks include "On the Campus at Old Rochester," "The Dandelion," "The Victory," "Commencement Hymn," "Banquet Song," and, of course, the University alma mater, "The Genesee." Several versions of "The Genesee" can be found (including in this collection); and according to the pamphlet "The Genesee, A College Song," this was because its author, Thomas Thackeray Swinburne, was known to modify his verses. Swinburne, a member of the Class of 1892, wrote "The Genesee" in 1893. It is difficult to determine exactly when this song became the official alma mater, though Professor Slater writes in a 1952 Rochester Review article about Swinburne that it was first publicized in the Interpres yearbook in the early 1900s. At this time, the University was on the Prince Street Campus, which was far from the Genesee River; therefore, the last words of the song, "Beside the Genesee," had more meaning after the River Campus was built.
Professor Slater also played a large part in creating songs. He took on many roles during his time at the University including serving as the first bellman for the Hopeman Chimes located at the top of the Rush Rhees Library. Arthur J. May notes that music was among Slater's favorite hobbies and that, among his contributions, he provided a, "Commencement Hymn," in Latin, for the annual ceremonies. This and other songs appeal to, and seek to foster, pride in the University. As President Rush Rhees was often quoted in songbooks as saying, "College songs are the best evidence and stimulus of college spirit."
Scope and Content
The collection contains four series: Volumes, Pamphlets, Song Sheets, and Manuscripts.
The Volumes series consists of hardcover, published songbooks that contain music and lyrics of University songs, as well as a draft version of a songbook that shows the process of making one of these publications. This series includes one songbook that is not specific to the University, but rather to City of Rochester; this book contains a section called "School and College Songs" where some University songs can be found.
The Pamphlets series consists of published songbooks that are in the form of thin booklets of varying sizes.
The Song Sheets series consists of single sheets, some folded to create multiple pages, that contain one or more songs. These sheets were ready for distribution at the time of their production, but tend to be less formal than songbooks and often contain lyrics only. Most sheets were presented at events such as Class Day, alumni dinners, and fraternity gatherings. This series also contains some non-University songs sheets that were collected along with University material.
The Manuscripts series consists of handwritten or, in several instances, typed songs not ready for distribution. Some manuscripts contain music, and others have lyrics only.
Arrangement
Song sheets that do not have a title have been filed by the first line of the first song on the sheet and are indicated by a dash at the end.
Subject(s):
New York (State)--Rochester
Universities and colleges--Songs and music
Scores
University of Rochester
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Materials acquired from various sources.Access
For access to this collection, please contact the University of Rochester Archives (archives@library.rochester.edu) at least two business days prior to your planned visit.
Please note: Some materials may be restricted or require permission for use.
Use
To request reproductions or permission to publish materials from the collection, please contact the University of Rochester Archives (archives@library.rochester.edu). Researchers may be responsible for determining any copyright questions.
Citation
[Item title, item date], Songs and songbooks, UA289, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of RochesterRelated Materials
Additional materials about University songs are available in the following collections in the Department of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation:
Kendrick Philander Shedd Papers Collection, A.S54
Musical Activities Collection, University Archives
Plates of "The Genesee" by T. T. Swinburne and "On the Campus at Old Rochester," in the Museum Objects Collection, University Archives
Recordings of selected University songs are available on SoundCloud .
Student Activities Office: Subject Folders, 1926-1968, University Archives (See file titled "Songs, 1939-1950.")
The following songbooks are available as cataloged materials. Please see Voyager, the library's online catalog, for call numbers and details:
Banquet Song, Composed for the Seventy-Sixth Convention of the Theta Delta Chi Fraternity, words by W. R. McKim and music by C. W. Watkeys, Rochester, N.Y., June 1923
Campus Song, Published by the Women of the Junior Class, University of Rochester, circa 1925
Song Book of the Alpha Delta Phi, circa 1912
Songs of Alpha Delta Phi
U of R Commencement, 1893
Bibliography
"Friday Sings." Croceus, 1910, page 129. Dept. of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, U of Rochester.
"John R. Slater." Rochester Review, February-March 1938, pages 4-5. Dept. of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, U of Rochester.
May, Arthur J. "Collegians and Graduates in the 'Nineties." A History of the University of Rochester. Unabridged Version. Dept. of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, U of Rochester.
May, Arthur J. "Widening Horizons." A History of the University of Rochester. Unabridged Version. Dept. of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, U of Rochester.
"Tom Swinburne '92 Poet Philosopher of the Genesee." Rochester Review, November 1951, pages 9-10. Dept. of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, U of Rochester.
Administrative Information
Author: Finding aid prepared by Rare Books and Special Collections staff
Publisher: University of Rochester Archives
Address: Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation
River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester
500 Joseph C. Wilson Blvd.
Rochester, New York 14627-0055
archives@library.rochester.edu
Content List
Volumes, 1908-1926, 2000
Songbooks have been arranged chronologically by publication date. Multiple copies of the same publication have no specific order.
Box 1, Folder 1-2Songs of the University of Rochester, 1908
2 copies
Box 1, Folder 3Songs of the University of Rochester: Library of Congress Copyright Form, 1908
Box 1, Folder 4-5Rochester Song Book, 1910
Box 1, Folder 6Songs of Our Alma Mater, 1916
Box 1, Folder 7Songs of the University of Rochester, 1916
Box 2, Folder 1University of Rochester Songs, 1926
Box 2, Folder 2University of Rochester Songs: Draft, 1926
This draft maps out the layout of the published songbook University of Rochester Songs (1926) and was prepared using a copy of Songs of the University of Rochester (1916) that belonged to the chairman of the 1926 songbook committee. Some pages are glued together, and music sheets or blank pieces of paper have been pasted onto other pages of the original songbook. There are several pencil markings indicating the revised page numbers, song titles, and additional notes. The notes "Plate to be made" and "Plate received" appear to refer to musical plates. There are three sections that consist of inserted material (table of contents, committee list, and additional songs), and they are inserted in a way that establishes the page order of the new songbook.
This item is fragile.
Pamphlets, 1875-1945
Songbooks have been arranged chronologically by publication date in this series. Multiple copies of the same songbook have no specific order.
Box 2, Folder 3Songs of the University of Rochester, 1875
3 copies
Box 2, Folder 4Songs of the Glee Club of the University of Rochester, 1876
Box 2, Folder 5 Some Rochester Songs, 2nd pamphlet edition, circa 1902
Box 2, Folder 6 Some Songs We Sing at Rochester, 3rd pamphlet edition, 1903
3 copies
Box 2, Folder 7Some Songs We sing at Rochester, 4th pamphlet edition, 1904
6 copies
Box 2, Folder 8Some Rochester Songs, circa 1920s
Box 2, Folder 9Songs of the University of Rochester, circa 1920s
4 copies
Box 2, Folder 10University of Rochester Songs, circa 1920s
Box 2, Folder 11University of Rochester Songs, circa 1926
4 copies
Box 2, Folder 12University of Rochester Songs, circa 1936
Box 2, Folder 13The Genesee, a College Song, 1934
2 copies
Flat Box 1, Folder 1The Genesee, a College Song (oversize), 1934
Box 2, Folder 14The University of Rochester Songs, edited by Evelyn Meyers, 1945
6 copies
Song Sheets, 1868-1997, undated
Folders containing General University Songs have been placed at the beginning of the series and arranged alphabetically according to their subtitles. Following those, the remaining folders have been arranged in alphabetical order.
Box 2, Folder 15General University Songs - Individual Songs
"Victory," by Charles William Watkeys
2 copies
"The Genesee: The Alma Mater," by Thomas Thackeray Swinburne
2 copies
"Banquet Song"
"Rochester Marching Song" by Keirn Brown
Box 3, Folder 1General University Songs - Multiple Songs Per Sheet
"Our Good Old College—"
"University of Rochester Songs and Other Selections"
"Some Songs and Some University of Rochester Songs"
"Some University of Rochester Songs and Some Other Songs"
"Some University of Rochester Songs and Some Other Songs"
"No. 1 The Genesee—"
17 x 11.5 cm.
2 copies; 34 pages
"No. 1 The Genesee—"
23 x 15 cm.
One copy was a gift of Ada M. King on June 4, 1935.
3 copies; 4 pages
"UReunion", circa 1994
This booklet was created by the STING (Students Together in Networking Graduates) Reunion Committee.
"The Genesee—"
"1. The Genesee: The Alma Mater of the University of Rochester—"
2 copies
Box 3, Folder 2General University Songs - Slater, John Rothwell
"Riviera: For the Women of the U. of R.", 1955
"Commencement Hymn and On the Campus at Old Rochester"
2 copies
"Commencement Hymn"
"On the Campus at Old Rochester"
5 copies
"Shakespeare the Immortal"
2 copies
"Shakespeare by the Genesee: A Rochester Tercentenary Song 1916"
"Tunes for the Hopeman Memorial Chime"
Box 3, Folder 3Alumni Songs, 1911, 1997, undated
"Alumni Reunion Song," by George R. Stearns
20.1 x 9.7 cm.
"Alumni Reunion Song," by George R. Stearns, March 31, 1911
One copy has a handwritten song on the back that starts with "Come now let us sing the praise of noble Delta Kappa Epsilon."
17 x 11.5 cm.
2 copies
"Alumni Reunion Song," by George R. Stearns, March 31, 1911
17.7 x 11.5 cm.
University of Rochester Alumnae Dinner: Rochester Songs
Songs of the U of R Alumnae
"The University of Rochester Alumni Hymn," by Harrington E. Crissey
Box 3, Folder 4Class Day Songs, circa 1873, circa 1884
Class Day Songs of the Class of [18]84, University of Rochester, circa 1884
Class Day Songs, University of Rochester, circa 1973
Box 3, Folder 5Class-Specific Songs
"Oh Hallelujah, Hallelujah,—"
"Naughty-Four (Till We Meet Again)", circa 1904
"Rockbye Freshmen—"
"We're Rochester born and Rochester bred—"
2 Item(s) total
"Songs for Sub-Freshman Day", March 7, 1931
Box 3, Folder 6College for Women Songs
"Ballad of the Queen"; "Senior Song"
"The University of Rochester: The College for Women Assembly", March 7, 1932
"The University of Rochester: The College for Women"
"Come Our College Sisters—"
"Moving-Up Night Songs"
Box 3, Folder 7Fraternity Songs
"Theta Chi Songs," by Geo H. Chapin
This item is an incomplete version of "Theta Chi Songs." A complete version is cataloged; see Voyager, the library catalog.
"Theta Chi Rouser"; "Fight, Fight, Fight!"
"Songs of Alpha Delta Phi"
"Alpha Delta Phi: Thirty-Sixth Anniversary," Manhattan Chapter of Academy of Music, 1868
Box 3, Folder 8Sports Songs
"Football Song" (Class of 1909), by Neil Wright
"Dad and Bill, they came to town—"
"Sleep there'll be upon the campus—," by J.M. Spinning; "Once he was happy but now he's forlorn—," by Charles R. Dalton
Two song sheets are stapled together.
"March, men of Rochester. March on to victo—," by Neil Wright, June, 1949
The item indicates that this song was "sung at the alumni banquet [in] June 1949."
Box 3, Folder 9Non-University Songs; Newspaper Clipping
"Supplement to the Clarion"
"The Star Spangled Banner, 1814," by Francis Scott Key; "America," by S.F. Smith
"The King's Business," by E.T. Cassel
"Hymns for the Daily Prayer Meeting"
"Is Nothing Sacred? Changed Lyrics May Ruin Otherwise-Perfect Song," by John Helyar, Wall Street Journal, circa 1990
Manuscripts, 1890s, undated
Box 3, Folder 10General University Songs - Individual Songs
"Prize Song"
"Eighteen-Fifty," by Thomas T. Swinburne
"I'm Bound Away," by John Rothwell Slater
"O' Anderson"
"Our Miss Spurrier is a hurrier—"
This typescript song sheet has faded, and an unidentified hand has supplied clarifications.
Flat Box 1, Folder 2General University Songs - Individual Songs (oversize)
"Great U of R," by Hugh J. Dodge
Box 3, Folder 11General University Songs - Symphony Band Music Sheets
Most songs are on G. Schirmer, Inc. music sheet paper.
"Campus Song"
"Sibley Hall"
"Cheer Then For Rochester"
"Rochester College"
"My Lady Nicotine"
"Great Rochester"
"Alma Mater"
"The Genesee," by Thomas T. Swinburne, 1890s
Housed in 4-flap.
"Alma Mater," by Thomas T. Swinburne, 1890s
Housed in 4-flap.