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Nothing stirs the heart of a truehearted in the United States like fireworks accompanied by a rousing rendition of God Bless America. The top songs of America are a good deal of of the most without apparent effort recognized pieces of music in the Western world. “America the Beautiful,” “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “The Star Spangled Banner” and “God Bless America” are well-known and well-loved songs. They all have histories as rich and colorful as the nation they praise. The words for “America the Beautiful” were written in 1893 by an English professor from Wellesley College named Katharine Lee Bates on a train trip to Colorado Springs. She was inspired by the sights outside her window, and she put her thoughts down on paper. It was published two years later in commemoration of the Fourth of July. The poem caught the public’s attention, and the words were adapted to a tune from composer Samuel A. Ward, which was written in 1882. The song attained great popularity for the duration of the firstborn two decades of the 20th century. The tune of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” was written in approximately 1855 by William Steffe. The lyrics were different, and it was used as a campfire spiritual. An early version of the lyrics were written by Thomas Bishop around 1860, and they were used as a walking song entitled “John Brown’s Body” by the Massachusetts Infantry for the duration of the Civil War. Julia Ward Howe heard the song and changed the lyrics to the ones widely known today. It was in the first place published in The Atlantic Monthly in February 1862. “God Bless America” was written by Irving Berlin in 1918. Berlin revised the song in 1938, and it then became a signature song of vocalist Kate Smith. He revived the song as World War II loomed on the horizon in the hopes of building national morale. Berlin wrote the song while serving in the U.S. Army at Camp Upton in New York. The song inspired Woody Guthrie to write another classic American anthem, “This Land is Your Land,” in 1940. Many other patriotic songs are popular, but “The Star Spangled Banner” is the official national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics were written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key as Royal Navy ships bombed Fort McHenry in Maryland for the duration of the War of 1812. The tune comes from a frequent British drinking song called “To Anacreon in Heaven.” It was composed by John Stafford Smith for the Anacreontic Society, a general social club in London. It was recognized for official use by the Navy in 1889. “Hail, Columbia” and respective other songs antecedently served as the national anthem over the years, but they all paled in comparison to this moving tune. The song was officially indicated as the national anthem by a congressional solution on March 3, 1931, which was then signed by President Herbert Hoover. It is oftentimes sung at the beginning of sporting event, holidays and official state events. Patriotic songs are as much a percentage of the rich tapestry of America as apple pie and baseball games. In fact, they often times go hand in hand. Most helpful customer reviews 20 of 20 people found the following review helpful. 16 of 17 people found the following review helpful. Handel’s Water Music Suites were composed for the King’s Wednesday evening excursions on the water. A separate barge was allocated to the musicians. Some 50 musicians played entertainment, an event to bring Venice to England. Some of Handel’s greatest melodies situate themselves into these three suites. Very courtly and often rooted in dance, these works represent Handel at the top of his game. Each suite is scored slightly differently: F major has oboes, bassoons, horns, and strings, while the D major adds trumpets, and the G major includes recorders and flutes; all have the standard basso continuo, well played on this recording. The chamber ensemble Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields has the right touch in all of these works, but as opposed to many performances, a general courtliness (one might go so far as to say stuffiness) is present in these pieces, giving a dignified grandeur, as opposed to the freneticism of other recordings. As is usually the case with Sir Neville Marriner, great lengths are taken to provide the public with the most scholarly performances of 17th and 18th century music; this CD is no exception. Aside from scholarship, the playing and the sound is beautiful and equally balanced. The acoustic of Wood Hall is dry enough so as to not make this chamber ensemble sound over reverberant. Really, all in all, if you want these Handel masterpieces on one disk, the recording is as good as any out there. 8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. |
A great performance