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The Forgotten
Rotary Hymn*
Though the hymn is
widely unknown, it nevertheless exists. No less a person than
Franz Lehár, the great master of the operetta, has composed a
hymn for the Rotary community. In 1926, a year after the Rotary
Club of Vienna was founded, whose world famous member Lehár was,
he dedicated a Rotary Hymn to his club. Originally it was
composed for baritone and piano. Later the text was written by
Dr. Fritz Loehner-Beda.
The times were
anything else but rosy. From the very start, the young Vienna
club was engaged in community service. At times, the members
distributed 300 meals a day to needy people. The hymn was born
in times of severe social problems and a common feeling of
hopelessness not only in Germany, but also in Austria. The text
by Fritz Loehner-Beda must be understood regarding this
background:
“Brothers of
Rotary, forward to work […], friendship and love are
forgotten; great is the grief of mankind today! Sow the
seed! Turn the wheel around the world happily in service!
Help with advice and deed! Endless turns the big wheel!”
In Vienna and
Berlin, the author of the text was known from a totally
different side. People were used to chansons written by him,
which survived for decades: “Just Bananas” (“Ausgerechnet
Bananen”), or “What Do You Do with Your Knee, Dear Hans” (Was
machst du mit dem Knie, lieber Hans”). In addition, libretti
including “Land of Smile”, “Flower of Hawaii” were written by
the Bohemia born Loehner-Beda. He had studied law in Vienna, but
favoured the cabaret and the operetta. Loehner-Beda was of
Jewish origin. From biographies of Lehár we know, that
Loehner-Beda was a close friend of the composer.
| "The Forgotten Rotary Hymn by
Franz Léhar". The caption reads: A picture from
better days (1930) and one of the few, which
shows Fritz Loehner-Beda (above left): Franz
Léhar (lower left) with the singers Gitta Alpar
and Richard Tauber and the librettist Ludwig
Herzer (above right). |
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There is
historical proof, that Lehár tried more than once to protect
Loehner-Beda from prosecution and especially from the
concentration camp. Though Lehár’s connections in Germany were
excellent, he couldn’t prevent that... the librettist of the
“Merry Widow” - the operetta which Hitler liked most - died in
1942 in the concentration camp of Auschwitz after four and a
half years of imprisonment.
The date of the
first performance of the Rotary Hymn is not known. Very likely
the hymn was played during the World Convention in Vienna in
1931, when Lehár donated a signed orchestra version to the
Rotary community.
 The Lehár hymn was not such a spectacular success as “Land of
Smile”. Nevertheless, the hymn is considered by experts as
“worth listening to”. In 2001, Rotarian Cord Garben, a pianist
and leader from Hamburg, went on tour with a Polish-German Youth
Orchestra. They played music from the second decade of twentieth
century, including a newly adapted version of the Rotary Hymn by
Cord Garben**.
Is there any
reason, why Rotary should not adopt this hymn written by a
world-famous composer as the “Official Rotary Hymn” to be played
on special occasions?
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*The article is
based on an article in the German Rotary Magazine “Der Rotarier”,
December 2001, by Hans-Gerd Bruns, RC Oldenburg-Ammerland
(District 1850, Germany).
**The CD “The
Classical Saloon” by the Polish-German Youth Orchestra is still
available from Richard Pyritz, RC Ratzeburg (District 1940,
Germany, ph. +49-4541-2444, fax +49-4541-4261).
Final part of the
orchestra version of the Rotary Hymn signed by Franz Lehár. |
