Carmen Ohio
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"Carmen Ohio" (Latin: Song of Ohio) is the oldest school song still used by
The Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...
. The song was composed originally as a Christian Hymn in Dutch: "Vaste rots van mijn behiud als de zonde mij benauwed," and in America: "Come, Christians join and sing," both sung in Church. Later adapted by freshman athlete and Men's Glee Club member Fred Cornell in 1902 or 1903. According to some accounts, he composed it on the train ride home from
Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the List of municipalities in Michigan, fifth-most populous cit ...
after Ohio State suffered an 86-0 loss to the
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. The song is set to the tune of "Spanish Hymn", or "Spanish Chant". The Men's Glee Club first performed it in 1903; however, it did not gain popularity until after its publication in ''
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'' on October 10, 1906. At the following Ohio State–Michigan football game on October 20, 1906, "Carmen Ohio" was published in the program. In 1915, Cornell recalled that he wrote the song in 1903 at the request of the Men's Glee Club, and other family members later stated that the train story might be an exaggeration or outright fabrication. Currently, after every home football game in
Ohio Stadium Ohio Stadium is an American football stadium in Columbus, Ohio, on the campus of Ohio State University. It primarily serves as the home venue of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team and is also the site for the university's Spring Commencemen ...
, win or lose, the football team and the crowd sing the first verse of Carmen Ohio, accompanied by The Ohio State University Marching Band. It is also sung by new graduates at the end of the university's commencement ceremonies, after diplomas are distributed. Band director Jack Evans and arranger Richard Heine adapted the song to the brass band for which Ohio State is famous. The sound of chimes from the Orton Hall bell tower (which themselves are based on the Westminster Quarters) were added as an introduction to the song. Small selections of the lyrics, arranged at random, are found on campus in the
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building. The tune may also be recognized as the same in the hymn "Come Christians, Join To Sing", Text: 1843 by Christian H. Bateman (1813–1889). Music: Spanish melody; arr. by David Evans in 1927, (1874–1948), Words originally written for "Sacred Melodies for Children" published in Edinburgh, Scotland, 1843. With slight variations, the tune is used for a variety of other hymn texts, including "When This Passing World Is Done."


Lyrics

The lyrics of "Carmen Ohio" are as follows:


See also

* "
Bright College Years "Bright College Years" is one of the traditional songs of Yale University, and the university's unofficial but undisputed alma mater. It was written in 1881 by Henry Durand and set to the tune of " Die Wacht am Rhein". During World War I and sho ...
", the unofficial
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
''alma mater'', from whose lyrics those of "Carmen Ohio" are largely adapted


Notes


References


External links


Carmen Ohio Centennial Speech
{{Ohio State Buckeyes football navbox Alma mater songs Ohio State University Ohio State University Spirit and Traditions Music of Ohio Institutional songs