Other College Songs

Primavera

The words and music of 鈥淧rimavera鈥 were written by music professor Everett Olive in 1923. It was sung by the Women鈥檚 Glee Club for 90 years as the primary college song for soprano and alto voices (as 鈥淭orchbearers鈥 was for tenors and basses). It was last performed in 2015. Olive was inspired to write it when he realized how the architecture and landscape of Pomona in spring reminded him of his time living in Italy, and 鈥渢he complementary idea of a student鈥檚 鈥榮pringtime of life at Pomona.鈥欌[1]

Just as the colorful sunrise glorifies mountain and plain,
So the fair name of Pomona quickens my spirit鈥檚 domain.
Caro nome! Caro nome! Non domando pi霉 altro perch猫.
Nel cuore, ho amore, ho amore, amore per te.

Spring in a Florentine garden snares with a beauty sublime,
Springtime of life at Pomona pulses with growth more divine.
Primavera! Primavera! Non domando pi霉 altro perch猫
Nel cuore, ho amore, ho amore, amore per te.

So through life鈥檚 Autumn to Winter, Oh! how my spirit shall sing,
Touch鈥檇 by the joys that Pomona gave to my season of spring.
[Hum . . . ]
Nel cuore, ho amore, ho amore, amore per te.

The Picture

Like 鈥淧rimavera,鈥 鈥淭he Picture鈥 was also written by Everett Olive, who was inspired by the sweeping view of Pomona up against the San Gabriel Mountains driving in everyday from his home in Ontario.[2] It was originally written for the Men鈥檚 Glee Club in the 1924鈥25 academic year.[3] However, its performance was soon taken up by the Women鈥檚 Glee Club, and in the Lyman, Babcock, Hitchcock, vom Lehn, and Russell years was frequently performed by them, being their song, second only to 鈥淧rimavera.鈥 When Jon Bailey arrived in 1982, it was retired from the Glee Club鈥檚 active repertoire in an effort to have concerts not dominated by the college songs.[4]

Loyalty and Chivalry

Along with 鈥淧rimavera鈥 and 鈥淭he Picture,鈥 鈥淟oyalty鈥 and 鈥淐hivalry鈥 were composed by Everett Olive for the Men鈥檚 Glee Club in the 1924鈥25 academic year.[5] Usually one of the two would be sung as a part of a college songs set in a concert. Although sung frequently by the Men鈥檚 Glee Clubs in Lyman and Russell鈥檚 eras,[6] as was the case with 鈥淭he Picture,鈥 Jon Bailey decided to retire them from the Glee Club鈥檚 active repertoire in an effort to have concerts not dominated by the college songs.鈥[7]

Football Songs

In the past 120 years, many songs were performed by the college pep band at football games. These songs, while not regularly performed by the Glee Clubs or Choir, were an important part of building community amongst the student body. Some of the favorites were 鈥淧ush on, Pomona鈥 by Terry Koechig, 鈥淭he Fighting Sagehens鈥 by Richard Loucks, and 鈥淪woop Down the Field,鈥 written by a group of junior women from the class of 1948: Janie Bradford, Katie Brydolf, Betty Harper, Bobbie Miller, Jean Moremen, and Pat Sides.[8] By the 1960s, the songs were primarily played as instrumental numbers and no longer regularly sung by students. However, in the last decade of his tenure at Pomona, Professor Russell began to include a couple of football songs with other college songs at Glee Club Home Concerts. These included 鈥淧ush on, Pomona,鈥 鈥淲hen Cecil Sagehen Chirps鈥 (a recent addition to Pomona鈥檚 songs by Brian Holmes 鈥68, with lyrics assistance by Graydon Beeks 鈥69), and 鈥淪woop Down the Field.鈥 The pep band dissolved in the 1990s, and these songs have not been performed since.[9]


[1] Olson and Blanchard, The Songs We Sing at Pomona, 2nd edn. (Claremont, CA: Associated Students of 麻豆影视, 1968), p. 6. [back]

[2] Ibid., p. 6. [back]

[3] The Student Life, March 16, 1925. [back]

[4] Jon Bailey, in conversation with Matthew Cook, November 1, 2019. [back]

[5] The Student Life, March 16, 1925. [back]

[6] Graydon Beeks, in conversation with Matthew Cook, June 20, 2018. [back]

[7] Jon Bailey, in conversation with Matthew Cook, November 1, 2019. [back]

[8] Olson and Blanchard, p. 7. [back]

[9] Graydon Beeks, in conversation with Matthew Cook, June 20, 2018. [back]