Sanctum 33

1917 a college man wrote some words to be sung to *he tune of an old English hunting song; but both these attempts, while meritorious, lacked something or other that would give a song enduring popularity among the old grads and underclass men. Some telepathic message about this state of affairs must have crossed the Allegheny mountains in the direction of New York, for just before the school year opened Joseph Breil, whom Pitts- burgh and the world knows as the composer of the music for "Intolerance", "", "", and other big motion-picture plays, and as the author of a successful grand opera, " ", was inspired to write as follows to the

President of the University :

" Back in the middle eighties, in the days of Fathers Power,

Griffin, McCabe, Gross, Dangelzer and others, I used to trudge up the Bluff every day to the College, to get my

'education.' Since then I have developed into a composer of some distinction and am known practically over the world,

wherever better music is cultivated. "I am sending you a song of mine; perhaps one of your

poets could arrange a text to it, and it could be adopted as the

Duquesne University Hymn. I would be pleased to learn that such a thing has been done.

" Sincerely yours, "Joseph Carl Breil."

It so happens that the new music fits the text sung before the war, without submitting the latter to any fundamental remodeling, and the University will have its wish. The new hymn is the result of the combination.

Mr. Briel's music will have its first hearing at the big Com- munity Banquet that opens the Million Dollar Campaign, Saturday, October 9th, at Syria Mosque. Thus the " old grads " will be given opportunity to hear the song which thousands of Duquesne students of the future will sing in praise of their Alma Mater. Pittsburgh musicians have commented with favor upon

Mr. Briel's music, and the way it has been taken up by the students is indication sufficient of its permanent place among the student songs of the University.