Often times, singing the Star Spangled Banner is an activity that we don’t really give much thought to. It’s a common formality before many sporting events, something we have to get through in order to get to the action. We hear it played by marching bands in July 4th parades. Other than that, not too often.
Sometimes, singing the song is even met with groans. It’s too hard to sing, it doesn’t have a peppy spirit, it’s often poorly done by even the best professionals. At times, it’s even been proposed that a different song should be our anthem; America the Beautiful is a common suggestion.
Today, I am thankful for our national anthem.
There is nothing quite as stirring as a crowd moved to extraordinary patriotism, giving their all to the musical version of Francis Scott Key’s poem. Voices always peak at this point:
…Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave, o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
If you haven’t seen it yet, (or, even if you have!) watch this short video of the national anthem being sung before last night’s Boston Bruins hockey game. It was the first professional sporting event in Boston since the explosions at Monday’s Boston Marathon.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzMsagY7oRs?rel=0]
How could we not be moved by those words and that spirit? I guess it’s not a hard song to sing, after all, when we really need to.
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