JimF-LowBari Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 (edited) i just wanted to inject some history here and maybe some old timers will remember this. in 1976 we did the 1st olympic style retreat for finals. all the corps played the star spangled banner while we marched along the track. the horn arrangment was truman crawfords. the drum arrangement was i believe rod goodharts. we got them in june. it was fun. didn't sound to good i'm sure but it was a blast. Trying to remember that Don but 1976 is kind of a blur after we got recorded bewteen Prelims and Finals (long story)...... 1976 Hershey Show for retreat the corps set up at the back of the field and played something (Stars and Stripes?) while marching foreward. Lost the recording I had which was kind of horrid. Someone gave the count (or did a "ready Move"?) and about half the corps started, then a beat later about the other half started.... and someone ended 2 beats after everyone else. Want to think this was the DCA version of the BiCentennial salute but we made very few DCA shows that year. Edited September 14, 2011 by JimF-LowBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhawtho1 Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 On this note I would like to comment about the anthem performed prior to the mini-corps performance; "Oh Canada," was performed normally and sounded great. Was it just me or was the "Star Spangled Banner," performed in 4/4 time? The Vocalist had a pleasant voice, and executed quite well, but 4/4 seriously? I have always been told that you can take, "Artistic liberties," with most music, but you NEVER muck about with the national anthem. This is not to say that you cannot be, "Musical," but to change it in a manner that detracts from what your average listener knows to be normal, or to make it all about the performer rather than the country you are honoring is patently wrong. Since this is a drum and bugle corps activity I would much prefer to hear... you guessed it, drums and bugles! I have an excellent arrangement of the Star Spangled Banner for horn line that I would be more than happy to share with any corps\horn players that would like to use it. Allowing someone "artistic liberties" can easily transfer the national anthem into something that feels more like 4/4 than the original 3/4. Im sure it goes in and out of both of these time signatures. I can't stan it when individuals take such liberties and add 1000 different pitches on one word or consonant. Then I feel it becomes showboating. Last years Super Bowl debacle is the best example of this. That was an embarrassing epic failure on her part Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastone Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 i just wanted to inject some history here and maybe some old timers will remember this. in 1976 we did the 1st olympic style retreat for finals. all the corps played the star spangled banner while we marched along the track. the horn arrangment was truman crawfords. the drum arrangement was i believe rod goodharts. we got them in june. it was fun. didn't sound to good i'm sure but it was a blast. I remember the Olympic retreat, I don't remember the unified playing of the National Anthem though admittedly after Lefty Mayer passing the night before, we(Sky) were kind of in a fog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 (edited) I remember the Olympic retreat, I don't remember the unified playing of the National Anthem though admittedly after Lefty Mayer passing the night before, we(Sky) were kind of in a fog. That kicked in a brain cell.... didn't Yankee Rebels or someone do "Abide With Me"(?) as a tribute after the corps were set on the field but before the scores were read? Now why in the Hell don't I remember anything else? And no I was underage and not sneaky enough to get beer. Edited September 15, 2011 by JimF-LowBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurcwave Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 I remember the Olympic retreat, I don't remember the unified playing of the National Anthem though admittedly after Lefty Mayer passing the night before, we(Sky) were kind of in a fog. We all actually played Stars & Stripes for retreat that year.. not the National Anthem... and what was bad about it, was there was one chart that wa sent to everyone to play.. but since most of the corps' already had it in their show that year, we all played out own version!! quite the .umm... sound !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastone Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 We all actually played Stars & Stripes for retreat that year.. not the National Anthem... and what was bad about it, was there was one chart that wa sent to everyone to play.. but since most of the corps' already had it in their show that year, we all played out own version!! quite the .umm... sound !! I do remember learning the Stars and Stripes chart, don't remember playing it much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeatherM Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 On this note I would like to comment about the anthem performed prior to the mini-corps performance; "Oh Canada," was performed normally and sounded great. Was it just me or was the "Star Spangled Banner," performed in 4/4 time? The Vocalist had a pleasant voice, and executed quite well, but 4/4 seriously? I have always been told that you can take, "Artistic liberties," with most music, but you NEVER muck about with the national anthem. This is not to say that you cannot be, "Musical," but to change it in a manner that detracts from what your average listener knows to be normal, or to make it all about the performer rather than the country you are honoring is patently wrong. Since this is a drum and bugle corps activity I would much prefer to hear... you guessed it, drums and bugles! I have an excellent arrangement of the Star Spangled Banner for horn line that I would be more than happy to share with any corps\horn players that would like to use it. When Whitney Houston was at the top of her game and sang at the Super Bowl ( I think it was during the Gulf War and highly publicized?), she was really the first one to do a 4/4 arrangement at a major public, televised event. That arrangement went viral, and to some young people, may be the only way they have heard it. It still REALLY bothers me. And while I'm venting, let me just say that taking a drinking song and adding mediocre poetry about war might not have been the best choice for our national anthem. "America the Beautiful" would have been my vote had I been on that particular committee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUCKINGFRONCO Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 When you sing, "Anacreon In Heaven," you can do whatever you want. If your singing our national anthem, it should be done with the utmost in dignity, respect and in my opinion tradition. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piper Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 If I'm not mistaken the original music was written for an old English singing society as a proficiency test to gain admittance, so it was designed or used deliberatly to be difficult to execute, hence the range. I'm sure that we've all heard various singers at sporting events butcher it many times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUCKINGFRONCO Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 Piper you are correct the original song was titled, "To Anacreon in Heaven." Leave it to us Americans to choose an inordinately difficult drinking song as the basis for our national anthem! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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