How can anything you've heard so many times be a surprise? You'd be surprised. This month's sightreading handout* offers three exercises with melodies you will recognize when you play them, yet each has it's own surprise.
The first has been a graduation/farewell song in Japan since 1881, titled Hotaru no Hikari (Glow of a Firefly). It's about students recalling all the hardships they shared to get to graduation, including the legend of having to read and study late into the night using only the light of a firefly. You'll be surprised when you hear the melody.
The second is also familiar, but its surprise is that it's been a student beer-drinking song with ribald Latin lyrics since the 13th century. It was also used by Brahms to play a trick on a university that insisted he compose something for them in exchange for an honorary doctorate. Brahms had a sense of humor!
The third is what you always expect at graduations, but here the surprise is in seeing how the British go nuts about it every year at the Proms, their annual music festival having nothing to do with graduations.
Chords are indicated for all three exercises for those more interested in ad libs than sightreads. Enjoy!