Posted on 05/29/2005 10:02:57 PM PDT by quidnunc
Brookline, Massachusetts. By now you may have seen the infamous video of Caroline Marcil, the Canadian singer who twice tried in vain to sing our national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner," at a hockey game before slipping and falling onto the ice during her third attempt. This tragicomic incident provided more ammunition to those who believe America needs a different, more singer-friendly song, such as "America the Beautiful" or "God Bless America," as its anthem.
Partly in response to such criticism, the National Music Education Association (NMEA) has launched the National Anthem Project. One of the Project's main goals is to increase patriotism by teaching Americans about "The Star-Spangled Banner" and getting them to sing it.
Congress made an excellent choice in 1931 when it named "The Star-Spangled Banner" our nation's official song. "America the Beautiful" and "God Bless America" are wonderful songs, too, but recent history has demonstrated that each has its proper role and is fulfilling it quite nicely.
We usually hear only a small portion — the first stanza — of these songs. In fact, in its entirety "The Star-Spangled Banner" is four stanzas, while "America the Beautiful" is an impressive eight stanzas. For purposes of this debate, however, only the first stanza of each song is relevant.
Because it is hard to find fault with "America the Beautiful" and "God Bless America," with their inspiring imagery of "purple mountain majesties," "oceans, white with foam," and the like, much of the anthem debate centers on alleged deficiencies with "The Star-Spangled Banner." Two common quibbles are that the song is too militaristic and that its tune had intemperate origins in an old English drinking song ("To Anacreon in Heaven").
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at timesdispatch.com ...
She twice forgets the words of the second line, goes back to get a printed copy of the lyrics, and when she steps onto the ice for the third try her feet go out from under her and she lands squarely on her fundament.
The video may be found here:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1114263677657_29/?hub=TopStories
America the Beautiful is a nice song and very fit as our national anthem. But I'd rather not change our Star Spangled Banner for it. Our national anthem is fine as it is.
God bless our "Star-Spangled Banner."
Road apples!
It is a sublime and beautiful song -- challenging for a soloist but the result is well worth the effort.
As for the Canadian in question . . . no comment.
ON her Keister!! That's a very fitting position for a modern day CANUK to be in when trying to sing the Star Spangled Banner! They can't measure up as their fathers and grandfathers have before them certainly have!!
The "Star Spangled Banner" should be hard to sing. Liberty's hard too.
He's Got A Plan
Zippo Hero
Seven Dead Monkeys Page O Tunes
I think all the national anthems should be changed so that the unprepared can wing it.
French: "We surrender. We surrender."
Canadian: "All we want to be is not-US."
Russian: "Killing you softly..."
No doubt only those with kick-ass voices should dare attempt to sing the US national anthem in public. But it's a great song and should never be replaced.
Real craftsmen don't blame their tools for substandard work.
"Three's a charm."
Although the Battle Hymn Of The Republic has some fine stanzas, only a pansy wouldn't enjoy singing this song before any other choice:
Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep, Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes, What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep, As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses? Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam, In full glory reflected now shines on the stream: 'Tis the star-spangled banner! O long may it wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion A home and a country should leave us no more? Their blood has wiped out their foul footstep's pollution. No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave: And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved homes and the war's desolation! Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: "In God is our trust." And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
ROTFLMAO!!! Bookmarking for my Dad.
I disagree with the Times-Dispatch. Our anthem is nothing special; a decent poem, set to a tune that can only be described as garish. It memorializes a war that was not our finest hour, and a flag that isn't flown anymore. If the SSB weren't The Anthem, it wouldn't have half the support it does.
You know, I used to feel the same way about the SSB...
Then 911 came, and I almost cried when I saw the flag was indeed still there...placed by the firemen, then by the construction workers on the Pentagon and at ground zero.
The SSB is a song of thanksgiving that our flag and our freedom is still intact...so let it stay as it is..
Oh, man. That's ugly.
The problem with "God Bless America" is that compared to the late Kate Smith, everybody attempting to sing it solo sounds amateurish.
I've only heard one person who could even sing that final note without changing key, and nobody who could sing it with the power and duration that Kate could.
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