Quote:
Originally Posted by Camron Rust
That was probably the worst anthem since Rosanne Barr. Utterly irritating.
The best in recent memory...the 2009 Orange Bowl by Arturo Sandoval. His performance was both stunning and chillingly gripping, not an "everybody look at me" performance. YouTube - Arturo Sandoval National Anthem, 2009 Orange Bowl. |
I agree on both counts. The clip you posted by Sandoval was very good - the octave jump at the end was nothing short of stunning.
One of my personal favorites is the performance by Josh Groban at a Lions/Packers game - Thanksgiving of 2001 if I remember correctly. I was less enthralled with the version he did at the 2010 Rose Bowl, accompanied by the base guitarist from Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Minor variations to fit a particular performer's vocal style don't bother me, but I really hate it when they butcher it. That said, it's not an easy piece of music to perform. Speaking as one who in years long past has had the honor and privilege to perform it a number of times (including 1 NBA and a couple WHL hockey games), I have always done it straight.... the way it was written.