Songs of Dartmouth
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Dartmouth Undying
Twilight Song
Hanover Winter Song
Dartmouth Alma Mater
Hums Inter-Fraternity Choral Competition
Hums, the spring inter-fraternity a capella choral competition held each year on the Friday night of Green Key Weekend was a Dartmouth tradition going back to 1899. Sponsored by the Inter-Fraternity Council, it pitted the various fraternities against each other. The judging was based on percentage participation, song selection, group appearance, and quality of performance.
Each house had a Hums leader who selected arrangements, divided the house into parts (alto, tenor, baritone and bass) and led them in learning their parts. As a nod to the percentage participation judging factor, those that could not carry a tune, affectionately known as “bags,” still learn the songs but just lip-sync the words.
For weeks before the performance, on ever-warming spring evenings, fraternities rehearsed for Hums on the steps of Dartmouth Hall. The sound of harmonizing men’s voices drifting across campus on those warm May evenings was magical.
And finally, on the Friday night of Green Key Weekend on the steps of Dartmouth Hall with the whole student body and their dates assembled, the full-blown Hums competition took place with every available member of each fraternity dressed in black shoes, black chinos and white shirts singing their hearts out just for the honor of winning this age-old competition. And there were some spine-tingling performances as well-harmonized groups sang a capella many of the old-time pop classics, Dartmouth favorites, and an occasional new composition.
In the early 1980’s, home-grown songs became the norm at Hums and eventually they became too raunchy to tolerate. So … another sweet tradition was ended. Those of us who remember Hums, cherish the memory. Courtesy of Ken Reiber '66, here is a rare WDCR recording of Alpha Theta from the 1965 Hums.
Alpha Theta 1965 Hums part 1
Alpha Theta 1965 Hums part 2