St. Alban’s High School Alma Mater (1955)

I had just arrived as band director at SAHS in august 1955. I was full of energy, anxious to lead a band that would play fine music. At the time, I was living at home (age 24, in South Charleston). After a few weeks of working in my new job, it occurred to me that a school with as rich a history as St. Albans should have a “school song”. I became highly motivated to make that happen, wrote this in one afternoon, after football season). It’s still the official alma mater all these years later.

Having finished the melody and lyrics, the next job was to write choral parts, which I did.

I introduced the “new” Alma Mater late that fall, but it didn’t get performed until the following year, when I assumed the director ship of the choral music program.

I taught at St. Albans from 1955 until 1963, a time I will never forget.

That same year — 1955-56 — I was on a roll, and began writing lyrics to fight songs. I wrote the words “Go Red Dragons, go all the way” which I understand is still being sung at SAHS athletic events.

In January 1956, the school principal (Basil Liggett (an excellent school leader whom I admired greatly), advised me that the band had bene invited to attend the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in April in Washington, D.C.

I was flabbergasted. The band was barely scraping by, virtually without funds. Such an event would be costly, and it was left to me to find a way to pay for the trip.

along with a few donations and fudn raiser, I decided we would produc a music show with Proceeds targeted for the costs of the Washington trip. And we did. And we named the show “OPUS 56”. That was the first Opus, and the trip to Washington became a reality.

It only followed that the success of Opus 56 would lead to “OPUS 57” and so on until I left St. Ablans for a teaching position in Virginia in 1963. I’ll not soon forget the richly rewarding years I taught music at SAHS; it remains a treat to meet socially with former students and friends from those times.

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If anyone knows of an online recording of the Alma Mater (the more official the better), please send us the link via our Contact form. Thank you!