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Poets & Patriots: A Tuneful History of the United States Through The Tale of Francis Scott Key’s Most Famous Song
The story of “The Star-Spangled Banner” is the story of the United States itself. The melody was famously set to new words by amateur poet and lawyer Francis Scott Key after the Battle of Baltimore in 1814.
Since the “dawn’s early light” on that now emblematic day, the song has grown and changed in ways largely forgotten today. This lecture and discussion by U-M Associate Professor of Musicology and American Culture Mark Clague explores the history of the American national anthem as a witness to the story of the nation itself.
Mark Clague is a native of Ann Arbor and longtime fan of the Ann Arbor District Library. He serves as Associate Professor of Musicology and American Culture at the University of Michigan and is editor-in-chief of the George and Ira Gershwin Critical Edition and director of the University’s Gershwin Initiative.
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The Star-Spangled Bannercast with Mark Clague: Alternate Lyrics for the Banner
In celebration of the 200th anniversary of The Star-Spangled Banner, UM School of Music, Theatre & Dance Professor Mark Clague talks with us about the banner and its place in the tradition of broadside ballads.
In this Bannercast, Mark discusses the lyrics of the anthem, with special focus on the verses of the original song that are no longer commonly sung.
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AADL Talks to Mark Clague: The Musical Changes to Our Banner
In celebration of the 200th anniversary year of The Star Spangled Banner, UM School of Music, Theatre & Dance Professor Mark Clague talks with us about musical changes to our national anthem over time.
The celebration continues at your downtown library with Banner Moments: The National Anthem in American Life - an exhibit that illustrates through interpretive panels, historical documents and photographs, the cultural 200-year history of “The Star-Spangled Banner” from June 14, 2015 through August 30, 2015 in the Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room
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The Star-Spangled Bannercast with Mark Clague: The Banner at War
In celebration of the 200th anniversary of The Star-Spangled Banner, UM School of Music, Theatre & Dance Professor Mark Clague talks with us about our national anthem during wartime start with the war of 1812.
In this Bannercast edition, Mark traces the role that music, and especially The Star-Spangled Banner, played in the United States military conflicts, starting with the War of 1812, and traveling through years when the anthem and its various versions were embraced for their patriotism and message.
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The Star-Spangled Bannercast with Mark Clague: Translating Our Anthem
In celebration of the 200th anniversary, of The Star-Spangled Banner, UM School of Music, Theatre & Dance Professor Mark Clague talks with us about the controversy surrounding translations of our national anthem.
This Bannercast features a conversation about the challenges of translating a national anthem, and capturing the nuances of meaning that make The Star-Spangled Banner such an expressive song.
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The Star-Spangled Bannercast with Mark Clague: Writing Our Anthem
In celebration of the 200th anniversary of The Star-Spangled Banner, UM School of Music, Theatre & Dance Professor Mark Clague talks with us about Francis Scott Key and the writing of our national anthem.
In this Bannercast, Mark shares the story of The Star-Spangled Banner's author and his shipboard seat for the Battle of Fort McHenry, during which he wrote the anthem. Mark discusses the events surrounding the writing of the song, as well as the manner in which it was distributed and how it grew in popularity.
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The Star-Spangled Bannercast with Mark Clague: Jimi's Banners
In celebration of the 200th anniversary of The Star-Spangled Banner, UM School of Music, Theatre & Dance Professor Mark Clague talks with us about Jimi Hendrix and his personal relationship with our nation anthem.
Mark discusses one of the most famous national anthem performances of all time in this Bannercast, recounting the story of Jimi Hendrix's rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner at the Woodstock music festival. He elaborates on the significance of this performance, its creativity and craft, as well as the intent behind it. For more from Mark on this iconic Banner moment, see his article "'This is America' : Jimi Hendrix's Star Spangled Banner Journey as Psychedelic Citizenship" in the November 2014 volume of the Journal of the Society for American Music.
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The Star-Spangled Bannercast with Mark Clague: The Star-Spangled Banner in Professional Sports
In celebration of the 200th anniversary of The Star-Spangled Banner, UM School of Music, Theatre & Dance Professor Mark Clague talks with us about the unique connection between our national anthem and sports.
In this edition of Bannercast, Mark explores the reasons that The Star-Spangled Banner have become a part of professional sports in America, discusses landmark performances, and clarifies that the last two words of the lyrics are not actually "play ball."
Media
I Remember When: Gemeutlichkeit-Yassoo
In this episode, host Ted Trost profiles two of Ann Arbor's largest ethnic communities, the Greeks and Germans. Trost talks with U-M German professor Frederick Wahr about Ann Arbor's German history; and Edith and Paul Kempf, about their personal memories and the importance of music in their family. Ted also interviews Frank Kokenakes, his sister, Helen Kokales, and Anthony Preketes about Greek history and culture in Ann Arbor.
Written and directed by: Catherine Anderson
Executive Producer : Catherine Anderson
Graphic Artist: Eric Anderson
Sponsored by the Ann Arbor Public Library, with help from the Ann Arbor Sesquicentennial Commission and the University of Michigan Speech Department.
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An Interview with John Sinclair and Leni Sinclair
On April 1, 2011, in anticipation of the 40th anniversary of the John Sinclair Freedom Rally, AADL staff had the opportunity to interview John Sinclair and Leni Sinclair at both Chrysler Arena and the Bentley Historical Library. For more information, interviews, historical audio, photographs, and essays, visit Freeingjohnsinclair.org.