News

Cambridge Residents Slam Council Proposal to Delay Bike Lane Construction

News

‘Gender-Affirming Slay Fest’: Harvard College QSA Hosts Annual Queer Prom

News

‘Not Being Nerds’: Harvard Students Dance to Tinashe at Yardfest

News

Wrongful Death Trial Against CAMHS Employee Over 2015 Student Suicide To Begin Tuesday

News

Cornel West, Harvard Affiliates Call for University to Divest from ‘Israeli Apartheid’ at Rally

East's Snappiest Band Will Bulldoze Bulldog

By O. GLENN Saxon jr.

Planning its most elaborate inter-half performance of the year, the Harvard Band tomorrow will feature the traditional Yale game medley of "Wintergreen for President" and a new arrangement of "Fair Harvard" for 14 trombones.

Formed during the War, the band has grown steadily since then and is completely student run and financed. It is the largest band of the Ivy League and is noted for the range and variety of its bag of tricks.

When Leroy Anderson '29 took over the leadership of the band in 1928, he inaugurated the policy of featuring novel medleys and arrangements by Harvard men. He has since contributed many popular medleys, among them the "Rhapsody in Blue" arrangement played at Yale games and the "Hold That Tiger" arrangement for the Princeton encounters.

This year, Melvin H. Wolf '43 and Robert D. Forsberg 1G have done most of the arranging for the band, Wolf being the author of the new version of "Fair Harvard."

"Snap-drills," that is, drills in which the band forms many words or figures quickly without emphasis on precision, form the backbone of its marching repertoire. As a result, the members perform many intricate formations without much formal practice. Once this trend reached the point that, in the seven minutes allowed it in the half, the band formed 60 letters.

Thomas C. Peebles '42 is this year's manager, and Jere Mead '43 will take over after the Yale game. James W. Holt, Jr. 4G conducts the band, while Milton P. Brown 2G.B. acts as drill master.

Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter.

Tags