1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:08,320 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, Hello and Welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:12,480 Speaker 1: a show for those who can never know enough about history. 4 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 1: I'm Gay Bluesier and in this episode, we're tracing the 5 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 1: origin of a once in a lifetime song that's used 6 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 1: to celebrate very different occasions depending on which country you're in. 7 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:40,919 Speaker 1: The day was October, the popular marching song Pomp and 8 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:45,960 Speaker 1: Circumstance was performed live for the very first time, but 9 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: not at a graduation. The song is forever linked to 10 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: graduation ceremonies in the minds of many Americans, but it's 11 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: actually a bru fish song written by noted composer Sir 12 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 1: Edward Elgar. The portion of the song played by school 13 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 1: bands across the US is just a snippet of the 14 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: first of five pieces known collectively as the Pomp and 15 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:21,679 Speaker 1: Circumstance Military Marches. In August of nineteen o one, Elgar 16 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: submitted the first two marches to his publisher, and just 17 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:29,400 Speaker 1: two months later they were performed live by the Liverpool 18 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 1: Orchestral Society and their conductor, A. E. Roadwald. The performance 19 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:38,680 Speaker 1: was so well received that it was repeated a few 20 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 1: days later by conductor Henry Wood and was met with 21 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: even greater fanfare. Would describe the occasion afterward, writing quote, 22 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: the people simply rose and yelled. I had to play 23 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: it again, with the same result. In fact, they refused 24 00:01:56,480 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: to let me go on with the program. After considerable delay, 25 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: while the audience roared its applause, I went off and 26 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 1: fetched Harry Dearth, who was to sing Hiawatha's vision, but 27 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: they would not listen. Merely to restore order, I played 28 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: the march a third time, and that, I may say, 29 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:19,080 Speaker 1: was the one and only time in the history of 30 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 1: the promenade concerts that an orchestral item was accorded a 31 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: double encore. Elgar's marches, the first one in particular, became 32 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:34,840 Speaker 1: a national sensation. Britain's colonial empire was still growing in 33 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: the early twentieth century, and Elgar's triumphant military march perfectly 34 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:44,919 Speaker 1: captured the confident mood of the ever expanding nation. It's 35 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 1: no surprise, then, that Queen Victoria's son and the soon 36 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:51,799 Speaker 1: to be king, also took a liking to the song. 37 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 1: After his mother's passing in nineteen o one, Edward the 38 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:00,120 Speaker 1: Seven requested the central theme of the march to he 39 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: played at his coronation the following year. Elgar obliged, of course, 40 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:08,800 Speaker 1: and though he hadn't written the song with lyrics, it 41 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 1: was decided that some should be included for the royal crowning. 42 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 1: Elgar commissioned English poet Arthur Benson for the task, resulting 43 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: in the song Land of Hope and Glory. It shares 44 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 1: the melody played at American graduations, but with some decidedly 45 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: warlike and pro empire lyrics. It goes like, this, Land 46 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:35,720 Speaker 1: of Hope and Glory, Mother of the Free, how shall 47 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 1: we extol thee who were born of the wider? Still? 48 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 1: And wider shall thy bounds? Beset God, who made the mighty, 49 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 1: make the mightier. Yet the militarism of the song is 50 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: also reflected in its title pomp and Circumstance. The phrase 51 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 1: is a reference to a passage from William Shakespeare years Othello. 52 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:05,119 Speaker 1: In the third scene of Act three, the soldier Othello 53 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 1: mistakenly believes that his love Desdemona has been unfaithful. That 54 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:15,160 Speaker 1: perceived betrayal wounds him so deeply that he no longer 55 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:19,160 Speaker 1: feels fit to be a soldier. In true dramatic fashion, 56 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:24,479 Speaker 1: he bids farewell to his profession, saying quote farewell the 57 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 1: neighing steed and the shrill trump, the spirit stirring drum, 58 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:34,560 Speaker 1: the ear piercing fife, the royal banner, and all quality, pride, 59 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 1: pomp and circumstance of glorious war. So the big question 60 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 1: is how did a song go from honoring a British 61 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 1: king to honoring American graduates. The transition actually started with 62 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:54,599 Speaker 1: the song's composer, Edward Elgar. He was friends with a 63 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:59,799 Speaker 1: music professor at Yale named Samuel Sandford. In nineteen o five, 64 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 1: the college invited Elgar to receive an honorary doctorate degree, 65 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:08,240 Speaker 1: and Sanford arranged to have Pomp and Circumstance played at 66 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 1: the ceremony in Elgar's honor. The main difference was that 67 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:16,360 Speaker 1: the song was played as Elgar walked away from the 68 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:19,719 Speaker 1: stage instead of to the stage, as would become the 69 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 1: norm in future ceremonies. After making a strong impression on 70 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 1: the faculty at Yale, the song was adopted by other universities, 71 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:33,360 Speaker 1: and eventually by high schools and even elementary schools. By 72 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 1: the mid nineteen twenties, it had become the processional song 73 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 1: for graduations across the country, and it still is today, 74 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:44,920 Speaker 1: even if it is a little played out. At this point, 75 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:49,919 Speaker 1: Pomp and Circumstance Number one remained just as popular in 76 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:54,159 Speaker 1: its home country too. In fact, it was so popular 77 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 1: that Elgar released it as a record in nineteen thirty one. 78 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 1: For the recording, he inducted the London Symphony Orchestra during 79 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:08,320 Speaker 1: the very first session ever held at Abbey Road Studios. Today, 80 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 1: many English sports teams play the song at their matches, 81 00:06:12,839 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 1: and some British citizens have spent decades lobbying for the 82 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 1: tune to become the country's new national anthem. But you 83 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 1: won't hear it played at British graduations. That remains a 84 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 1: uniquely American tradition. It may not have been what the 85 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: song's composer intended, but he likely would have approved of 86 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:36,520 Speaker 1: its use at graduations. In the nineteen o four interview 87 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:40,920 Speaker 1: about the Marches, Elgar said quote, I like to look 88 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:45,240 Speaker 1: on the composer's vocation as the old troubadours or bards 89 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 1: did in those days. It was no disgrace to step 90 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 1: in front of an army and inspire the people with 91 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:55,480 Speaker 1: a song. For my own part, I know that there 92 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 1: are a lot of people who like to celebrate events 93 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: with music. To these people, I have given tunes and 94 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:09,800 Speaker 1: for that, graduation organizers, marching bands and proud parents are 95 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:16,360 Speaker 1: eternally grateful. I'm gay, Bluesier and hopefully you now know 96 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 1: a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 97 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 1: You can learn even more about history by following us 98 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 1: on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at t d i HC Show, 99 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:31,960 Speaker 1: and if you have any comments or suggestions, you can 100 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 1: write to us at this day at I heart media 101 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:38,760 Speaker 1: dot com. Thanks to Chandler May's for producing the show, 102 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:41,240 Speaker 1: and thank you for listening. I'll see you back here 103 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 1: again tomorrow for another day in History class. For more 104 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:54,880 Speaker 1: podcasts from my Heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, 105 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.