For now, this page will serve as a resource site for the SongBook Project. Sheet music will be made available for download from this page; hopefully sometime soon, so will .MP3 files of the songs and their component voice parts.
For the future, who knows?
The most pressing question, I'm sure, on your mind, is "What songs will the SongBook include?" The list is currently in development, but here's what we've got so far for consideration:
Also, the "official" melody for the Alpha Rho Chi Lullaby can be found in the current Archi Pledge, which is also viewable as a .PDF from the national fraternity web site.
Back to the topLyrics by Prof. Herbert R. Cross
Music by [Unknown]
The song that started this project. Plans currently are to do this in 4-part, SATB harmony. Tenors and bass lines will be doubled up. I see no reason to deviate from the "official" melody and harmonies printed in the Archi Pledge. This will either be the first or the last song on the album, I figure. The score for this is included in the .PDF download above.
Full 4-part harmonies in mp3 format can be downloaded here.
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Lyrics by Dwight Palmer "Pop" Ely
Music by Dwight Palmer "Pop" Ely
Update 8/30/05:Having talked to some fellow musicians and arrangers, I think we'll have to re-arrange this one, with some different chord inversions to make this singable. May still have to transpose it up a few steps, too, but with some chord inversions, we won't have to bump it up quite so high.
One of two songs we have courtesy of "Pop" Ely, this is in 4-part harmony that occasionally splits to 5-part. I figure the split will be between the tenors, making this SATTB. There are a couple points where the harmonies don't line up with the lyrics, so it maybe be solo with "Oooh" back-up. We'll have to discuss this. The score for this is included in the .PDF download above.
Listen
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Lyrics by [Unknown]
Music by [Unknown]
Update 8/30/05: Having taken a chance to transcribe this and listen to it, I realized now that this is a song written for melody only with piano accompaniment. It's got a kind of Vaudeville/Gypsy Rose Lee sound to it. The score for this is included in the .PDF download above.
Listen
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Lyrics by Dwight Palmer "Pop" Ely
Music by Dwight Palmer "Pop" Ely
This should not be confused with "The Sweetheart Song" as it is, as the Monty Python boys put it, "something completely different." This is obviously written for solo with 5-part vocal backup. The parts are split such that there are 2 male voice parts and 3 female parts, so either we will (a) have a tenor sing the bottom female part, (b) double-up the female vocal tracks, or (c) punt. We'll probably have male soloist, since that works with the lyrics best. Sorry, ladies. The score for this is included in the .PDF download above.
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Lyrics by [Unknown]
Music by [Unknown]
If you were educated in Region 8, this is not the Toast you know and love, though it bears striking similarity. It is written in 4-part harmony, looks like barbershop. It is definitely a TTBB song, based on two important facts: (1) the range and key in which it is written, and (2) the note at the top that says, "Melody in second tenor." This is classic barbershop, and will no doubt work best with a men's chorus. The score for this is included in the .PDF download above.
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Lyrics by [Unknown]
Melody by [Unknown]
Harmonies by Ann Lyles MacPhail
The song that started this whole thing, about 3 years ago, I think it was...
Update 8/30/05: Much thanks to Pearl for tracking down the sheet music.
Once upon a time, a friend of mine transcribed the melody of this song as I sang it to her over the phone, and then wrote up barbershop harmonies according to the rules of barbershop harmony (yes, there are RULES to these things). This is another TTBB song.
Listen
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Lyrics and Music by C. R. Norris, (ANDR, 1926)
and R. A. Duell (ANDR, 1925)
I had no idea this song was that old. This is, apparently, the quintessential Andronicus Song. I only have a melody for it as of right now. The "official" melody, according to the Archi Pledge is similar to but still different from the one that's been handed down through the generations. The lyrics are the ones we know and love. I don't know if we'll do harmony on this one or not; it's not required that all songs have harmony. In fact, the next one works best without.
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Lyrics by [Unknown]
Melody by [Unknown]
Ahh... the unofficial Andronicus drinking song. Maybe it's the drinking song for more than just Andronicus, who knows? I don't really care. I have (what I think) is a great idea of how to do this one. No harmonies, just everyone singing the melody. As far as how the song progresses, think of the Beach Boys' Barbara Ann. Imagine a few guys out at the pub, drinking like [insert name of alma mater here] won the Big Game. One person starts singing this song, and the rest join in. Men and women both, 'cuz this one's all about fun. In fact, considering the lyrics, having the women join in is particularly ironic, and I like that. I have yet to transcribe the melody.
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Lyrics by [Unknown]
Melody: old Civil War marching song; also, the Battle Hymn of the Republic
Not sure about this one. There are a couple different versions, and one lyric changes depending on which school you're at. "Architecture is my major, at dear old USC/ASU/CalPoly/FSU/U of I/Michigan..." etc. Still, we can consider it, at least.
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Lyrics by [Unknown]
Melody by [Unknown]
Not sure exactly how we'll do this one, but it would seem such a pity to leave it out. The ultimate pledge song, right? Possible to do this similar to O'Leary's Bar, but just have everyone start together. Ideally, it should not sound as stiff and stilted as we are familiar with hearing it from the pledges. This should be an example of what it should sound like, not what it usually does sound like. Other than that, I got nothin' but what we all "know."
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Lyrics by Kurt Hanna (ANDR 2003) and Anthony McLin (ANDR 2002)
Melody by Frank Churchill
Oh, come on! I can't not suggest a song I co-wrote on a project like this. Whether we do it or not (and I'd like to work it in), I had to mention it on "The List." Of course, we would have to get permission from the other lyricist...
The music is of course that of "Heigh-Ho: The Dwarfs' Digging and Marching Song" from the Disney classic "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." The lyrics were "penned" by Anthony and Kurt while walking to and from design studio -- mostly very late at night -- and there are maybe eight or nine verses, total. I've chosen five that work the best (and that I can remember), but if we come up with more, hey!
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