Loara Saxons Alumni Association
ALL GRADUATING CLASSES ARE REPRESENTED
The Fight Song and Cavalcade
The Fight Song
(sung to the tune of Minnesota Rouser)
L - O - A - R - A
spells our name.
Mighty Saxons, onward to fame.
Hon-or
Glory
Vic-tory.
Honor, Glory, Victory,
These are our specialties.
Onward to Vic-tor-y.
(REPEAT in a whisper or play staccato until 2nd Honor Glory Victory.
End with killer drum beat and yell "SAXONS!")
Loara's Fight Song has been a part of the school's traditions since the doors first opened. As mentioned in the History of the Alma Mater, the Fight Song was sung in lieu of the Alma Mater for a few years (1962/1964).
The History of the Fight Song
The Loara Fight Song actually began in 1909 as a contest held by the Minnesota Daily and the Minneapolis Tribune to write a suitable song for the University of Minnesota football games, to replace the hymnlike "Hail! Minnesota." The song was written by Floyd Hutsell, then the choir director of First Methodist Episcopal Church in Minneapolis. He originally included a verse, but only the refrain is sung today. The song was originally titled, "The U. of M. Rouser," but eventually became known as simply the "Minnesota Rouser."
From the University of Minnesota's website, "Floyd Hutsell went on to relative fame in the music business. Choosing the glamorous stage name "Robert LaMar," he went to New York City and traveled the vaudeville circuits, on one occasion touring with Eddie Cantor. He later became an expert in Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, producing several in New York and appearing on Broadway with great success in the role of Koko in Mikado. After a number of years teaching opera at various American conservatories, LaMar eventally settled in Houston, Texas, where he and his wife established a distinguished program of music in one of the local churches. The composer of the Rouser spent his retirement years in Madill, Oklahoma as a local church choir director and music teacher. Upon his death in 1961 at the age of 79, Mrs. LaMar in a loving tribute to her husband's musical career erected a monument at his grave. The name LaMar is engraved on its granite shaft, but the name of Floyd M. Hutsell and the music to the refrain of the Minnesota Rouser are emblazoned on one side of the marker to perpetuate his most lasting musical accomplishment."
The current "Minnesota Rouser":
Minnesota, hats off to thee!
To thy colors true we shall ever be,
Firm and strong, united are we.
Rah, rah, rah, for Ski-U-Mah,
Rah! Rah! Rah! Rah!
Rah for the U of M.
[Repeat]
The original "U of M Rouser":
Rah, rah,
Honor to our college
Minnesota U.
Loyal to thy standards
We'll e'er be untrue.
Underneath thy pennant
Pulses beat with pride
And victory e'er shall be our aim
O'er the nationwide, (Yell)
Refrain:
Minnesota, hats off to thee,
To thy colors true we shall ever be...
Firm and strong, united are we.
Rah, rah, rah, for Ski-U-Ma,
Rah, rah, rah, rah, rah, rah, rah,
Rah, for the U of M. Ah........ (repeat refrain)
The Fight Song Confused with "On, Wisconsin!"
The U of Minnesota contest spawned another prominent Big Ten song. William T. Purdy also submitted a song for the contest, titled "Minnesota, Minnesota." He withdrew it from the contest at the urging of his lyricist, Carl Beck, who wanted to offer the song to the University of Wisconsin, where it became "On Wisconsin". (~Wikipedia)
Encouraged by a college classmate, Carl Beck, who wrote the words, Purdy composed the music of the song, "On Wisconsin," and personally introduced it to the student body of the Univ. of Wisconsin on Nov. 10, 1909. Unable to derive a living from his other compositions, Purdy returned to Aurora, N.Y., where he died penniless, suffering from tuberculosis nine years later. (~Madison Capital Times, Feb. 17, 1919; W. A. Titus, Wis. Writers, Chicago, 1930).
On, Wisconsin" lyrics:
On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin! Plunge right through that line!
Run the ball right down the field, a touchdown sure this time.
On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin! Fight on for her fame,
Fight! Fellows! Fight! Fight, fight, we'll win this game.
On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin! Stand up, Badgers sing!
'Forward' is our driving spirit loyal voices ring.
On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin! Raise her glowing flame
Stand, fellows, let us now salute her name!
Continued Questions
There still remain questions as to how the Fight Song for Loara was originally chosen back in 1962, but at the least we now know where it came from.
The music sheets for the Loara Fight Song can be found at Loara Band Textbook, http://www.loaraband.com/textbook.html or by clicking on the links for each instrument here (.pdf format):
Sources
Loara Band Textbook http://www.loaraband.com/textbook.html
Madison Capital Times, Feb. 17, 1919; W. A. Titus, Wis. Writers, Chicago, 1930 from the Wisconsin Historical Society https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS12110
University of Minnesota https://cla.umn.edu/music/ensembles-creative-work/marching-band/history-traditions/school-songs/minnesota-rouser
Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Rouser
Images from FindaGrave
Dr. William C. “Bill” Moffit passed away March 8, 2008 in Jacksonville, FL. Dr. Moffit was an arranger of a large amount of marching band music. His Sound Power series included some 450 titles. It is doubtful you will ever meet a high school band student from the 1970's who did not play a Moffit arrangement (or 2 or 3 or 4). More than a million people heard his arrangements as he directed the Fanfare Trumpets at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984 and the Pan American Games in 1986.
A Moffit brainstorm titled “Patterns in Motion” featured Purdue band members in constantly changing kaleidoscopic patterns on the field. Based on a four-person squad system, “Patterns in Motions” would sweep the nation as the new style in marching with many college, university, and high school bands adopting the style. The influences of “Patterns in Motion” are still being felt today, and have led to many more changes in marching band style.
(~World of Pageantry Discussion Group, Marching Bands).
Dr. William C. Moffit
Cavalcade
Until Fall 1973, Loara’s band would play a “fanfare” before their performances. The questions arise: What was the "Fanfare" and when was it first played? Who wrote it? What prompted the change from the Fanfare to the Cavalcade?
Kent Hannibal (’74) indicates in a February 2020 Facebook post:
“I believe Cavalcade was first used in the fall of 73 competition show titled “East Meets West.” It replaced the older Fanfare the band had used for many years. The Russian folk tune Meadowlands, Tea for Two for Tubas, and Crown Imperial March were also in that show, plus maybe "Love Potion No. 9"? If not "Love Potion", a suitable drill team dance tune I can’t recall. [It was “Hey Big Spender” per Toni Hungate (’74)].
[The Fanfare was] part of something called the sound power series of publications? Maybe written by Bill Moffit … somehow that name rings a bell?”
The Fanfare
Kent’s memory is spot on … a recording of the 1972/1973 field show "Battle Music and Stained Armor of the Fighting Saxons" (youtube post as shown below) indicates the fanfare is Sound Power Fanfare (No. 2) from the Bill Moffit’s soundpower series (published by Hal Leonard Music, Inc. 1968). A copy of the score can be borrowed from Chatfield Brass Band Music Lending Library. Of note, Moffit also wrote Tea for Two Tubas.
The Cavalcade
The current Cavalcade was written and arranged by Kenneth G. "Ken" Whitcomb aka George Kenny or Kenney (March 7, 1926-August 3, 1997), a Michigan-born composer, arranger, conductor, educator, and saxophonist.
Per the Walker Homeschool Blog, 7/11/2017: According to the ASCAP Biographical Dictionary of Composers, Authors and Publishers 3rd edition, Whitcomb was born on March 7, 1926 in Battle Creek, Michigan. He was a clarinetist, saxophonist and arranger in the United States Military Academy Band in West Point, New York. Later he became the second conductor of this elite military orchestra. Then he was transferred to Germany and became the conductor of the 30th United States Army Band. With Barbara Buelman, Whitcomb wrote a band method called "Sessions in Sound."
After leaving the military, he returned to California and became a saxophonist in an orchestra at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Later Whitcomb was asked by Walt Disney to be a composer and arranger for marches and festive music which would be played at various Disney entertainment parks throughout the whole world. In 1973 he retired. He last resided in California where he was a freelance composer in the Los Angeles area and died on August 3, 1997, at the age of 71. His remains were buried at the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California.
The music sheets for the Cavalcade can be found at Loara Band Textbook, http://www.loaraband.com/textbook.html or by clicking on the links for each instrument here (.pdf format):
Timeline
Unknown - The "old" Fanfare written by Dr. Bill Moffit is used by the band prior to field show competition
Fall 1972 - Last known use of the Fanfare by the Loara band
Fall 1973 - First use by the Loara band of the Cavalcade written by Ken Whitcomb
1997 - Ken Whitcomb passes away
2008 - Dr. Bill Moffit passes away
Sources
Chatfield Brass Band Music Lending Library www.chatfieldband.lib.mn.us
Kent Hannibal (’74)
Loara Band Textbook http://www.loaraband.com/textbook.html
Toni Hungate (’74)
Walker Homeschool Blog https://walkerhomeschoolblog.wordpress.com/2017/07/11/george-kenny-and-coat-of-arms-march/
World of Pageantry forum http://www.worldofpageantry.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=14193
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r39S22qHSaU (old Fanfare in the beginning)