Harvard University Band
The Harvard University Band (HUB) is the official student marching band of Harvard University. The Harvard Wind Ensemble, the Harvard Summer Pops Band, and the Harvard Jazz Bands also fall under the umbrella organization of HUB.
Currently, the band plays for all away and home football games, as well as home men's and women's ice hockey games. Occasionally it plays at men's and women's basketball games. The uniform for both football games and formal "gigs" consists of a crimson wool HUB blazer worn over a white shirt with a black HUB logo tie, black pants (since 1961), and black shoes. In the early days of the Band, white sailor hats and khaki pants were worn. For hockey games, the band wears (over casual clothes) a custom Harvard Band hockey jersey, modeled after the home jerseys for men's hockey, which features images of Bertha (the huge bass drum) on the sleeves. Band alumni, known as crusties, maintain strong ties to the HUB, sometimes continuing to act as regular members well after graduating from the University. Illegitimum non carborundum (INC) is the HUB motto. Written correspondence from HUB or HUB members is frequently signed with INC.
History
The band was formed in 1919. By 1930 the band had become a scatter band, (also known as "shoot the gun and run") a method that was also adopted by most other Ivy League marching bands (as well as the Stanford Band and the Rice Marching Owl Band), with the exception of the Cornell University band. While the inventor of the scatter band technique remains in debate, the HUB maintains a strong claim to the title. A scramble band simply runs from one formation to the next in lieu of marching on a cue,typically a starter's pistol. [1]
The HUB office was formerly at 9 Prescott St., and moved to 74 Mt. Auburn St, in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1995.
The Harvard Jazz Band
The Harvard Jazz Band was formed in the fall of 1972 by Tom Everett and is a "big band" open to all students enrolled at the University, undergraduate as well as in the graduate schools.
Band leadership
The Band is led by a Senior Staff consisting of five officers:
- Manager- Oversees finances and activity bookings. The current Manager is Alex Ahmed '10.
- Drill Master- writes and directs the field shows for football games; coordinates the cheers during hockey games. The current Drill Master is Bradley Oppenheimer '10.
- Student Conductor- conducts and writes arrangements. The current StudCon is Hannah Horowitz '11.
- Drum Major- serves as the leader for field and parade performances; assists in conducting with a mace; acts as the liaison with other Ivy Bands and coordinator of all away trips. The current Drum Major is Caitlin Lewarch '10.
- Schneider- social chair. The current Schneider is Shaun Vigil '11.
The senior staff uniforms vary from the standard uniform. The Drum Major wears a tuxedo and carries a mace, the Drill Master wears a black trench coat, the student conductor wears a HUB bow tie, and the Schneider wears a green tie. The manager used to wear a fur coat.
Junior Staffers, who often later become Senior Staffers, work to build up band loyalty and spirit, and themselves provide the core active membership. Junior staff is composed largely of committees under each of the Senior Staff members:
- Manager's Committee:
- Treasurer
- Mailing Coordinator
- Technology Coordinator
- Webmaster
- Alumni Relations
- Historian
- Reunion Manager
- Drill Master's Committee
- Assistant Drill Manager (ADM)
- Prop Crew Manager
- Assistant Prop Crew Manager
- Public Relations
- Photographer
- Cinematographer
- Student Conductor's Committee
- Music Manager (Librarian)
- Music Manager (Arrangements and Licensing)
- Instruments Manager
- Drum Major's Committee
- Internal
- Trips Manager
- Section Leaders - Saxophones, Clarinets, Trumpets, Flutes, Percussion, Low Brass
- Schneider's Committee
- Weisse (3)
- Schwartz
- Miscellaneous
- Wind Ensemble Manager
- Jazz Band Manager
Other miscellaneous personnel include the Assistant Director, HUB accountant, Prop Crew (who maintains, guards, and transports show props and equipment), MOM, Crusties (band alumni), and foosball league commissioner. Local artist Alice Tondel served as MOM and began her association with the HUB in 1949 until her passing in 1993.
The Senior Staff is selected by the previous Senior Staff. The official transition takes place annually in the HUB section of the stands after the completion of the halftime show at The Game.
Directors
| • 1919-1921 | Frederic L. Reynolds '20 |
| • 1922-1923 | Addison Simmons '24 |
| • 1924-1926 | Ambrose F. Keeley '27 |
| • 1927-1928 | Harold Holland '28 |
| • 1929 | Leroy Anderson '29 |
| • 1930-1931 | Guy V. Slade '32 |
| • 1932-1935 | Leroy Anderson '29 |
| • 1936-1937 | Robert W. Snyder '38 |
| • 1938-1939 | James C. Gahan '36 |
| • 1940-1941 | James W. Holt DMD '42 |
| • 1942 | Malcolm Holmes '28 |
| • 1943-1944 (Naval unit band) | Ed Chastagner (drum major & drill master) |
| • 1945 (transitional) | - |
| • 1946-1952 | Malcolm Holmes '28 |
| • 1953-1959 | G. Wright Briggs '31 |
| • 1960-1969 | James Walker AMT '63 |
| • 1970 | Frank Battisti |
| • 1971-Present | Thomas G. Everett (longest serving director in HUB history and of all the Ivy Bands) |
Assistant Directors
| • 2001-2003 | Nathaniel H. Dickey |
| • 2003-Present | Mark E. Olson |
Items
- The Band's bass drum, depicted on the HUB logo, is towed on wheels and measures approximately 8 feet across. The HUB newsletter is also named the "Bass Drum Journal". Its name is Bertha, and it is sometimes the target piano of thefts by the rival bands from Yale and Brown. In 1963, the giant drumstick used to sound rhythm on Bertha was spirited away during the second half of the Columbia game at Harvard's home stadium; members of the Columbia University Marching Band at the time, and their progeny, have no idea who may have taken the stick.
- Bertha originally was purchased in the 1930's by the Associated Harvard Clubs, when the band requested a bass drum to play at their convention. Given a blank check, the band purchased the largest drum available. The band has not been invited to play for any Associated Harvard Club conventions since. The current one was purchased in 1956 after a series of fundraising concerts when the other became too damaged to play.
- HUB owns one of the world's largest working tubas: a seven foot tall triple B-flat Besson that is more than 50 years old. The musician playing this instrument must experiment and relearn which valve combinations are appropriate for each note. Musicians who have played the tuba in public performances include Boston Symphony Orchestra tubist Chester Schmitz,[2] and Sam Pilafian.[3] The tuba last had a large accumulation of dent damage removed somewhere between 1994-2002. The Tuba is engraved "Besson & Sons, London England, Carl Fischer, U.S Agent, New York", and is one of three sub-bass Tubas.[4]
- The band owns a large wooden chair (the Throne) which is ornately decorated with the Harvard logo and HUB motto. It was a gift of the University and the Class of 1903, which the band received in 1953. Currently it is the seat of the Drill Master during drill meetings at which the show for the next week is planned.
News and Stunts
- 1954 - March 6 the band took to the ice for the first time to skate and play for the Yale Hockey game.
- 1970 to celebrate the integration of the (female) Racliffe students into the traditionally all-male Harvard Houses (upper class dormitories), the band suggested that language study would be particularly improved by these "cunning linguists." Ever since all half-time shows have been reviewed by administration officials.
- 1971 Director Thomas Everett founds the Harvard Jazz Band
- 1972 Members of the Brown University Band, posing as an ABC News Crew complete with blazers, jump suits, camera and truck, persuades a band member to help them transport the "Big Bass Drum" down to Soldiers Field for pre-game filming whereupon they abscond with the drum. A friendly Massachusetts judge (and Band alumn) issues a bench warrant and the malefactors are soon caught by State Troopers. Future band manager Sam Coppersmith remains the only person ever to be awarded "Turkey of the Year" by TWO separate Ivy Bands.
- 1975 At the Dartmouth Game student Conductor Tom McGrath, in a tribute to the Boston Pops, led the audience in a mass sing-along of the "Ode to Joy" from the Finale of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, in the original German.
- 1976 At the Brown game, student conductor Jack Barbash lands in a helicopter on the field dressed as Leonard Bernstein, and the impersonation is said to have been believed by the audience.
- 1994 At the 75th Reunion, the 1812 Overture was performed on the field with the explosion of hydrogen balloons serving as cannon fire. (ref) The idea was inspired by Harvard residence Lowell House's traditional courtyard rendition of the same song using the same method.
- 2006 At the Lafayette game, student conductor Kenton Hetrick '07 conducted the HUB with a 12.5 ft baton, which currently holds the Guinness World Record for largest baton. On October 20, 2007 The University of Pennsylvania Band unveiled a 15 ft, 9 inch baton in an attempt to one-up the Harvard Band, but its world record status is pending confirmation by Guinness.
Notable Alumni
- Leroy Anderson (pronounced leh-ROY)'29 (Trombone) was director of the HUB in 1931-5. He also played as an undergraduate beginning in 1926, and was student conductor from 1928-1930.
- Theodore Kaczynski '62 (Trombone) is also known as the Unabomber. He briefly joined the HUB as a freshman in 1958.
- Thomas Eugene Everhart '53 (Trombone) was the president of Caltech from 1987-1997.
- David M. Dobson '91 (Tuba) is the creator of the computer game Snood. As a Tubist, Dobson was known to play Flight of the Bumblebee and also arranged a 3-tuba Pachelbel's Canon.
- David Pinto '82 (Saxophone) was Drill Master of the HUB in 1980-81. He is currently a baseball blogger at www.baseballmusings.com, and a columnist for Baseball Prospectus and The Sporting News.
- Tom McGrath '76 was a founding member of the Harvard Jazz Band and Student Conductor from 1975 to 1976. Hollywood and Broadway producer. Produced the film The Princess Bride and the Broadway revivals of West Side Story and Hair
- Sam Coppersmith, 1975-76 Band Manager and victim of the Brown University stolen Bass Drum stunt, later became a distinguished Congressman from Arizona.
Repertoire
Songs
The repertoire consists of traditional Harvard fight songs and their own arrangements of popular songs played for field shows.
Fight Songs
- 10,000 Men of Harvard
- Fair Harvard Harvard's Commencement Hymn by Samuel Gilman, Class of 1811 [Revised 1998]
- Fight Fiercely, Harvard! by Harvard alumnus Tom Lehrer
- Gridiron King
- Harvardiana
- Onward Crimson (Premiered at the 85th Reunion in 2004, written by Joshua Rissmiller '06)
- Our Director
- R-A-D
- Score
- Soldiers Field
- Up the Street
- Veritas
- Wintergreen
- Yo-Ho
Unofficial
- Budweiser (no longer played but formerly popular at Hockey events)
- Ted Kennedy Song (song in honor of the local senator, Harvard alumnus, and favorite guest conductor)
- Sieve-Goalie (the tune of Hava Nagila played by the clarinets at hockey games to mock the opposing goalie)
- Theme from Hawaii Five-O (played during hockey games when Harvard is winning 5-0)
- Three Blind Mice (formerly played by the tubas when the referees emerge at hockey games, but due to accusations of unsportsmanlike conduct is relegated to a quiet rendition after particularly upsetting judgements against Harvard)
- The Bagpipe Cheer (the saxophones play "Scotland the Brave" while others dance a traditional Scottish dance)
- Underdog Theme played by the trombone section.
Cheers
- Black Hole Cheer – Used in hockey matches against opposing goalie.
- "1 2 3 4 Our team can really score, 1 1 1 1, humiliating isn't it?" OR "2 4 6 8 Our team is really great, 1 1 1 1, humiliating isn't it?" – Cheer for Hockey when the score is 4-1 or 8-1, respectively. Also performed in 4-0 and 8-0 versions.
- "That's all right, That's OK, You'll all work for us some day" – Cheer for when team is losing. Was banned for HUB use by Harvard Administration.
- "Hey Ref, you suck, we know where you live; Hey ref, we know, where you live... sucks"
- "One bit, two bits, three bits a buck. Come on, cheerleaders, give us a... Cheer." – tongue-in-cheek praise for the much-maligned Harvard Cheerleading squad. (no longer used as of 2006)
- Repel them, Repel them, make them relinquish the ball to support the football defensive plays. (Written by Tom Lehrer)
- Navy Cheer: "Gooooooooo Har-vard! Beeeeeeeeat ___-___" for all sporting events
- Safety Cheer: "Hey [opposing school], 3 points is a field goal, two points is a safety, safety school, safety school" alternately: "6 points is a touchdown, etc." (used when Harvard is winning in hockey with a score of 3 to 2 or 6 to 2). It was banned for use by Harvard administration against any non-Ivy League opponent.
- Sieve Cheer: (while pointing) "Sieve! Sieve! Sieve! (etc.) It's all your fault!" (used at Hockey games against the opposing goalie at the beginning of each period and when Harvard scores; also used when in the case that any obvious mistake is made, for example a flubbed musical entry or note)
- Einstein Cheer: E to the x, d-y,d-x; E to the y, d-y; 3 point 1,4,1,5,9 -- Come on Harvard, Give 'em the digit!! (With appropriate accompanying hand gesture.)
Staff Cheers
These cheers are intended for the band itself, rather than the audience
- The Flower Cheer – variants: Flour Cheer, Spaghetti Cheer (or any cheer for objects thrown into the HUB section of the stands).
- The Greek Cheer – a rousing cheer in honor of the new freshmen members of the band.
- MOM cheer – a cheer for Alice Tondel, aka "MOM". The word "MOM" is spelled backward, forward, and upside-down (WOW).
- the Humpty Dumpty Cheer, yelled by those in the back of the stands when they can't be heard
- The Bottle Cheer – cheer performed during third quarter during years when drinking age was 18. Band members would rhythmically beat the bottles they had emptied and would punctuate each phrase with the word, FIGHT. Obviously no longer performed (cf. Confetti cheer and one-time only Greek cheer, performed at Yale game 1978)
Trumpet Cheers
The Harvard Band delights in mocking the conventions of High School bands. With that in mind, where a typical High School band, or for that matter most major college bands, will have their trumpet section play traditional fanfares such as an organist might play at a baseball game, followed by shouting "fight," the Harvard Band trumpet section is famous for playing orchestral excerpts followed by shouting the same "fight." Their repertoire currently includes both network's Olympic fanfares; Eine Kleine Nachtmusik; the triumphal March from Aida; the Overture to the Marriage of Figaro; the entry of the Doge from Otello; Rue Brittania; Dies Irae from Verdi's Requiem; the trumpet solo from Petrushka; the slow movement of Beethoven's 7th (when losing); the finale of Stravinsky's Firebird and several others. The tradition is believed to have originated with John Posner '72 and Ken Zunder '73 and has been added to by each section leader ever since.
Recordings
- Harvard University Band Mono (1940)
- Ivy League Album Mono (1950)
- Up The Street With the Harvard Band 10" micro-groove LP
- Halftime With the Harvard Band 78rpm
- Harvard University Band, Through The Square - A Tribute To Malcolm H. Homes '28 (1954) E3-KL-5895.
- Between the Halves with the Harvard Band. (1955). MONO LP. BRIGGS, HB LP 5.
- Salute to the Ivy 1963 Mono
- 75th Anniversary Album Harvard fight songs - Tom Everett, cond.- Stereo CD (1994, reissued as a CD)
The Latin Verses
There is an old saying that, "You can always tell a Harvard Man (now Grad)....but you can't tell 'em very much." In keeping with that tradition, the main Harvard fight song, Ten Thousand Men of Harvard features a first verse in Latin. The verse is intended as an extended Latin pun and makes little sense when translated:
Illigitimum non Carborundum, Domine Salvum Fac,
Illigitimum non Carborundum, Domine Salvum Fac.
Gaudeamus Igitur,
Veritas, non Sequitur,
Illigitimum non Carborundum, Ipso Facto
There is a considerably more ribald second latin verse which is capable of more sensical translation and which should not be printed here.
Reunions
Uniquely among college bands, the Harvard Band holds its own reunion every five years. The most recent reunion was in 2004 and the next is scheduled for October 2009. This allows a member, who while in college or graduate school might know members from as many as 7 different college classes (10 or more if they also attended graduate school at Harvard), to reconnect with friends from all years. By contrast, a typical class reunion is only for people who all graduated the same year.
External links
References
- ^ http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~hub/history/1930.shtml
- ^ Powell, Alvin (1999). "Stepping Lively at 80, The Band Plays On". Retrieved Mar. 16, 2006.
- ^ Spilka, Bill (2004). "32 Years of Tubists at the New York City Brass Conference". Retrieved Mar. 16, 2006.
- ^ Baines, Anthony (1993). Brass Instruments : Their History and Development. ISBN 0-486-27574-4. Retrieved Mar. 16, 2006.
Links
- HUB Official Site See also the HUB History page
- The Big Tuba
- Harvard Gazette 80th Reunion
- MOM Article on "Mom" (Alice Tondel)
- Big Tuba Photo of Sam Pilafian (photo #25) playing the Big Tuba.
- Big Tuba 2 Photo album of Sam Pilafian playing the Big Tuba in Memorial Hall, on October 8, 2004, as well as some closeup photos