the star spangled banner song by mormon tabernacle choir

If the people who make these decisions must go with a solo singer, let it be Placido Domingo. “The Star-Spangled Banner” was written in a moment of great crisis and meaning for this country. It should be performed majestically, with all the crescendo and patriotic fervor that inspired its birth. We need to get back to performing it as an inspiring piece of music. The writer served as play-by-play announcer for Washington Redskins radio broadcasts from 1979 to 2004.Īs a retired Navy captain, I am sick and tired of hearing the national anthem butchered by celebrity “singers” at major sporting events such as the Super Bowl. Christina Aguilera was only the latest to make me cringe.

Is getting a word or two wrong really that big a deal? Hell, no.

I remember the lump in my throat, the tears brimming in my eyes as 77,000 people sang their hearts out. I remember standing in the broadcast booth feeling something I had rarely felt before and haven’t felt since. I’m sure someone missed a note, and more than one may have forgotten part of the lyrics, but 11 years later I remember that moment as if it was yesterday. The public address announcer told the crowd that no marching band would be performing at halftime and, therefore, the crowd would have to sing the national anthem “a cappella.” With that, 77,000 people stood and began to sing this “botch of nature.” The Washington Redskins game against the Colts in Indianapolis in 1999 had one glitch occur before the game even began. Regarding Alexandra Petri’s blog post excerpt about how difficult it is for someone to sing the national anthem:

The star spangled banner song by mormon tabernacle choir