As I finally climb out of the rut to bring you an answer from our Master Debater program on Bagpipe Monday, I have an extra hop in my step. I get to talk to you a little bit about one of the things that truly makes a gameday experience at a collegiate football game superior to those of the professional nature.
The band bitches! Not just any old band- but the oldest damn band in all the land… The Band of the Fighting Irish. And, if you are anything .like me (pray to God the comparison stops here) you get not only fired up when the band marches and plays in all its glory, but choked up as well.
I can’t help it. I’m a fucking warrior, and the band is my soundtrack of death and destruction. Nothing the band plays gets my goosebumps popping, my throat tighter, my bloodlust lusting, my adrenaline pumping, or any number of psychotic things more, than the Celtic Chant.It’s takes me back a millennium or two to the days when men were men, and death came swift and brutal.
It’s actually hard to imagine that this particular piece of music is a recent edition that was composed by Notre Dame Director of Bands, Dr. Kenneth Dye and introduced sometime in the early 2000’s ( I am unaware of the exact time). It has become a staple at any Irish sporting event and basically- a new tradition at a historical school (which is hard to do). The student body has embraced the song as its “battle hymn” and they pump their fists in a synchronized manner.
Speaking of pumping the fists… some of the stuff you see while this song is played is a bit comical. Zealous fans throughout the stadium try, sometimes with success- but most often without success, to emulate the student body in their fist pumps. You’ll see a couple of guys trying it, and one will say, “No like this…” Fellas, and ladies, just let the student body take care of this one lest you look a little goofy.
I’ll leave you with one more little thought before I end this sleep-deprived induced post ( I’m feeling a little woozy here)… When Notre Dame and U$C get together the Celtic Chant becomes a part of something ancient. What am I talking about? U$C constantly plays it’s Tribute to Troy battle anthem throughout the game as the Irish play theirs with the Celtic Chant. It just sounds like war, like something out of Ben-Hur or Spartacus- you get the idea. It sounds badass. Embrace that.
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