Posted on 07/04/2014 7:21:01 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
With today being the Fourth of July and all, I feel its my civic duty to unite us, if but for a short time, with the one act of blind patriotism we can all get behind: counting down the most over-the-top, overwhelming renditions of the national anthem, as performed by Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, and the rest of your favorite divas of pop music. (In no particular order, of course, so please dont tweet me death threats. Thanks!)
To clarify, by national anthem I mean The Star-Spangled Banner only. (As in, the actual, official national anthem.) That means that neither Aretha Franklin singing My Country, Tis Of Thee at the 2009 presidential inauguration nor the bejeweled-bow hat she wore at said inauguration are on the list. Pour out a vial of eagle tears in mourning, and move past it. Your country needs you. Please rise.
(Excerpt) Read more at mtv.com ...
Wow, that’s great, too. Different, but great!
This is a musical note. It represents one pitch sung for a short time. Do not sing it at a dozen different pitches for a couple of seconds.
LOL What’s wrong with you bringing her up on this Independence Day? Madison, Jefferson, Washington, et al would be rolling over in their graves.
Not really that bad, though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xhSBniwGbM&list=RD1xhSBniwGbMf
And then there is this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_liGLyYSnH0
LOL!
Yes, the inspirational poem that Francis Scot Key wrote as he was observing the defense of Fort McHenry in the Baltimore Harbor during the War of 1812, was later put to the tune of an old English drinking song
LOL What’s wrong with you bringing her up on this Independence Day? Madison, Jefferson, Washington, et al would be rolling over in their graves.
Not really that bad, though.
I can’t even imagine whoopie doing it. It is just too heinous to even contemplate! :-/
Ditto on Groban. An awesome talent. And tho Celine Dion`s is close Whitney Houston`s anthem is powerful and spine chillling not onlly for her voice but the setting in which she did it.
thanks for posting the link. I love that Donna Summer didn’t make the performance about her. She respected the song and it’s meaning.
I miss her.
Maybe a law is a little over the top but singers should know that if they do a bad job of singing the Star-Spangled Banner that they will have rotten eggs and rotten fruit thrown at them.
The throwers should be ready and be in throwing distance so they could carry out their duty! I volunteer right now to be a thrower!
Well, of course, singing scales is necessary as part of vocal training. It drills the student on Pitch, accuracy, breathing, phrasing, flexibility, and speed.
In Aria singing, the composer often leaves several measures (usually at the end of a song) for the Diva to do her vocal gymnastics and improvise, creating her own melodies based on scales and arpeggios. It is the high point of the performance, and brings down the house.
However, to throw those scales into the middle of a syllable(melisma) or slip them in between lines (a “run”) where they are NOT intended by the composer, is self-indulgent and does violence to the tempo, the meaning, and the continuity of the song. This is EXACTLY what “Divas” like Beyonce, Aguilara, and yes, even Whitney(RIP) do with the Anthem, and it is uncalled for and, IMNSHO, ugly and just plain stupid-sounding. Whitney had particular talent at vocal improvisation, but even she used to put runs in inappropriate places. It is unfortunate that, just because a singer has the ABILITY to sing these runs, they feel they have either the right or the need to pepper the entire song with them.
Aguilera made it worse by peppering the entire song with runs, and all of them off-key, too long, and disruptive.
I honestly don’t mind a little improv on the word “FREE” at the very end, but the rest of the song should be sung straight up with traditional phrasing and tempo. That way, when one gets to the climax, one can “give it all you got”.
Save the best for last, leave ‘em wanting more, and do honor to the Song.
-— Agreed. Josh nails it. -—
I’m forever grateful for his version of “Oh Holy Night.” It’s so good that the secular stations have to play it at Christmas.
Indeed. Rosanne spit on the ground and clutched her alleged crotch as she “sang” it.
hahaha!
Yes.
No! Absolutely not! I vehemently disagree. No - there shouldnt ever be such a law and it is not our Constitutionally guaranteed and protected right to not be, to ever be offended by those who express opinions and expressions that we might not agree with. While I agree and think that our national anthem deserves our respect, I can in no way support any laws that limit the expression of a citizens right to freedom of expression, of their personal religious and political expressions even if it runs contrary to mine or yours.
But it is also mine and your Constitutional right to express our displeasure and disagreement with it.
Re: I also like these guys, Madison Rising...
Thanks. Enjoyed their rendition. It was inspiring. I get so discouraged these days about our country. Hearing them sing helped.
Mike Rowe did an excellent job! I enjoyed his really deep baritone.
A man’s voice. A masculine voice. A manly, virile voice.
NICE!
I agree. People should be free to be idiots, but we also should be free to laugh at them and call them names! LOL!
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