Every university professor endures at least two commencement ceremonies every year, an academic ritual seen by many as a requirement to don academic regalia and sit through a tedious series of speeches and an endless line of graduating students receiving degrees. I never tired of commencements, perhaps because I got to dress up in my fabulous pink-lined doctoral robes and prove to my colleagues that, yes, music doctorates were really a thing.

Many who study other professions are not aware that music is, in fact, one of the oldest areas of academic study. Theology (denoted by red) was first and as the first musicians were priests, they received theology colors. But when music became an area of study outside religion it was made separate from the priesthood, it became its own area of study, designated by a lighter shade of red (pink!).

One of my great joys was to create music to be played by my brass choir for the academic procession of faculty as they processed into commencement ceremonies. This march by the great late Renaissance English composer William Byrd (c.1540-1643) was originally composed for keyboard as part of a larger suite, probably intended for courtly dances. I place all the trumpets on the melody line while the lower brass provide a lively, yet stately counterpoint.

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