We Hail The Glorious Twenty-Fourth

When my father was feeling especially well he would jokingly try to lead us kids in a verse or two. He always started out with a big — “O" … We hail the glorious 24th, its memory every dear” and we would all start to laugh. That is about as much as we ever sang this one around home. Isaac however had charge of the Sunday school and the choir, for many years, so he had the means and perhaps the need, to create and practice this song. In pioneer times if you needed a song for a special occasion, you had to write your own.

We Hail The Glorious Twenty-Fourth

Isaac Sorensen wrote this song, “We Hail The Glorious Twenty-Fourth,” music and words for use in Mendon’s Twenty-Fourth of July celebrations. Mendon, like many other towns in the intermountain west, seems to put as much or more effort into the celebration of the first pioneers of 1847 coming into the Great Salt Lake Valley, as they do the Fourth of July. Often a parade would be offered the citizens of Mendon and a big festivity was always held, even speeches were made. One would suppose it is much the same as today . . . This song would be practiced during Sunday school for a few weeks prior to the celebration and either the choir or the town folks would give it a stirring rendition, every year for many years.

Mendon sponsors two big celebrations now, May Day and the 24th of July in a big way, and an Easter egg hunt, Halloween fall festival to a much less extent. Christmas was a big ward celebration with gifts for Sunday school attendance and a children's dance in the afternoon of Christmas day, prior to about 1969. The ward let that lapse for the most part; the primary now does a small thing for the children after a span of some many years.

From time to time you will still hear this in song sung in church, around Pioneer Day.

We Hail The Gloiour Twenty-Fourth

1. We hail the glorious Twenty Fourth its mem’ry ever dear
The day when first the pioneers in Salt Lake did appear;
With Brigham Young their leader across the mighty plains,
They marched with spirits eager the valleys to obtain.

2. They could no longer tarry in land of tyranny
Where liberty and freedom in ev’ry heart should be;
So out into the desert they hurled this little band
Triumphantly they shouted we’ve cleared them from our land.

3. But lo! in Salt Lake Valley a refuge soon they found
Where all the Saints could rally all at the trumpet's sound;
from ev’ry land and nation now see them gather home
to this our mountain station to peaceful vales to roam.

4. And now behold our city in splendor and in fame,
Oh mob where is your pity your lot is endless shame;
You drove us from our dwellings but yet with spirits gay
we celebrate the mem’ry of this eventful day.

Chorus

So! We hail the glorious Twenty Fourth! Its mem’ry ever dear,
The day when first the pioneers in Salt Lake did appear!