Mr. McAlpin Pens Farewell Song to the Class of 2026

As he prepared for retirement after a remarkable 40 years of teaching and coaching on the Hill, John McAlpin decided to leave one final gift for the departing senior class: a song commemorating the indelible bond shared by graduates of Belmont Hill. 

“For years I have heard the phrase ‘band of brothers’ used to describe the boys who endure hardships and celebrate joys together as they traverse through the School,” Mr. McAlpin said. “I have tried to honor and capture the uniqueness and strength of that bond in song.”

While Mr. McAlpin is best known as a stalwart figure in the science department and on the middle school baseball diamond, his deep love for music has been a constant presence in all that he does. This love transformed into an artistic outlet as Mr. McAlpin began to hone and share his skills as a songwriter. Writing “Band of Brothers” provided him an opportunity to reflect on his time at the School, and he hopes the song inspires the graduating class to do the same. 

“I hope the song generates an emotional mix of nostalgia and pride for their accomplishments and the camaraderie they have shared. I hope it reminds them of their own personal growth and how important the shared experiences and friendships have been in shaping them,” Mr. McAlpin shared. “As they leave, I also hope this song helps to tether them to the School in a meaningful way, such that they realize they can always return and know they still belong.”

The song lyrics, along with a recorded performance by Jim Wooster, can be found below:

Band of Brothers
Lyrics by John McAlpin 

We band of brothers
We happy few
Came together to this Hill 
And were remade anew
Discovered in ourselves
What is just, what is true
We band of brothers
We happy few
 
We struggled alongside each other
In the classroom, on the fields
Tested by each challenge 
The doubt and sacrifice it yields
But with a sense of purpose
And the gift of camaraderie 
We became a band of brothers
For all the world to see
 
How do you measure triumph
What survives the test of time
Will it be the memories of
The mountains that we climbed
Or will it be the friendships forged
In the love between me and you
We band of brothers
We happy few
 
We band of brothers
We happy few
Came together to this Hill 
And were remade anew
Discovered in ourselves
What is just, what is true
We band of brothers
We happy few
 
United to become something
Greater than ourselves
Standing shoulder to shoulder
Our brotherhood compels
One for all, all for one
Know I’ll be there for you
We band of brothers
We happy few
 
Now our time together
Ends today and we part
But we will remember
Where we got our start
Love and shared memories
Until our days are through.                  
We band of brothers
We happy few
 
We band of brothers
We happy few
Came together to this Hill 
And were remade anew
Discovered in ourselves
What is just, what is true
We band of brothers
We happy few
 
We band of brothers 
We happy few
 
We band of brothers
We happy few