Cardinals Set to Sing New Song and Welcome New Tradition
UIW Introduces First-Ever Lyrics to Fight Song
San Antonio, October 16, 2019 – With every touchdown and every victory, for years, the University of the Incarnate Word fight song has played to chants of “U-I-W.” Still there was something missing. That will change this weekend. UIW is set to introduce lyrics to the UIW fight song. It will be sung for the first time ever at the Community Appreciation football game this Saturday, October 12, 2019 at 4 p.m. at Benson Stadium
When the UIW football program played its first football game in 2009, the University borrowed the fight song of the University of Notre Dame. In 2015, UIW worked with local composer Tommy Fry to create the music for its own unique fight song, titled Cardinal Fight, that has been used ever since. Now, after a year of work and with the help of Dr. Brett Richardson and UIW student and Spirit Team member Nicolas Ramon, the music has lyrics that reflect the Cardinal spirit. The hope is that it will create a new tradition that will inspire all Cardinals for this game and every game going forward.
“After visiting with Dr. Richardson during the Fall 2014 banquet, I learned that the University did not have a fight song,” says Composer Tommy Fry. “To recognize Dr. Richardson’s efforts to build a band program at UIW, I wrote the music for the fight song and presented it to Dr. Richardson as my gift to him and the UIW band.” Fry and his wife, Bobbye, are long-time supporters of UIW. Dr. Bobbye Fry currently serves as Special Assistant to the Vice President of Enrollment Services.
“This is truly a gift from our community, to our community,” says Dr. Brett Richardson, assistant professor and Cardinal Band director. “Everyone associated with this effort, music and lyrics, is part of the UIW family and to know that this song will be sung for decades to come is an unbelievable blessing for everyone involved.”
The UIW community will get its first chance to see and sing the new words to the fight song when the Cardinals take on Lamar this Saturday.