By John Butcher
A piece of Duke Kunshan history has been made with the composition of a university anthem that was played for the first time at the inaugural class graduation on May 20.
Comprised of bilingual lyrics composed by Christopher Van Velzer, director of global education and musical director Xiaowei Zhou, and set to music composed by visiting Italian professor Maximiliano Amici, ‘With Voices Raised’ beat 13 rival submissions to triumph in a competition to choose a DKU alma mater.
“The alma mater selection committee was extremely impressed with all the entries we received. The talent within the DKU community is just extraordinary,” said Marcia France, associate vice-chancellor for undergraduate studies and the Language and Culture Center, who sat on the alma mater selection committee.
“We were drawn to the winning entry ‘With Voices Raised’ because we felt that it truly captured the unique spirit of DKU – including both our commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and our global nature.”
The alma mater song was chosen first through a committee that whittled the submissions down to a final three and then through a community vote involving staff, faculty and students at the university. Runner up to the chosen song was ‘Dear DKU’, written by Ace Asim from DKU’s class of 2025, followed in third place by another undergraduate student.
Van Velzer said he aimed to create a song that would remind the DKU community “what we’ve been through together, who we are, and who we are still striving to become”.
“Music is a uniquely human way to express and share that kind of meaning, and my greatest hope is that the alma mater is a tradition that allows our community to reflect, remember who we are, and draw strength from one another in those moments,” he said.
Asim described being involved in the process as the “opportunity of a lifetime,” and said it was an “honor” to come in second.
“This was the first time I’ve published lyrics, and it has encouraged me to put my lyrics out there more,” he added.
All the winners received prizes. For the winning song, which Van Velzer wrote over the course of a year, musical director Zhou Xiaowei also wrote a Chinese version of the lyrics, and it was set to music by Maximiliano Amici, a visiting professor of music at DKU.
Amici said he hopes that singing the piece would be a “moment of communion and a celebration of belonging to something bigger than ourselves”.
Aside from meeting with Van Velzer to discuss the music’s mood he also drew on harmonies common to the anthems of DKU’s founding institutions, Duke University in the United States, and Wuhan University in China.
“I used those common harmonies in DKU’s alma mater, to symbolize the filiation of this new university from these two distinguished schools, which can be heard under the words ‘as we begin to build,’” he said.
Van Velzer said DKU’s inaugural class had been a major source of inspiration for the song’s lyrics.
“Everything that everyone has worked so hard to build, not only as a new university, but also in the face of the extraordinary challenges of our times, is making DKU’s history,” he said.
“That’s true of our faculty and curriculum, the physical campus itself, our relationship with Kunshan, Duke University, Wuhan University, the programs and research and organizations that have formed, and above all, the character and spirit of our student body.
“It was already, and will continue to be, a privilege to be a part of this extraordinary community and the legacy of all that we are building together,” he added.
With voices raised, and friendship bound
歌声嘹亮，友谊绵长
In Kunshan lies our sacred ground
昆杜校园，满载期望
Together seeking all that’s known
学海无边，真理无垠
There are no borders to this home
亲如家人，并肩追寻
—-
With each success we press on still,
顺时不骄，砥砺前行
Through every trial we find our will,
困时不馁，意志坚定
Without an end, as we begin
征途漫漫，无止无尽
To build beyond, we reach within
不断超越，沉淀心性
==第二段==
And rooted firm, throughout the world,
扎根深土，心连天下
A knowledge lived, above all learned
融会贯通，智慧生花
Not just to save through charity,
自尊自律，广结善意
We pledge our solidarity
同心同德，和衷共济
—-
No east or west to mark a seam,
江海相通，东西相融
The Oceans bind us in this dream
五湖互连，四海共梦
Now with one voice
齐心同声，同频共振
In all we do
We press on through
Made strong and true:
勇闯难关，顽强真诚
勇闯难关，顽强真诚
{last line sung in unison, in English and Chinese}
We all are D-K-U!
我 们 是 D-K-U!
我们就是，DKU
我们都是，DKU
