Monday, June 18, 2007

Alma Mater

My Freshmen year in College the Tabor Choir did a concert of songs that they have been known to sing over the years. Each of the songs was popular under a different choir director.
The concert was extremely memorable for me, because Becky and I were almost late to it. We were coming back from KC and missed our turn and wound up about an hour due West of the burro about 1:10 minutes before we were supposed to be there. We made it back to our dorms, splashed water on faces and ran to the chapel. (We had been at Worlds of Fun all day, and had that wonderful sweaty amusement park smell.)
Anyway... the concert that evening ended with the old Tabor Alma Mater song, which is no longer sung at Tabor because it has been replaced with Redeemed of God (the Tabor Hymn). I was going through old alumni files and ran across a song sheet, and decided to show it to you.

As an emblem of our fathers, "To thy trust be true,"
Beams our haloed Alma Mater Rising toward the blue.

(Chorus)
Onward still we'll bear the banner, Gold and Royal Blue.
Hail, all Hail, dear Alma Mater, Tabor tried and true.


To a higher plain of vision And to truth and light
We are led within thy portals, Vigil of the right

(Chorus)

Glorious Mem'ries, Alma Mater, Thrill us at thy view;
We will hail thy name with rapture, Tabor we'll be true.

(Chorus)

This song is sung to the same tune that countless Alma Mater songs are sung.
I just thought that it was a fun, quirky bit of history that I would share with you.

2 comments:

Becky said...

oooo...good story! i was trying to remember that song the other day, but i'm afraid its been too long.

Unknown said...

also sung to the same tune as the song that they sing at then end of the summer on Dirty Dancing. And remember all of the alternate endings of verses? Tabor tied the two...