OF SAINTS AND SENIORS

Graduation time—and also time to dust off the seasoned march music for graduates filing in for the diploma ceremony. In my era of high school, that meant two occasions: baccalaureate (for which I, a violinist, played as part of the school orchestra) and commencement (its music task taken by the school band). In all these years, I never gave much thought to the what-and-why of those traditional marches. But behind them is quite a story.

Baccalaureate—perhaps because of its religious emphasis—has faded in many communities. In my hometown, the “marching-in” of robed soon-to-be-graduates was accompanied by a march known as “Sine Nomine.” The foreign title, I learned, was Latin for “No Name”! Some of us snickered about calling it “Old Faithful,” because the sheet music was so old it was quite tattered.

I had no idea that the 1906 tune, by famed musician and composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, would become the music for the hymn that begins, “For all the saints who from their labors rest.” The lyrics were written by William Walsham How (1823-1897), the Anglican bishop of Wakefield, a historic city in Yokeshire, England. His hymn was designated for fall's “All Saints' Day,” celebrated the first Sunday of November. The tune and words would make their way into some 200 hymnals

The other graduation ceremony, commencement, retains much of its pomp and circumstance, although I'm disappointed by the rowdy student and audience behavior I've witnessed in recent years. There's something about the marching-in song that honors the solemnity of the ceremony. That occasion's music was the work of famed composer Edward Elgar in 1901, and used for the 1902 coronation of Britain's Edward VII, son of long-reigning Queen Victoria. Wait—there's more history involved. It's just one of six marches by Elgar inspired by a scene in Shakespeare's Othello involving, of all things, the unfaithful wife of a soldier.

After its royal use, it was chosen four years later for the Yale University commencement where Elgar was given an honorary doctorate. However, it wasn't “walking in” music but played as Elgar walked off stage.

Next to use the tune were Princeton, the University of Chicago, and Columbia. Then more colleges chose it as appropriate graduation music. One researcher said the tune lent itself to such occasions because of its regal melody, stately tempo, and warm tone colors. Now, it's the standard music for the sea of robes and tasseled mortar boards (who invented those? Painters? Just kidding) coming down the aisles.

Bet you didn't know all that! But my heart thinks ahead to another celebratory occasion. The apostle John wrote of an out-of-this-world vision of heaven. Uncountable angels, inexplicable beings, and finally every creature in heaven and earth, under and on the sea, singing:

To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever. (Revelation 5:13)

Honor, not to the graduates (and their families), but to the God of the universe.

One online video of “Pomp and Circumstance” (the address should be embedded when you click);

Bing Videos

Online link for “Sine Nomine” (just magnificent choir and organ, presented as hymn “For All the Saints”:

"For All the Saints" (SINE NOMINE) - Bing video (skip preliminary ad)

GIVING THE BEST

The "prop" for this old graduation cap is full of air--
hopefully not the condition of its former wearer (me)!

Graduation time! Who didn't know of someone who graduated high school or college this year? With the moving of the tassel comes great dreams and great aspirations. Yet often, the high of “graduation” is followed by the low of reality. Relationships change. Jobs are scarce. They're supposed to move on—but to what?

Imagine the dashed hopes of youth after America's Civil War. Casualties—death and disability-- devastated families. Years of war left the country in financial shambles. The country's youth wondered what, really, was their future? Then in 1881, out of the ashes and disillusionment of that conflict, a youth evangelical group was birthed in Portland, Maine. Founders described its purpose as “to promote an earnest Christian life among its members, to increase their mutual acquaintanceship, and to make them more useful in the service of God.” Its membership soon spread to the British empire and beyond. By 1906 there were 67,000 youth-led Christian Endeavor societies, with more than four million members, across the world.

This was no local high school Bible study/fun night. Its membership pledge reflected the founders' desire that youth have a useful place in the church:

“Trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ for strength, I promise Him that I will strive to do whatever He would like to have me do; that I will make it the rule of my life to pray and to read the Bible every day, and to support the work and worship of my own church in every way possible; and that just so far as I know how, throughout my whole life, I will endeavor to lead a Christian life.

“As an active member I promise to be true to all my duties, to be present at and to take some part, aside from singing, in every Christian Endeavor meeting, unless hindered by some reason which I can conscientiously give to my Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. If obliged to be absent from the monthly consecration meeting of the society, I will, if possible, send at least a verse of Scripture to be read in response to my name at the roll call.”

Leaders of the organization started publishing materials, including a hymnal for meetings, edited by Rev. Howard Grose, a Baptist minister who wore many hats during his life: university president, history professor, and editor of Christian Endeavor Journal for 23 years. He wrote the lyrics for a Christian Endeavor hymn. It was matched to a tune composed by a prolific British ballad writer, Charlotte Barnard. The hymn's lyrics follow the organization's encouragement to give God the best of your life, not the scraps:

Give of your best to the Master; give of the strength of your youth.

Throw your soul's fresh, glowing ardor into the battle for truth.

Jesus has set the example, dauntless was He, young and brave.

Give Him your loyal devotion; Give Him the best that you have.

The three verses and chorus to this hymn can be found here:

Give of Your Best to the Master > Lyrics | Howard B. Grose (timelesstruths.org)

The late Robert Cottrill, who wrote extensively about hymns, recalled his own father's high standards that reflected the values of Christian Endeavor. One night, he said, his father was leading the choir practice at their church when a young man slid in late. When the senior Cottrill asked why the youth was late, he just shrugged and said nothing. “At which,” the younger Cottrill recalled, “my father stunned him—and set the bar for all of us—by saying to the latecomer, 'The Lord doesn't want your spare time.'” (1)

If the hymn lyrics don't convict you, read 2 Peter 1:5-7 about ways to live out one's faith. And check out Ephesians 4:3 which in the King James version uses that key, get-with-it word, Endeavor.

(1) Give of Your Best to the Master | Wordwise Hymns (accessed June 5, 2021)