American Independence Day Music
American Independence Day is not far away so we thought we would take a look at the history of a few pieces of patriotic music available on music-scores.com
The Star Spangled Banner
The first patriotic piece of music that comes to mind for Independence Day is The Star Spangled Banner. Back in 1814 an American lawyer Francis Scott Key wrote a poem called The Defense of Fort McHenry. Key had witnessed the bombardment of the fort by British ships during the Battle of Baltimore. He later renamed the poem The Star Spangled Banner. This represented the nation’s flag which continued to fly amidst the cannon fire.
Key gave the poem to his brother-in-law who realised that the words fitted neatly with a song written by the English composer, John Stafford Smith. Smith’s song was called To Anacreon in Heaven. Members of the Anacreontic Society of London would sing the song at the beginning of every club meeting. The Star Spangled Banner grew in popularity across the nation over the years. In 1931 Congress officially adopted it as the National Anthem of the United States of America.
The Stars and Stripes Forever
John Philip Sousa composed The Stars and Stripes Forever in 1896. Sousa says that he wrote the march on Christmas Day. He and his wife were travelling back home on a ship after a vacation in Europe. He composed the march in his head, getting it down onto paper when they arrived in the United States.
It became the National March of the United States of America following an Act of Congress in 1987 and is one of the most popular pieces of music for Independence Day.
The Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell is another Sousa march. Sousa first wrote it for his unfinished operetta , The Devil’s Deputy though he didn’t have a name for it. After the financing for the show fell through, Sousa and George Hinton, his band manager, watched a spectacle called America. During this spectacle someone lowered a backdrop showing the Liberty Bell. Around the same time, Sousa’s wife wrote to him telling him that their son had marched in a parade in honour of the Liberty Bell. Naming the march after the Liberty Bell was a good choice.
The Liberty Bell is a very patriotic march for Independence Day. The United States Marine Band has played the march at several presidential inaugurations since 1993.
Whatever you are doing and whatever music you enjoy, we will be wishing everyone a Happy Independence Day!
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