DESCRIPTION:
The exact authorship of Old King Cole is uncertain, but it began as an early 18th Century Celtic nursery rhyme -- morphing into a cadence call used by the U.S. military starting in the 1980s. This version for DePauw University's Men of Note was arranged by Frank Jacobs '66, conducting here, as a student to spoof the military. Its rapid pace, humor, and singers having to remember their short shouted lines made it a favorite among students in the 1960s as well as alumni at this reunion concert in Greencastle, IN on 6-14-2008. Another challenge for the group is maintaining proper rhythm if someone misses their line, as seen here.

The rock band Genesis used the Old King Cole rhyme in their 1971 album, Nursery Cryme. Comedian George Carlin joked that when the the old king "called for his pipe and he called for his bowl," he was doing it to smoke marijuana. Nat King Cole reportedly said he based his name on the fable of King Cole, "the merry old soul."

More on Old King Cole here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_King_Cole

2009 COLLABORATION UPDATE:
Dorn Younger and Frank Jacobs worked together succesfully as students during the Men of Note's early days, but they were not close friends. That changed during the reunion concert of 2004, after the two men saw each other for the first time in 40 years. A new friendship resulted in performances of new choral music written by Younger for Jacobs and his wife, Arlene Harlow '66, sung by children's choruses in cathedrals across Europe.

More recently Jacobs commissioned Younger to write a 30-35 minute musical tribute for chorus and orchestra to commemorate, in 2009, the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth. While composing Younger said he was "trying musically not to take sides" in remembering those who died on both sides during the Civil War. Lyics for the final of five symphonic songs, "Song of Vision," come from the speeches and writings of Lincoln.

The WORLD PREMIERE of "Lincoln: A Symphonic Tribute" was performed October 24, 2009 by the Summit Choral Society in Akron, OH, with over 300 performers on stage. See excerpt here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=Qzjhc5cEq1E
or contact http://www.summitchoralsociety.org/

updated 2-19-2010/jt

(Video by Media and User Services Dept., DePauw University)