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…

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…

Inspirational Banners Created by Elementary Students

I recently visited the Brentwood K-6 Lower School (Los Angeles) to share the story of “The Star-Spangled Banner” as well as one of Francis Scott Key’s poems titled “To My Steed.” Before I spoke, however, there were a few announcements and to my delight two students came up to talk about their own Banners—flags they…

Poets & Patriots Live! Now on Youtube

Our Poets & Patriots Live! recording release recital is now archived and available on our starspangledmusic Youtube channel. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEHDlXUvHWwIM0i9ZQSnCGWbFH5PgzS9l] This lecture recital offers an artistic journey through the history of the United States national anthem from its roots in an English club song through a brand-new arrangement by Boston-based composer Michael Gandolfi. Each song is…

Happy Presidents' Day—Poets & Patriots Live at 8pm EST

UPDATE: the entire Poets & Patriots Live recital is now available on Youtube — click here! To celebrate “George Washington’s Birthday” (aka. Presidents’ Day), the University of Michigan’s American Music Institute with the Star Spangled Music Foundation presents Poets & Patriots Live! a lecture recital at U-Michigan’s North Campus “Stamps Auditorium” (1226 Murfin Ave. /…