The East High School Alma Mater East High School,
Memphis, Tennessee
The words are the same, but the
music has apparently changed.*
Listen to the two versions of our Alma Mater as performed by the East
High Choir — 40 years apart.
The East
High School Alma
Mater as
performed May 23, 1967
The East
High School Alma
Mater as
performed Nov. 20, 2007
The East
High School Alma Mater Words written in 1950 by East student Shirley Wilkes ('51)
How dear to all our memories And fondest dreams
we'll share Are days we've
spent within your halls, With friends who
tarried there. Our hearts sing out
to thee, Alma Mater, to the
sky; We'll always think
of you and love you, Dear old East High.
We love and cherish
thee And you'll always
find us true, For all you've
meant to us these years In memory lives
anew. Our lamp of
knowledge brightly burns, we owe its light to
you; These days with you
will never die Nor will our love
for you.
Text source:
Student Handbook for East High School
Published by the Student Council
circa 1967
Sheet music of early version
Ed Skinner (associated with the Class of '66) took on the task to
transcribing into sheet music the audio recording of the East High
School Alma Mater as preformed at the 1967 commencement exercise. His
efforts are appreciated! The sheet music reproduced below.
The Melody
*The
melody for the East High Alma Mater is reported that of the hymn "Lead On, O
King Eternal." According to the 1967 East High band director and the
2007 East High choir director and that is what they believe it has
always been. However, the performance of the two versions above
(1967 and 2007), seem to be arranged differently or otherwise
altered such that it is easy to think they are sung to different melodies..