National Anthem

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 7:57 pm

Sean has a "politics" forum?! Where? My browser doesn't show it--maybe it's reserved for right-wingers.

There are other possibilities--the LOC music site has a few works purporting to be "national anthems".

I like the 1896 "Song of Freedom" (music by Franz Wald, music by Florence Jones). Nice simple melody, good words, easy range. Non-military.

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 9:43 pm

highpitch wrote:As scored in the 1840 "American Brass Band Journal", it is a really pretty baroque waltz, with full embellishments. The original score resides in the Library of Congress, and I've started the process to secure a copy.

Are you talking about the G.W.E Friedrich version in the BBJ? It's online at LOC.

There's also an arrangement of it in the Port Royal Band Book of 1864, also online.

The online score that's most faithful to the JSS "Anacreon in Heaven" is at the Duke Scriptorium:

http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/sheetmusic/n/n14/n1438/

You'll note it's in 6/4., just like AAIH.

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 9:44 pm

bloke wrote:You'll see "Politics" if you log in and go back to the main index.

Found it, Joe! Thanks.

Doug@GT · Post by **Doug@GT** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 10:19 pm

The thing with America the Beautiful is that it is a very "reflective" song, at least to me. IMHO, it should never be played fast or bombastically. There is a reverence to the song, brought on by the lyrics and the music (especially the C. Dragon verson). What this means, is that no one but really freaking good bands could ever play it. We played it at JanFest at UGA my senior year of High School, Jan. 2002 right after the 9/11 attacks, and I confess nothing could have been more moving.

Go to a high school or college football game, and chances are the band playing the Star Spangled Banner that sounds ok, would sound absolutely terrible playing America the Beautiful.

The Star Spangled Banner, at least in its current setting, has the "march" feel for a reason. You want to stand for it, it can be approached by groups of any playing ability to some measure of success, and it makes you want to cheer afterwards. That's what makes it a great national anthem.

At the olympics, I hear other countries' anthems and wonder how they could possibly be stirred to national pride by the boring, mundane music (since we never hear lyrics).

There is an adaptation of John Philip Sousa's arrangement for band that my old high school (and maybe U[sic]GA, not too sure) uses, that gets the message of the tune across better than any other I've heard.

So, keep SSB as the national anthem, but AtB should certainly be used more at concerts. It was great to hear at Pres. Reagan's funeral.

Joe Baker · Post by **Joe Baker** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 10:32 pm

Canada has two national languages; can't we have two national anthems? Make the SSB the outdoor/sports national anthem, and AtB the indoor/ceremonial anthem.
__________________________
Joe Baker, whose pride is stirred by the SSB, but whose soul is moved by AtB

TMurphy · Post by **TMurphy** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 10:33 pm

I know this isn't what the thread is about, but I cannot get the politics forum to appear, despite my best efforts, I log out, I log back in, I try a different browser...nothing. Any ideas???

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 10:57 pm

TMurphy wrote:I know this isn't what the thread is about, but I cannot get the politics forum to appear, despite my best efforts, I log out, I log back in, I try a different browser...nothing. Any ideas???

From my inbox contents, I gather that Sean's got to sign you up himself.

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 11:47 pm

WoodSheddin · Post by **WoodSheddin** » Sun Jun 13, 2004 12:00 am

TMurphy wrote:I know this isn't what the thread is about, but I cannot get the politics forum to appear, despite my best efforts, I log out, I log back in, I try a different browser...nothing. Any ideas???

Click on Usergroups above and join the Politics Group. Then it will appear.

Doug@GT · Post by **Doug@GT** » Mon Jun 14, 2004 1:41 am

The Stars and Stripes Forever Lyrics
by John Philip Sousa - 1897

Let martial note in triumph float
And liberty extend its mighty hand
A flag appears 'mid thunderous cheers,
The banner of the Western land.
The emblem of the brave and true
Its folds protect no tyrant crew;
The red and white and starry blue
Is freedom's shield and hope.
Other nations may deem their flags the best
And cheer them with fervid elation
But the flag of the North and South and West
Is the flag of flags, the flag of Freedom's nation.

Hurrah for the flag of the free!
May it wave as our standard forever,
The gem of the land and the sea,
The banner of the right.
Let despots remember the day
When our fathers with mighty endeavor
Proclaimed as they marched to the fray
That by their might and by their right
It waves forever.

Let eagle shriek from lofty peak
The never-ending watchword of our land;
Let summer breeze waft through the trees
The echo of the chorus grand.
Sing out for liberty and light,
Sing out for freedom and the right.
Sing out for Union and its might,
O patriotic sons.
Other nations may deem their flags the best
And cheer them with fervid elation,
But the flag of the North and South and West
Is the flag of flags, the flag of Freedom's nation.

Hurrah for the flag of the free.
May it wave as our standard forever
The gem of the land and the sea,
The banner of the right.
Let despots remember the day
When our fathers with might endeavor
Proclaimed as they marched to the fray,
That by their might and by their right
It waves forever.

Just did a quick google search. Use as authoritative at your own peril.

tofu · Post by **tofu** » Mon Jun 14, 2004 1:42 am

Sousa did set words to Stars & Stripes - we always have a choir sing them for the annual 4th of July 1812 overture concert complete with 12 civil war canons.
http://www.dws.org/sousa/starsstripes.htm

Doug@GT · Post by **Doug@GT** » Mon Jun 14, 2004 1:56 am

To all those, like myself, who are too dumb to see how the lyrics match the tune....

The Stars and Stripes Forever

TonyZ · Post by **TonyZ** » Mon Jun 14, 2004 8:34 am

djohnson wrote:The national anthem should be revered and SHOULD NOT be arranged, performed or embelished upon by composers, performers or anybodyelse that thinks they know a better way to perform it, or how the anthem should be presented.

What then would be the definitive arrangement? I played for Keith Brion once and he performs it slowly, connected and in a non-Friday night reverential style. He uses Sousa's arrangement, of course. There are many others, of course, some good and some not. Just curious!

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Sun Mar 20, 2005 3:40 pm

Well, it's a good thing that today's copyright laws weren't in effect when Francis stole the melody from the Anacreontic Society or he'dve been bankrupted and perhaps in prison.

Note that the original's in 6/4, as a march:

TexTuba · Post by **TexTuba** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 12:01 pm

Doc wrote:We do have two national languages: Spanish and English.

Doc

Si.

I LOVE the C. Dragon arrangement of AtB, but we've got the right national anthem. But my favorite national anthem is the old soviet union one. It's a great piece of music.

Ralph

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 12:05 pm

Doc wrote:We do have two national languages: Spanish and English.

Doc

How about Inuit, Hawaiian, Navaho, etc?

ThomasDodd · Post by **ThomasDodd** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 1:48 pm

Chuck(G) wrote:Well, it's a good thing that today's copyright laws weren't in effect when Francis stole the melody from the Anacreontic Society or he'dve been bankrupted and perhaps in prison.

I though someone else was responsiblke for the music. Keys just wrote his poem, and later someone else set it to music.

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 3:38 pm

Key had filched the melody in 1805 for a song of his, but it went over like the proverbial lead baloon:

WHEN the warrior returns, from the battle afar,
To the home and the country he nobly defended,
O! warm be the welcome to gladden his ear,
And loud be the joy that his perils are ended:
In the full tide of song let his fame roll along,
To the feast-flowing board let us gratefully throng,
Where, mixed with the olive, the laurel shall wave,
And form a bright wreath for the brows of the brave

But he wasn't the first--it was used as the melody to a campaign song by Robert Treat Paine in 1798:

YE sons of Columbia, who bravely have fought,
For those rights, which unstained from your Sires had descended,
May you long taste the blessings your valour has brought,
And your sons reap the soil which their fathers defended.
'Mid the regin of mild Peace,
May your nation increase,
With the glory of Rome, and the wisdom of Greece;
And ne'er shall the sons of Colmbia be slaves,
While the earth bears a plant, or the sea rolls its waves.

It's kind of ironic that the melody was written by an Englishman, but then "Dixie" was written in New York by a native Ohioan...

sinfonian · Post by **sinfonian** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 10:26 pm

The 1st Brigade Band has a page that has six recording of the SSB based on arrangements from the 18th century to present.

http://www.1stbrigadeband.org/SSB.html

Kevin Hendrick · Post by **Kevin Hendrick** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 9:59 am

Chuck(G) wrote:... Francis stole the melody from the Anacreontic Society ...

So, does that mean the "Banner" is an "Anacreon-ism"?

TubeNet

National Anthem

Which would you prefer as the National Anthem

Re: Star Spangled Banner

Temporal anomaly?