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'World Anthem' at Graduation Sparks Anger
Scripps-McClatchy Western Service/RockyMountainNews.com ^ | 6/07/02 | Todd Hartman

Posted on 06/08/2002 7:42:04 AM PDT by TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!

Debate over anthem surprises principal

By TODD HARTMAN
Scripps-McClatchy Western Service
June 07, 2002

DENVER - Poudre High School's decision to play the World anthem for its graduation ceremony sparked an angry reaction from a parent who wanted to hear the national anthem and stirred a dust-up on talk radio this week.

Gail Wagner, whose daughter graduated May 24, wrote a letter to the school principal, the district superintendent and the Denver Rocky Mountain News calling the anthem "an insipid little song about a world of peace and love" and an insult to America.

She said it took the place of the national anthem.

It did not, said Poudre High Principal Sandra Lundt.

Lundt said she was surprised to find the decision scolded on Mike Rosen's KOA talk show and Peter Boyles' KHOW show Thursday morning. Lundt said the Fort Collins school has never played the national anthem at its graduation.

"This was never meant to take the place of the national anthem," Lundt said. "It's an anthem that really celebrates every nation."

Wagner's husband, Fred, and daughter, Erin, also opposed the playing of the world anthem. Erin said she was surprised "The Star Spangled Banner" wasn't played.

"It didn't make much sense," Erin said. "We live in America, so they should have played it. I guess I would say I was offended."

Lundt said the school's senior class council, a group of 15 to 20 students, participated in the decision to play the world anthem. The school's orchestra, band and choir teamed to perform the piece.

The senior class council "was very excited about the opportunity," Lundt said, noting that one of the people who helped promote broader performance of the anthem, Ed Goodman, is a 1973 graduate of Poudre High.

The world anthem was conceived in 1996 and completed by 2000. The idea behind the piece, according to the Web site www.worldanthem.org, is this: "We believe there is a wonderful way to bring a message of hope, healing, peace and unification to all people through the universal language of music ... to give the world a gift, to bring about a symbol for peace and a common spirit of trust toward the idea of one people, one world."

Its creation, even those involved acknowledge, borders on the bizarre. Music from the anthems of every country in the world were combined in a computer. Using musicology software, a blended creation emerged. The same technique was used to produce the lyrics, according to Goodman.

"This is not two bars of 'The Star Spangled Banner,' then a bar of 'O Canada,'" Goodman said.

"It's more like if you took all the melodies, harmonies, rhythms and tempos and somehow were able to average them. ... It's very, very sophisticated; it took years of work to accomplish."

This means, Goodman said, that the piece wasn't composed by any one person or any one nation. "The point of it was to have one song that all nations could share," he said.

The piece has a significant history in Colorado. It was heard for the first time at the Denver Millennium Celebration on Dec. 31, 2000, at the stroke of midnight in conjunction with fireworks, according to historians of the anthem. In November 2001, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra provided the first live performance of the piece.

Goodman said that even Air Force's Band of the Rockies is taken with the piece and arranging its own version. It's slated to be played at an upcoming global peace conference in Croatia and at a ceremony celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Peace Corps this summer.

The Wagners are not impressed.

"No matter how much the principal gushed over the privilege of being one of the first to hear this piece performed, we did not feel privileged or find it inspirational, heartwarming or moving," Gail Wagner wrote to the News.


(Contact Todd Hartman of the Rocky Mountain News at hartmant(at)RockyMountainNews.com.)


TOPICS: Activism/Chapters; Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Politics/Elections; US: Colorado
KEYWORDS: graduation; hughhewitt; nwo; sparksanger; unlist; worldanthem
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To: TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
I've got to give it a "1"

"It has a terrible beat and you can't dance to it."

101 posted on 06/08/2002 10:34:44 AM PDT by Highway55
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To: Cicero
I wonder what they played before this piece was written? The Internationale? The Coca Cola theme song?

Nope, they probably played "Imagine", that dreadful song written by one of the Beatles.

102 posted on 06/08/2002 10:37:30 AM PDT by Ryle
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To: TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
Here's their website;
The United States Air Force Band of the Rockies
103 posted on 06/08/2002 10:38:35 AM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult
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To: Highway55
Sounded like a show tune. Like bad Andrew Lloyd Webber. Is that an oxymoron?
104 posted on 06/08/2002 10:40:14 AM PDT by socal_parrot
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To: socal_parrot
Sounded like a show tune. Like bad Andrew Lloyd Webber. Is that an oxymoron?

That it is. However, I flashed back to "American Bandstand" for a moment......

105 posted on 06/08/2002 10:51:58 AM PDT by Highway55
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To: 3catsanadog
Good Song But Of Course you can't Sing or Play it in School anymore because it has that "Bad Word" in it!

And As far as A One World Government I have no Problems with it as Long as the US is in charge and the Rest of the countries do what we say, otherwise the leftists can leave it the way it is (Which is that the US is in charge and most of the rest of the countries do what we say!)

106 posted on 06/08/2002 10:55:49 AM PDT by Mad Dawgg
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To: TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
Is there such a thing as an AF band from the Rockies?

Thanks to Google.com:

www.bandoftherockies.com

Located at Peterson AFB in Colorado.

And we shouldn't drub the band and it's personnel/director off the bat.
This Bravo Sierra about the band making it's own arrangement of this "World Anthem"
could be the work of some Clinton-Era Suck-Up (Propaganda) Officer.

The director and the band may be doing this under "direct orders" (and with
great cognitive dissonance).
OR...the band might have been duped into this by being presented the project under
some sort of false pretense.

If there is to be some outrage, there is should be some investigation into who is
accountable for this questionable (OK, outrageous to me) move.
107 posted on 06/08/2002 11:00:54 AM PDT by VOA
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To: TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
It could have been worse. They might have sung this song that is circulating on the internet: The Stockpile Song By: Will E. Nelson Take the flag down from its place, where it led the human race. Run up U. N. white and blue. That's what your "leaders" plan to do. They don't seem to understand, we are a freedom loving band. So spread the word across the land: stockpile weapons while you can. The public schools were first to go. They're run by leftists as you know. So school your children safe at home, free from their propaganda zone. For they don't want to understand, we are a family loving band. We'll spread the word across the land: stockpile knowledge while you can. Somewhere there near your home town, professor's robe or judge's gown, there is a leftist who must go. So lock and load and let them know. The time will come they'll understand, we are a patriotic band. We've spread the word across the land: stockpile weapons while you can.
108 posted on 06/08/2002 11:01:40 AM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: Mad Dawgg
When are "Americans" going to invade these COMMIES NEST and drive then out? I'M just asking.
109 posted on 06/08/2002 11:02:30 AM PDT by Zeno44
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To: socal_parrot
Sounded like a show tune. Like bad Andrew Lloyd Webber. Is that an oxymoron?

No. It's a redundancy.

110 posted on 06/08/2002 11:03:41 AM PDT by xp38
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To: xp38
You're right. I meant that. Kind of like "idiot socal_parrot".
111 posted on 06/08/2002 11:05:21 AM PDT by socal_parrot
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To: socal_parrot
Now now...don't be too hard on yourself. :)
112 posted on 06/08/2002 11:07:24 AM PDT by xp38
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To: TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
I can't place it - either something from Disney World or "Up With People."
113 posted on 06/08/2002 11:07:53 AM PDT by mhking
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To: BenLurkin
OKAY, let's try that again:

The Stockpile Song
By: Will E. Nelson

Take the flag down from its place, where it led the human race.
Run up U. N. white and blue.
That's what your "leaders" plan to do.
They don't seem to understand, we are a freedom loving band.
So spread the word across the land:
stockpile weapons while you can.

The public schools were first to go.
They're run by leftists as you know.
So school your children safe at home,
free from their propaganda zone.
For they don't want to understand,
we are a family loving band.
We'll spread the word across the land:
stockpile knowledge while you can.

Somewhere there near your home town,
professor's robe or judge's gown,
there is a leftist who must go.
So lock and load and let them know.
The time will come they'll understand,
we are a patriotic band.
We've spread the word across the land:
stockpile weapons while you can.

114 posted on 06/08/2002 11:10:41 AM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: Kermit
Here's the first band to play the World Anthem: Nope.

My vote goes for these guys, and may the world anthem go the way of their drummer/s: [Look, those were accidents, olright? Bizarre, and freakish, yes- but still, accidents.]


115 posted on 06/08/2002 11:17:05 AM PDT by archy
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To: xp38
No wait...I just thought of something...It was sarcasm!...Yeah, that's it!...I'm not an idiot, just clever.
116 posted on 06/08/2002 11:19:12 AM PDT by socal_parrot
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To: Momaw Nadon
God is a "jealous" God and HE doesn't like the competition. :)
117 posted on 06/08/2002 11:21:31 AM PDT by madison10
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To: TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
howzabout the yoko/ono hit, O'Wind (Body Is The Scar Of Your Mind) ?

that'll show 'em

118 posted on 06/08/2002 11:21:48 AM PDT by InvisibleChurch
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To: archy
Rightious choice...

As... like farts the song breaks like the wind. It is a load a B.S. gas.

119 posted on 06/08/2002 11:22:05 AM PDT by TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
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To: TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
Lundt said the Fort Collins school has never played the national anthem at its graduation.

Well, if they get any money from the U. S. Government, they need to start playing the National Anthem. This is disgraceful. Maybe their precious federal $$$$$ should be taken away. Oh, I am mad.

120 posted on 06/08/2002 11:22:59 AM PDT by Salvation
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