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Anchors
Aweigh
2LT Charles Adams Zimmermann, USMC, a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, had been selected as the bandmaster of the Naval Academy Band in 1887 at the age of 26. His father, Charles G. Zimmermann, had played in the band during the Civil War years. Early in his career, Bandmaster Zimmermann started the practice of composing a march for each graduating class. By 1892, "Zimmy", as he was affectionately known by the midshipmen, became so popular that he was presented with a gold medal by that year's class. More gold medals followed as Zimmermann wrote a march for each succeeding class. Midshipman First Class Alfred Hart Miles, a member of the Class of 1907, approached Bandmaster Zimmermann with a request for a new march. Miles and his classmates "were eager to have a piece of music that would be inspiring, one with a swing to it so it could be used as a football marching song, and one that would live forever." Supposedly, with the two men seated at the Naval Academy Chapel organ, Zimmermann composed the tune and Miles set the title and wrote the two first stanzas. This march, "Anchor's Aweigh", was subsequently dedicated to the Academy Class of 1907. To fill vacant officer billets in the fleet, the Class of 1907 graduated in three sections, with the first graduation held in February 1906. This placed the Class Supper in October 1905 and as was the tradition, it is possible that the Class March, “Anchors Aweigh” was performed that night. The first mention of a performance of “Anchors Aweigh” was at the Class of 1907 Farewell Ball on February 12, 1906. This march was played by the band and sung by the brigade at the 1906 Army-Navy football game, and for the first time since 1900, Navy won. Midshipman Royal Lovell, Class of 1926, wrote a third stanza. Later, George D. Lottman wrote the popular verses that were widely used until 1997 when the Master Chief of the Navy, John Hagan, slightly revised these verses to be more inclusive of all naval personnel. No original manuscript of “Anchor's Aweigh” has been found. The oldest known manuscript is a full band arrangement by 1LT Adolf Torovsky, USMC dated 1926. It is currently held in the U.S. Naval Academy Archives. Original Lyrics
Verse 1 Verse 2
Verse 3 Revised Lyrics Verse 1
Bridge Verse 2 Bridge Verse 3
Lyrics by CDR Roy DeS. Horn, USN (Ret) Now colleges from sea to sea So hoist our colors, hoist them high, Four years together by the Bay "Eternal
Father, Strong to Save": The Navy Hymn
The song known to United States Navy men and women as the "Navy Hymn," is a musical benediction that long has had a special appeal to seafaring men, particularly in the American Navy and the Royal Navies of the British Commonwealth and which, in more recent years, has become a part of French naval tradition. The original words were written as a hymn by a schoolmaster and clergyman of the Church of England, the Rev. William Whiting. Rev. Whiting (1825-1878) resided on the English coast near the sea and had once survived a furious storm in the Mediterranean. His experiences inspired him to pen the ode, "Eternal Father, Strong to Save." In the following year, 1861, the words were adapted to music by another English clergyman, the Rev. John B. Dykes (1823-1876) , who had originally written the music as "Melita" (ancient name for the Mediterranean island of Malta). Rev. Dykes' name may be recognized as that of the composer given credit for the music to many other well-known hymns, including "Holy, Holy, Holy," "Lead, Kindly Light," "Jesus, Lover of My Soul," and "Nearer, My God to Thee." In the United States, in 1879 the late Rear Adm. Charles Jackson Train, an 1865 graduate of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis was a lieutenant commander stationed at the Academy in charge of the Midshipman Choir. In that year, Lt. Comdr. Train inaugurated the present practice of concluding each Sunday's Divine Services at the Academy with the singing of the first verse of this hymn. The hymn, entitled "Eternal Father, Strong to Save," is found in most Protestant Hymnals. It can be more easily located in these hymnals by consulting the "Index to First Lines" under "Eternal Father, Strong to Save." The words have been changed several times since the original hymn by Rev. Whiting was first published in 1860-61. One will find that the verses as now published differ from the original primarily in the choice of one or two words in several lines of each verse. However, inasmuch as it is not known whether the original words are now available in a hymnal, those original words are given below: Verse 1 Verse 2 Verse 3 Verse 4
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