National Anthem

[hyperbolica]

Oddly, we don't have a category for discussing music here. So I'll just put it here.

My quintet needs a nice version of the US national anthem for a public performance. I just played a transcription of Jose Feliciano's famous rendition, but that's not really what we're looking for. I'm a former Navy musician, so i go into convulsions if I have to play it in the wrong key, or it is unrecognizably mutilated, but I'll pretend its a different tune for this purpose.

Any suggestions?

[norbie2018]

https://musescore.com/user/45982/scores/2516461

[BGuttman]

I used to have something called "Budget Banner". I got it from another former military musician.

[harrisonreed]

The DOD version (Navy version, the only version authorized, tsk tsk Pershing's Own) full marching band arrangement, trumpet 1, trumpet 2, horn 1, trombone 2, and tuba parts. Trombone 2 should change the note that is held on "free" (o'er the land of the freeee) to a Bb for the purposes of the chord, in the BQ setup as well as full band.

This version works very well and is free.

[hyperbolica]

Thanks, we need a Bb stock version, and that should cover a basic need. But I'm really looking for something a little flashier. Not "ridonculous" flashy, but interesting enough for people to notice us (in a good way) at a baseball game opener.

Looking for more arrangements...

[harrisonreed]

I hear you. The arrangements exist, I'm sure. It depends on how tight you can get the version I recommended worked up -- it can make people patriotic, and make patriotic people cry. If you do it right, as you know, you can get people thinking about the words and what that song actually is all about. Pretty flashy.

What kind of flashy are you thinking about? Trumpet obligato lines? Or jazzed up chords? There's some good jazzy versions out there.

[hyperbolica]

What kind of flashy are you thinking about? Trumpet obligato lines? Or jazzed up chords? There's some good jazzy versions out there.

Not over the top, playable, tasteful. You know, perfect. A little jazzed up chords, maybe some pyro trumpet parts. You say the arrangements are out there, but do you know where?

[bwilliams]

Here are the parts to the USN Official Version.

[hyperbolica]

Ok, I found one that's not bad. It's on Musescore as "Hymne National US". No wonder searches don't work very well on Musescore. Anyway, it's reharmonized, and mostly in 4/4 and Ab. I think we can at least work with this. It's different enough to be listened to, but familiar enough not to be dismissed. And not so weird as to annoy too many people.

Because it's Musescore, I altered it a little to add some rhythmic interest around a couple of suspensions and to put back in what I consider to be an indispensable reference to the original tuba part (I just can't hear this without that moving 1/8th note line towards the end). And I changed one note because I just couldn't live with that V7 chord with the 7 in the root at the first fermata.

The music in musescore is supposedly based on the 1991 Whitney Houston super bowl performance, which generated a good bit of discussion, as I remember. Here's my slightly altered version (in a zip file), if you can excuse the electronic output.

ssb.zip

[JohnL]

Ok, I found one that's not bad. It's on Musescore as "Hymne National US". No wonder searches don't work very well on Musescore. Anyway, it's reharmonized, and mostly in 4/4 and Ab. I think we can at least work with this. It's different enough to be listened to, but familiar enough not to be dismissed. And not so weird as to annoy too many people.

Because it's Musescore, I altered it a little to add some rhythmic interest around a couple of suspensions and to put back in what I consider to be an indispensable reference to the original tuba part (I just can't hear this without that moving 1/8th note line towards the end). And I changed one note because I just couldn't live with that V7 chord with the 7 in the root at the first fermata.

The music in musescore is supposedly based on the 1991 Whitney Houston super bowl performance, which generated a good bit of discussion, as I remember. Here's my slightly altered version (in a zip file), if you can excuse the electronic output.

ssb.zip

A word of caution...

There are those people for whom this sort of arrangement is a berserk button. I'd strongly suggest having a more traditional alternative on tap as well. Make recordings and let your customer choose between them

[hyperbolica]

A word of caution...

There are those people for whom this sort of arrangement is a berserk button. I'd strongly suggest having a more traditional alternative on tap as well. Make recordings and let your customer choose between them

Yeah, I'm trying to ride the line. I'm one of the people who gets a bit tweaked when people ask me to play the anthem in some other key than Bb, so I guess I'm stretching my own limits here a bit.

At the risk of being disrespectful to current events, there's the old saying that nothing generates attention like a train wreck. It's true in the news, it's true on the internet, and it's also true at ball game anthems it seems. There have been a lot of anthem train wrecks over the years, I'd like to get our group noticed without creating any collateral damage. Offending some on the extreme end of the spectrum doesn't bother me that much. A little maybe, but not that much.

The melody in this version is pretty standard (aside from an extra beat in every measure). I don't think it's crazy different. It's recognizable. Maybe a little more conservative than Jose Feliciano 1968

Marvin Gaye

Alicia Keyes

Carrie Underwood

Pentatonix

Lady Gaga

Jennifer Hudson, pretty standard by some measures

And of course Jimi Hendrix

Whitney Houston, I think in comparison, this is tastefully done, with the Florida Orchestra no less.

[harrisonreed]

Whitney and Pentatonix are probably the closest. The first vid you posted

I guess making it all about yourself is the American thing to do. Some of those versions are cringe.

[timothy42b]

Thanks, we need a Bb stock version, and that should cover a basic need. But I'm really looking for something a little flashier.

Years back I atttended a military conference (before another branch of the service had an over the top conference that got all the rest of us shut down). The keynote speaker was a 3 or 4 star general.

The anthem was a recording, and it was an unusual arrangement that started with screaming high trumpet and horn. It seemed very effective to me. Ever since I've tried to find out what that was but without success.

[whitbey]

Star Spangled Banner Arr Robert Elkjer
Aggressive and difficult arrangement. Great over the top if you have the trumpets to play it.

Star Spangled Banner arr Scott Irvine True North Brass
Nice and playable

[harrisonreed]

Years back I atttended a military conference (before another branch of the service had an over the top conference that got all the rest of us shut down). The keynote speaker was a 3 or 4 star general.

Was that the one where the naval aviators were running "the gauntlet"? It's like, "No more conferences? Yup, that checks out."

Maybe, two/three generations later, we're ready to try and have a conference again.

[hyperbolica]

Star Spangled Banner Arr Robert Elkjer
Aggressive and difficult arrangement. Great over the top if you have the trumpets to play it.

Star Spangled Banner arr Scott Irvine True North Brass
Nice and playable

Thanks! I think I have the Elkjer for tbone 4tet, but not for quintet. I'll look into that. I'll search for the Scott Irvine one too. Thanks for the leads.

The more I look into the history of anthem performances, the more the Whitney Houston one stands out. Oh, and Faith Hill gave a good solid, pretty standard performance. Lots of weird stuff too. At least Feliciano made an effort - not a great one, but still an effort. Roseanne Barr is just a piece of $#!+, no other way to say it.


Comments positive and negative welcome.

Edit: I looked up the Elker, and he has the sound bit was an actual performance recording of the NY Phil Quintet, so probably Alessi playing. Really flashy brassy anthem. We might be able to pull that off, it would take some practice... here's a link to the recording: https://alessipublications.com/sites/de ... themTV.mp3

[CharlieB]

here's a link to the recording: https://alessipublications.com/sites/de ... themTV.mp3

Very nice.
Embellished but not overdone.
Just needs a strong trumpet player.
Old veterans (like me) are hostile to those who butcher up our Anthem.
This version injects a little life into the old Anthem without bastardizing it.

[JohnL]

The more I look into the history of anthem performances, the more the Whitney Houston one stands out.

But how much of her rendition "standing out" is simply a matter of timing? Desert Storm kicked off an January 17, 1991 and the Super Bowl was on January 27. There was a tremendous upwelling of patriotic sentiment during that time, and the "Whitney Houston Anthem" was one of the foci of those feelings. It was everywhere, right alongside God Bless the USA. You heard it in places where you'd never heard the anthem before.

[hyperbolica]

But how much of her rendition "standing out" is simply a matter of timing? Desert Storm kicked off an January 17, 1991 and the Super Bowl was on January 27. There was a tremendous upwelling of patriotic sentiment during that time, and the "Whitney Houston Anthem" was one of the foci of those feelings. It was everywhere, right alongside God Bless the USA. You heard it in places where you'd never heard the anthem before.

That's a fair point, but after listening to a bunch of them, the Whitney, Lady Gaga, Faith Hill, and Pentatonix versions stood out. Maybe Luther vanDross too. If I could get a transcription of the Pentatonix one, I'd probably use that. Whitney had a great voice, and regardless of what happened around her, she really did a great job, plus she was backed up by a legit orchestra.

I played that Navy School of Music version multiple times a day for 4 years. So I have mixed feelings about it. First of all, how dare anyone for messing with the anthem, and then on the other hand I got so sick of playing the same old same old that it wouldn't hurt to do something a little different. Jose Feliciano? No. But Whitney Houston? It was musically thoughtful, emotionally charged, didn't disrespect the original, and beautifully performed.

Do you have a version that you'd select to play with a quintet at a ball game? Honestly, I'd like to hear your opinion.

[BGuttman]

In the Library of Congress (on the Web site) there is a version of the Star Spangled Banner that was used by the 2nd New Hampshire Volunteer Post Band during the Civil War. It's VERY different from what we play today, but it is in 3/4 time. Lead part is written for Eb Cornet.

[timothy42b]

Years back I atttended a military conference (before another branch of the service had an over the top conference that got all the rest of us shut down). The keynote speaker was a 3 or 4 star general.

Was that the one where the naval aviators were running "the gauntlet"? It's like, "No more conferences? Yup, that checks out."

Maybe, two/three generations later, we're ready to try and have a conference again.

Yes, it was a combination of the antics at that one, and the funding. During the war years the combatant commands were heavy users of available funds and my particular branch had to make do with what was available. The peer interaction and strategic planning of our conferences was extremely valuable but couldn't be supported anymore.

[harrisonreed]

I know this is for trombone quartet, but maybe something like this?

[hyperbolica]

Just in the line of an update, I took 5 versions of the Star Spangled Banner to quintet rehearsal last night. The quintet voted to use the Fillipe Mendel version I found on Free Scores. It's pretty standard, but has better moving lines in the bass. It's in the right key, the right meter, with no intro, tag or fancy ending.

Also, I was able to get the Scott Irvine version mentioned above directly from the arranger. I personally thought it was the best version to play as an instrumentalist, as it had some embellishment. But it would be difficult to sing along to, so the Mendel won the vote.

I've noticed Ab versions are pretty common. The purpose seems to be to get it down into a range where it's easier to sing. So the key change isn't just desecration for desecration's sake.

[BGuttman]

The Ab version was official and considered a better one to sing to.

The Civil War era one I mentioned is in Eb (!). Probably to fit in with the Eb lead cornet in the band. It's definitely NOT an official version. In the Nevers Band we would play that one in concert and remind people that it's not the National Anthem, which we had played at the beginning of the concert.

[JohnL]

I post this for historical reference only:
https://www.bostonleadershipbuilders.co ... anthem.pdf
Here's the issue of the Music Educators Journal that it originally appeared in:
https://ia804501.us.archive.org/22/item ... 11_5_2.pdf

It doesn't carry any real authority, of course, but it's the closest thing to a set of rules I've ever run into - and it was prepared with some input from what was at that time the War Department (though not from the music program).

I also dredged up a copy of the issue of the Music Supervisors' Journal where the "service version" was originally published in November of 1918:
https://ia804501.us.archive.org/22/item ... 11_5_2.pdf