MYTH #6: A 1931 act of Congress made “The Star-Spangled Banner” the official anthem of the United States CORRECTION: This is absolutely correct in terms of the anthem’s legal status, but the bill approved by the House and Senate and signed by President Herbert Hoover simply recognized what had been true in American cultural practice…
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Spangled Mythconception #5: The Banner as Baseball Ritual Begins with Babe Ruth & the 1918 World Series
Myth #5: The “The Star-Spangled Banner” as baseball’s game day ritual begins with Babe Ruth and the 1918 World SeriesCorrection: The earliest documented performance of Key’s Banner in pro sports was on opening day at a baseball game in 1862, but the ritual of playing the song at every game developed gradually and was dependent…
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…
Spangled Mythconception #3: Key Wrote a "Poem" Later Set to Music by Someone Else
MYTH #3: Francis Scott Key wrote a “poem” later set to music by someone else CORRECTION: “The Star-Spangled Banner” was always conceived of by Key as a song and he wrote his “lyric” to fit a specific melody of his own choosing Usually referred to as a poet, Francis Scott Key is more accurately remembered—at…
Spangled Mythconception #2: Key Wrote the Anthem on the Back of an Envelope
Myth #2: Francis Scott Key drafted “The Star-Spangled Banner” on the back of an envelope (or letter) Correction: Most likely Key wrote his draft on a clean sheet of paper using pen and ink While the original working draft of Key’s lyric is lost, envelopes were not commonly used in 1814 and then only by…
Spangled Mythconception #1: Key Was Held Prisoner on a British Ship during the Battle of Baltimore
MYTH #1: Francis Scott Key was held prisoner aboard a British ship during the bombardment of BaltimoreCORRECTION: Key was aboard his own American truce ship during the battleKey and fellow lawyer John S. Skinner, the U.S. Agent for Prisoners of War, sailed from Baltimore on September 5, 1814 on an American truce ship and headed…
Star Spangled Myths: Correcting the Anthem Story
Celebrate Flag Day with SSMF & the Smithsonian Museum of American History with your own #RaiseItUp performance of the Banner! In honor of the U.S. Flag Day holiday on June 14, 2014 and celebrating our partnership with the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of American History, Star Spangled Music Foundation board member Mark Clague will be presenting…
Social Media Intern Needed
The Star-Spangled Music Foundation seeks an unpaid intern to work and learn alongside volunteer media professionals and help develop our social media presence. This opportunity could be accomplished by someone living in or near Ann Arbor, Michigan but could also be done remotely. We are looking for someone willing to undergo an initial training and…
Dudley Buck's Festival Overture on the American National Air
In 1879, one of America’s leading American composers—Dudley Buck (a name often neglected today)—wrote a Festival Overture to celebrate Independence Day. The seven-minute piece for full orchestra (with optional chorus) was based on the melody of “The Star-Spangled Banner” or what the composer called the “American National Air.” Both the national music festival and Key’s…
Happy Memorial Day—What is Patriotism to You?
The sacrifice and heroism of America’s soldiers is remembered today—Memorial Day. And patriotic song, including “The Star-Spangled Banner,” has and will be part of this day of somber reflection and fun-filled celebration. In fact, in many ways it is the sacrifice of the nation’s fighting men and women that has sanctified music as patriotic. Key’s…