Bacculaureate Service
  June 4, 1972
Baccalaureate Processional Music
Officiant: Father Michael J, Lynch
Graduation
  June 8, 1972
Graduation Day Processional Music
Speakers - in order of appearance:
- Paul Robinson
- Jane Anderson
- Andrea Gunderson
- Philip Davis
Why is Pomp and Circumstance played at graduations?
Pomp and Circumstance in D Major, Op. 39, No. 1, the traditional march used for nearly all graduations,
comes from a larger piece, Pomp and Circumstance Military Marches Op. 39. The first five marches
were written by English composer Edward Elgar between 1901 and 1930, with a sixth published in 1956,
from sketches found after Elgar’s death. The title for this work comes from a line in Shakespeare’s
Othello: “Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!”
In 1902, March #1 was used as part of Edgar's Coronation Ode for King Edward Vll’s Coronation. At
the request of soon to be King Edward Vll, words were added for the Coronation by English poet
Arthur Benson, giving us the song Land of Hope and Glory. These were likely the lyrics sung by
the Robed Choir at our Baccalaureate.
March #1 became THE Graduation March in this and many countries, after it was first played at
Yale in 1905, as the recessional following Sir Edward Elgar’s receiving an Honorary Doctorate of Music.
The tune was then used by Princeton, the University of Chicago, Columbia, and then everybody else.
Since Yale though, it has been used as a processional.
There is just something missing from this page!
Ahh Haa...some candid pictures from Graduation Day! Do you have pictures taken during the ceremony, or later
Graduation day? If you would like to share a couple, e-mail them to us at lacrossecentralhighschool1972@gmail.com and
we'll make them available on the website. No embarrasing photos of fellow classmates now!
While we're at it, rumor has it there were Baby Pictures on a wall at our Graduation Party. Since some of
us may never have had the opportunity to view them, maybe we could recreate that wall here! If you have a baby
photo, and want to share, send it along too. Appropriate attire required, i.e., diaper or better please!
The Wall!
Bet more than a few of us heard these words the morning after graduation!