Beta Songs
Almost from her birth, Beta Theta Pi has been a singing fraternity, a reputation well acknowledged within the greater Greek community. Today, it is believed that no other fraternity gives as much prominence to singing at initiation than does Beta Theta Pi.
Listen to Beta songs or view their sheet music.
History of Singing in Beta Theta Pi
Early North Americans used song to pass their history and sentiment to their children and grandchildren. By 1847, Betas were singing their love for the fraternity. That year the song sheet of the Wabash Chapter introduced the first known Beta songs. Songs, perhaps these, were heard at the 1848 Convention. The 1856 Convention noted The Beta Waltz.
Award-Winning Beta Chorus
In the early 1860s, the Western Reserve chapter manifested a strong interest in Beta singing by gathering songs from other chapters and requiring each brother to compose a song. The result, published under the leadership of William H. Gaylord and his contemporaries at the direction of the 1864 Convention, was the 1864 songbook. This collection contained songs utilizing familiar airs and college tunes, the best known being Beta Theta Pi, Beta's Emblems and Our Founders, sung at the 1866 Convention Banquet.
After several fruitless attempts to replace the Western Reserve songbook, which was not widely disseminated due to the Civil War, the 1870 Convention entrusted the project to the two-year old Denison Chapter and appointed Charles J. Seaman managing editor. Seaman obtained promises of songs from others attending the convention and used some of his own songs along with those written by other members of his chapter, most notably John S. Tunison. Together they produced the first General Fraternity songbook - the 1872 edition of 41 songs. This edition introduced many significant additions to our musical heritage, among them: Seaman's Alumni's Return and Banquet Song, Tunison's Nostra Insignia (Gemma Nostra) and Doxology, Stillson's There's A Scene, Coulter's As Betas Now We Meet, Ward's Jolly Greeks, Adam's Parting Song, Moore's Let All Stand Together, Beta, Our Bride and Fair, Fair Beta and Walker's Wooglin's Christmas Song. In 1881, Seaman published a selection of these songs for convention use, adding Ransom's Wooglin Forever, Scott's Beta Marseillaise and Hughes' We'll Always Hang Together. Many of these songs reflected the influence of the Civil War employing popular melodies such as Bonnie Blue Flag, Battle Cry of Freedom and Tenting on the Old Campground, implicitly reflecting the sentiments expressed by those songs.
Administrative Office chorus performs at a
General Convention
The succeeding edition of 1884 added identifications of the composers and sheet music, introduced Omega's Hymn and We'll Toast the Silver Grays and reflected awakened interest in light operas by adding several songs written to operatic airs then in vogue. Development of our hymnology continued under the direction of Frank M. Joyce and Frank W. Burgoyne with the 1886, 1891 and 1894 editions, the latter named Carmina Betas, Carmina being Latin for song. It contained both Beta songs and chapter songs, the most notable addition among its 72 selections being Good Betas Sing Forever, which begins "Let the zephyr sigh or the tempest blow."
By the 1890s, Horace Lozier had begun composing Beta songs. He edited the next edition of the songbook in 1902. That edition added his songs Beta Postscript, Beta Sires and Beta Sons, She Wears My Beta Pin, Clan Wooglin Marches, In the Old Porch Chairs, Wooglin to the Pledge and The Loving Cup to our musical catalogue. Throughout this same period singing became an integral part of our ceremonies and rituals.
Over the next 40 years, Lozier edited successive editions of the songbook. Under Lozier's direction, the 1907 Edition was published only after the music was carefully arranged and all of the words of old songs had been carefully verified by comparison with the originals in consultation with the composers. Succeeding editions, such as the 1917 Edition, were substantially reprints of the 1907 Edition. They added new compositions to the anthology of Beta songs — the largest of any fraternity — and introduced new Beta composers, the most important of which was Ken Rogers, composer of Marching Along. Many of his songs are so well written that they are equally effective when read as when sung. By 1994, 26 editions of Songs of Beta Theta Pi had been published.
After interest in singing declined during the 1970s, a new emphasis was placed on singing, and an award for the Best New Beta Song was created and first presented in 1986. This new emphasis on our musical heritage has resulted in a rebirth of singing and new arrangements in four-part harmony of the most popular songs. Our hymnology has been expanded further with the composition of new songs by young Betas seeking to capture their fraternal sentiments in song.
