Old New Hampshire

"Old New Hampshire" is the original and official state song of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The words were written by Dr. John F. Holmes and music composed by Maurice Hoffmann in 1926. In "Old New Hampshire" was chosen to be the "official" state song first in 1949, then again in November 1977, by the State Song Selection Board. New Hampshire has eight "honorary" state songs, and no other official songs.

In 1926, Dr. John F. Holmes of Manchester wrote the song's lyrics. Maurice Hoffman, Jr., the Franklin Street Congregational Church organist of Manchester, wrote the music. The 1941 General Court voted against making it the state song, and the 1943 General Court killed a bill public contest with cash prizes, to pick a state song. In 1949, the General Court voted in favor of designating "Old New Hampshire" as the state song.

In 1963, the legislature approved "New Hampshire, My New Hampshire", by Julius Richelson and Walter P. Smith of Plymouth, as the "Second State Song". The "Third State Song", designated by the legislature in 1973, was "New Hampshire Hills", with music by Tom Powers of Detroit, Michigan, son of retired Director Edward Powers of the State Sweepstakes Commission, and the late Paul Scott Mowrer, state poet laureate.

In March 1977, "Autumn in New Hampshire," by Leo Austin of Warner, was added as the "Fourth State Song". The addition of this song coincided with the creation of an interim board to recommend one "official" state song and designate the remainder of songs as "honorary".

In June 1977, another song law was enacted by the General Court which added four more songs to the listing of state songs, with a stipulation that if none were chosen by the Board as the official state song, they would become "honorary" state songs. The four songs were: "New Hampshire's Granite State" by Annie B. Currier of Londonderry; "Oh, New Hampshire (You're My Home)" by Brownie Macintosh of Hampton; "The Old Man of the Mountain" by Paul Belanger of Berlin, and "The New Hampshire State March" by Rene Richards of Nashua.

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