Abolitionist Star Spangled Banner —"Oh Say, Do You Hear?" (1844)

In the 19th-century, the music and words known today as the national anthem of the United States —”The Star-Spangled Banner”—was deeply associated with American identity but just one of many patriotic songs. All of America’s patriotic songs were part of an ongoing cultural dialogue known as the broadside ballad tradition. New lyrics were  written to…

Star Spangled Songbook Published!

Our book of sheet music and anthem history—the Star Spangled Songbook—has been published to mark the song’s 201st anniversary!The Star Spangled Songbook tells a largely forgotten story of the United States of America—of the symbiosis of both anthem and nation—in more than seventy songs with full text and performable sheet music. These all-new scholarly editions…

Development of American Democracy: An Analysis of the Evolution of American Political Parties to the Anacreon Tune

Development of American Democracy:  An Analysis of the Evolution of American Political Parties to the Anacreon Tune AP US History Social Studies Grade Levels (9–12) by Vincent Stewart, Bowie High School The Development of American Democracy Lesson Plan Overview:   A student centered activity where students research the development of various American political parties and tell the stories of…

The Music of Poetry: Decoded_ Lesson 1

Guiding Question – Why did we go to War? Focus Words – Freedom/Independence/LibertyIntroduction:1) Introduce “Paul Revere’s Ride” through one of the videos and KWL Chart.Ask students:What do you know about Paul Revere?Why is it important to know about Paul Revere?Why did Paul Revere find it necessary to warn others?                                     Andy Griffith explains Paul Revere’s Ride:…

Music & Poetry of the Harlem Renaissance

The Star Spangled Banner Echoed in the Literature and Music of the Harlem Renaissance Music/Library ScienceGrade Levels (9, 10)Julia Loving, School Media SpecialistPelham Preparatory Academy Description Using print and non-print resources available in the school library, students will research the themes and sentiments of Francis Scott Key’s Star Spangled Banner in relation to the literature and music of…

Star Spangled Festival Performance

The Star Spangled Banner Anthem: Celebrating the origin and meaning through performance Information Literacy/Interdisciplinary Arts Grades 9-12 Brenda J. Cowe- School Library Media Specialist Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts Students from choral and instrumental music, theater, dance, visual art and communications will work together to create a creative exploration performance that tells the story…

The Music of Poetry: Decoded

  Unit Overview:Three lessons using poetry of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882), Francis Scott Key (1779 – 1843), and Emma Lazarus (1849 – 1887) to explore the theme of Liberty.These lessons may be used with the week-long celebration called Freedom Week. Standards, Goals and Objectives:Language Arts–1.   5.RL.5.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem…

SSB Celebration Week Resource Pack

RESOURCE PACKET for Star Spangled Banner Birthday Celebration Week by: Susan Ferguson Scroll through this pack to see suggested activities for each day of the week. Booklist FRANCIS SCOTT KEY’S STAR-SPANGLED BANNER, Monica Kulling THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER in TRANSLATION, Elizabeth Raum THE FLAG MAKER, Susan Campbell Bartoletti THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER, Peter Spier, (lesson plan)…

Spangled Mythconception #7: An Official Version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" Exists

MYTH #7: There is a sanctioned traditional or otherwise official version of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”CORRECTION: The 1931 act making Key’s song America’s anthem does not identify an official arrangement, in part because the song as sung in the 20th-c. had already departed from what Francis Scott Key had known. During World War I, attempts were…

Spangled Mythconception #4: Key's Banner is Based on a Bawdy Old English Drinking Song

MYTH #4: Key’s Banner is based on the melody of a bawdy old English drinking song CORRECTION: “The Anacreontic Song” was the constitutional anthem of an elite, London-based, amateur music society… but it gets complicated. Francis Scott Key would have most likely encountered the melody of “The Anacreontic Song” initially through its most popular American…