Singing the national anthem

[bengal kitten uk]

Disclaimer: I'm a Brit and therefore know nothing about American traditions.

Something that has always bothered me when I watch American sport is the way there is always a singer brought in to sing the national anthem. Now it's not the fact that you have the singer, per se, more that said singer generally tends to go out of their way to put their own personal touch on the anthem (usually in a screechy way) and the crowd generally doesn't get involved more than whooping at the screechiest bits. e.g: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cOr6IgfFAM

Is there a reason that US crowds don't join in the singing of their anthem? a reason why the singers don't all sing the anthem to the same tune? or indeed a reason why the crowd always seems to cheer loudly at one particular bit of the song?

I only ask, because over here we only play anthems before international games and it's customary for the entire crowd to sing the anthem, creating an excellent atmosphere. Scotland actually stop playing during the second verse and let the crowd do all of the singing (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXcjRqQv5Zg)

[Millhouse]

I would say because most of my fellow Americans dont know the words of the anthem unless they are scrolled across on a screen.

Personally it be nice to see an energized atmosphere while its played, but to go with above, I also think most just dont care enough to. The exception to this would be fans up in Chicago when Jim Cornelison sings it for the Blackhawks (hockey) and some of the Bears games he does. And I think this is the best way to do the anthem by far in the U.S., not even close imo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqAcfy5G23k

[BmorePat87]

You just don't sing it. It's considered respectful to be quiet as it is sung, with no hat on, and your hand over your heart.

In Baltimore, however, the town where it was written (it's a song about the Battle of Baltimore), we have our own tradition where we yell "Ooohhhh" during the "O say does that" part as a nod towards our baseball team, the Orioles (or O's).

[Belsnickel]

(10-04-2016, 03:11 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: You just don't sing it. It's considered respectful to be quiet as it is sung, with no hat on, and your hand over your heart.

In Baltimore, however, the town where it was written (it's a song about the Battle of Baltimore), we have our own tradition where we yell "Ooohhhh" during the "O say does that" part as a nod towards our baseball team, the Orioles (or O's).

That happens in a lot of places these days.

Me personally, I don't see the point in starting a match/game between two opponents from the same country, inside their own country, with the national anthem. But that's just me, to each their own.

[Vas Deferens]

(10-04-2016, 03:11 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: You just don't sing it. It's considered respectful to be quiet as it is sung, with no hat on, and your hand over your heart.

In Baltimore, however, the town where it was written (it's a song about the Battle of Baltimore), we have our own tradition where we yell "Ooohhhh" during the "O say does that" part as a nod towards our baseball team, the Orioles (or O's).

WHY DO YOU HATE THE SOLDIERS!   

[Goalpost]

When I go to sporting events, plenty of people in the crowd sing it. I, personally, don't because my singing voice is quite average. I just have my hat off usually.

[fredtoast]

Signing the national anthem is too much work.  I just pay a Mexican migrant worker a couple of bucks to sing it for me.

[*michaelsean*]

I agree with the kitten in that I don't like people putting their own touch on the song. People in the crowd do sing it, but true it's not an everyone join in sing along.

[*michaelsean*]

(10-04-2016, 03:14 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: That happens in a lot of places these days.

Me personally, I don't see the point in starting a match/game between two opponents from the same country, inside their own country, with the national anthem. But that's just me, to each their own.

That actually seems like a pretty darned good time to play the National Anthem.

[Belsnickel]

(10-04-2016, 05:10 PM)michaelsean Wrote: That actually seems like a pretty darned good time to play the National Anthem.

I just see it being more of a thing with international competition, recognizing the countries involved, that sort of thing. I have more nationalistic feelings with those matches than I do a football game between the Steelers and the Bengals. Just my two cents.

[bengal kitten uk]

(10-04-2016, 03:11 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: You just don't sing it. It's considered respectful to be quiet as it is sung, with no hat on, and your hand over your heart.

Do you know why it is that way in the US?

I've always thought the idea of an anthem was to bring people together and nothing says unity like belting out a tune with 80,000 other people. For example, the french national anthem (La Marseillaise) acquired its name after being sang by a group of volunteers marching to Paris during the time of the French Revolution.

The US way seems more like individual pride and respect for an external entity (the USA) rather than collective belonging to a shared ideal.  Perhaps with the way the individual states work this is actually a fair description - do "Americans" actually identify more with their towns/families/churches/states than with the federal nation as a whole?

[*bfine32*]

I don't really think there is a rule as to sing along or not. I know as a Soldier I never sang along; as I was required to stand at attention and Salute (if outdoors).

I'm of the opinion that it need not be played before the beginning of every sporting event; as it trivializes the song (see Pat and his O's friends). I has become more about who is performing it than why they are performing it.

I would prefer to see it reserved for various tributes (Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Independence Day...)

My favorite rendition of National Anthem is Jimi Hendix's and nothing bears Gigi Buffon singing his National Anthem before an International Soccer match.

[6andcounting]

No one sings along because it's a low energy, uncatchy song.

Performers who add their own personalized touch to it make it sound even worse.

A few years ago someone started a petition to make Ignition (remix) by R. Kelly the new national anthem. That would bring some energy and melody to the crowd.

[GMDino]

(10-04-2016, 08:48 PM)6andcounting Wrote: No one sings along because it's a low energy, uncatchy song.

Performers who add their own personalized touch to it make it sound even worse.

A few years ago someone started a petition to make Ignition (remix) by R. Kelly the new national anthem. That would bring some energy and melody to the crowd.

Instead of standing would we have to pee on minors?

[Rotobeast]

(10-04-2016, 08:48 PM)6andcounting Wrote: No one sings along because it's a low energy, uncatchy song.

Performers who add their own personalized touch to it make it sound even worse.

A few years ago someone started a petition to make Ignition (remix) by R. Kelly the new national anthem. That would bring some energy and melody to the crowd.

How about we just change it to Ride of the Valkyries or The Imperial March ?

 

[RICHMONDBENGAL_07]

(10-04-2016, 08:06 PM)bfine32 Wrote: I don't really think there is a rule as to sing along or not. I know as a Soldier I never sang along; as I was required to stand at attention and Salute (if outdoors).

I'm of the opinion that it need not be played before the beginning of every sporting event; as it trivializes the song (see Pat and his O's friends). I has become more about who is performing it than why they are performing it.

I would prefer to see it reserved for various tributes (Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Independence Day...)

My favorite rendition of National Anthem is Jimi Hendix's and nothing bears Gigi Buffon singing his National Anthem before an International Soccer match.

Honestly that is my favorite rendition as well.  

[Belsnickel]

(10-05-2016, 02:21 AM)Rotobeast Wrote: How about we just change it to Ride of the Valkyries or The Imperial March ?

 

I don't know if our country would be own with Wagner.

John Williams, maybe, but they wouldn't go for Wagner.

[Bengalzona]

We like our anthem because it is our anthem and nationalistic needs dictate that we consider it as somewhat sacred. But, and I say this has someone who has "performed" the anthem at many different events, it has some problems. 

Our anthem is the combination of a poem by an American which people in 1814 found really inspiring ("Defense of Ft. McHenry" by Francis Scott Key) and a popular British drinking song of the day ("The Anacreontic Song", or "To Anacreon in Heaven"; Anacreon being an ancient Greek court poet). So we have the juxtaposition of a poem about a fort not being overrun (inspiring, but perhaps not as inspiring as some other topics such as "crushing your enemy and seeing them driven before you in battle") set to music popular in the country that was trying to overrun it.

Part of the problem with our anthem is a problem which is inherent in most anthems: the music is dated. Music styles and tastes change over time. It is hard to pick music in advance which will still be as interesting 200 years in the future. But we wouldn't change it because 1) it would be confusing and 2) we would probably still end up with something that wouldn't be popular 200 years in the future. 

Another problem is that our anthem is not so easy to sing. There are a lot of professional singers who will tell you that it is among the more difficult songs to sing. There are several reasons for this. One is that the lyrics were not custom designed for the song (or vice versa). The words were forced upon the existing music with an emphasis on "making it fit" rather than making it lyrical. Another issue is the music itself is a bit difficult to sing due to the wide range from low to high and the varying tessituras in the different sections. The song range is about an octave and a half and that is a bit of a challenge in itself for a lot of the population who have no vocal training. It also is a problem in finding a key which is suitable for most people to sing it. It either starts too low for some or ends too high for others. 

As a result, there are a lot of people who are uncomfortable singing it and there is no requirement to learn it or sing it. And many people don't. Their only exposure is often only at sporting events and such. This is why I put the word 'performed' in quotation marks above. Our anthem is generally performed by a solo musician or group and is not so much participatory. And that leads to another problem: musicians deciding to take liberties with the song. 

This phenomenon really took off after Whitney Houston sang the anthem at Super Bowl XXV. Whitney was a great singer, no doubt. And her rendition really displayed her talents. But, that was the problem. The national anthem became about a singer showing off rather than about a country and national unity, to the point that every 'would-be' star in the country felt some need to embellish the song and 'make it their own' in order to get 'discovered'. This has caused some almost ludicrous renditions of the anthem over the years. 

[*michaelsean*]

I forgot to mention the varying tessituras. Zona had my back.

[Belsnickel]

Isn't our anthem one of the few out there that doesn't name the country in it? I thought I remembered hearing that somewhere.