National Anthem

[GarthB]

Originally posted by bluezebra
I just had the misfortune of listening to another fool giving his own rendition of the Star Spangled (actually "Mangled") Banner at the opening of the World Series. Where do the teams dig up these schmucks? This clown sounded like he was singing a funeral dirge. The National Anthem should be sung as it was written, with no personal interpretations.

Bob

The Star Spangled Banner was written by Francis Scott Key in 1814 as a poem and was titled "Defence of Fort McHenry". His brother-in-law recognized that the words fit the tune "To Anacreon in Heaven," a popular drinking song from the mid 1700's.

That song was written in the key of C. Most band arrangements today are written in the key of A flat. Vocal arrangements depend on the range of the singer.

I don't know anyone who sings it as it was originally written. I have a copy of the original sheet music. You would barely recognize a perfomrance of it. It was written in 6/4 rather than the 3/4 of modern arrangements and the rhythm of the opening line is different that today. Instead of the words "O-oh say can you see?" being dotted eighth, sixteenth, quarter, quarter, quarter, half, as today's versions; they are quarter, dotted quarter, eighth, quarter, quarter.

In my all my various experiences including those of a sports official, member of the military, musician, band director and many others, I have never heard a bad arrangement of our National Anthem. Some may be better than others, but I enjoy hearing it played everytime.

[Edited by GarthB on Oct 22nd, 2005 at 08:53 PM]