What's That Tune?

by Gail Smith

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OK, here's your question:

You are correct if you answered A, "Pomp and Circumstance." Does every graduate of piano lessons know how to play this piece?

It is high school graduation month and also time for the piano recital. There are standard national tests given to evaluate high school students, but what tests are given to determine what piano students must do to graduate from piano lessons? How many songs should they have memorized? How fast must they play their scales? Curriculum varies from state to state and teacher to teacher. Unfortunately, most piano students don't take lessons from first grade through twelfth grade. The national student drop-out rate is high. There are so many activities that pull students away from practicing the piano such as sports, cheer-leading, drama club, part-time jobs, you name it! I wish that all piano students would continue taking lessons all during their school years and "graduate." It's a must to learn theory, scales, arpeggios, chords, Bach Inventions, Beethoven Sonatas, Chopin Preludes, Mozart Concertos, Toccatas, etc., but... I'd like to see a standard that all piano students must learn how to play "Happy Birthday," "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "Pomp and Circumstance" to graduate!

The music played when graduates march down the aisle at graduation is the famous "Pomp and Circumstance" by Edward Elgar. This great composer was born on June 2, 1857. It certainly is fitting that Elgar's famous song is played near his birthday every year throughout America and in fact, the whole world. When that famous melody carrying the strong harmonic chords is played, I am overwhelmed with memories and emotion. Even the title of the song is bold, strong and filled with meaning. "Pomp and Circumstance"--Let's consider what these words mean. The word circumstance is from the Latin word, circum, "to stand." It means a show or ceremony and conditions surrounding and affecting a person. Our circumstances are an event, incident, position, or a situation in life. The word pomp is from the Greek word pompa meaning a solemn procession, a stately display, splendor, or magnificence.

Circumstances in life can make us stronger or we can let them hinder us. Did you know that the composer of this famous march was the band master for five years at a County Lunatic Asylum at Worcester, England? This composer had many unusual circumstances in his life. Elgar grew up in a musical family and learned to play the violin. Elgar succeeded his father as organist of St. George's Roman Catholic Church. In 1889 he married Caroline Alice. Up to the time of his marriage he had composed only small works. The young couple moved to London for the next two years. Then they moved to Malvern where Elgar composed the majority of his great works for orchestra and chorus. His wife encouraged him and knew he was a genius. He received many honors in his day including being knighted Sir Edward Elgar in 1904. He was Professor of Music at Birmingham University. Elgar encouraged, "musical education which shall tend to create listeners, not merely executants." With the invention of the radio he saw a great opportunity for bringing "the best music to the people least able to pay for it." After his wife died in 1920, Elgar composed only a few more works.

Elgar's most famous piece, "Pomp and Circumstance" was composed as a march to keep the soldiers in step at the coronation of Edward VII. Little did Edward Elgar realize that graduates of high school and college for generatious would march to the beat of his song as they step out to the circumstances in the wide world before them.

Teachers, let's strive to motivate our students to keep them playing the piano all through high school and encourage them to learn a variety of music including "Pomp and Circumstance."

The piece this month is an arrangement of "Pomp and Circumstance" from The Complete Church Pianist (p. 167).