Chords of Might

The word ‘charm’ etched onto a cornice caught my eye recently on Harvard’s campus. Who carves such a light-hearted word into stone? The Harvard music department, as it happens. The full inscription is “To charm, to strengthen and to teach — these are the three great chords of might.”

The phrase comes from a Longfellow poem called “The Singers.” Apt place for it. I wonder if the musical setting plays in the lobby when one opens the door.