Sheet Music: On, Wisconsin!

TitleOn, Wisconsin!
ComposerWilliam T. Purdy (1882–1918)
InstrumentationFlute solo
KeyD major
RangeD4–E6
Time signature2/4
Tempo136 BPM
Performance time2:10
Difficulty levelintermediate
Download printable scorePDF Sheet Music (61 kB) (preview)
Download audio tracksMIDI (change tempo/key) MP3 (1 MB)
Date added2010-10-04
Last updated2010-10-04
Download popularity index☆☆☆☆☆ 0.6 (below average)
Categories
Fight songs, Marches, Sports music

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Monday 4 October 2010

Tune of the Day: On, Wisconsin!

Fight song of the University of Wisconsin

“On, Wisconsin!” is not only a fight song, but it has also been designated as the official state song of Wisconsin. It is undoubtedly one of the most popular school songs in the United States, and has been adopted by thousands of high school bands as their own. It is rare to attend a high school football game anywhere in the U.S. and not hear this march being performed by at least one of the school bands. Even John Philip Sousa regarded it as “the finest of college marching songs”.

The melody of this famous song was composed in 1909 by William T. Purdy, a corporation clerk who prior to that time had never set foot in Wisconsin. He originally wrote it with the intention of entering it into a competition for a new fight song at the University of Minnesota. Carl Beck, a former University of Wisconsin–Madison student, convinced him to withdraw it from the contest at the last minute, and allow his alma mater to use it instead. Beck then wrote the original, football-oriented lyrics, changing the words “Minnesota, Minnesota” to “On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!”