National Anthem

[OZZIE4DUKE]

The 12 year old boy who sang the National Anthem at last night's Long Beach State was was PHENOMENAL! He sang much older than 12. Watch out American Idol!

[DukeDevilDeb]

The 12 year old boy who sang the National Anthem at last night's Long Beach State was was PHENOMENAL! He sang much older than 12. Watch out American Idol!

... he didn't get all the words right! He has a beautiful voice but seems to subscribe to the school of LOUDER IS BETTER!

I know this is old fashioned, but I love(d) it when Francis and the band do the National Anthem. They do it straight; the crowd can join in. I'm not sure who picks the warblers, but some of them this season have been questionable... not true of the guy last night who just needs to work on memorizing the words! :o

[stillcrazie]

... he didn't get all the words right! He has a beautiful voice but seems to subscribe to the school of LOUDER IS BETTER!

I know this is old fashioned, but I love(d) it when Francis and the band do the National Anthem. They do it straight; the crowd can join in. I'm not sure who picks the warblers, but some of them this season have been questionable... not true of the guy last night who just needs to work on memorizing the words! :o

Agreed -- too loud and wrong words. But I didn't realize it was a 12 year old.

[MHTorringjan]

... he didn't get all the words right! He has a beautiful voice but seems to subscribe to the school of LOUDER IS BETTER!

I know this is old fashioned, but I love(d) it when Francis and the band do the National Anthem. They do it straight; the crowd can join in. I'm not sure who picks the warblers, but some of them this season have been questionable... not true of the guy last night who just needs to work on memorizing the words! :o

The female voice instructor Duke faculty member who sang the anthem at the womens' NCCU game the other night was very very good, she did it up straight, too. That's an issue that my father and I have with a lot of the national anthem singers, is the warbling, as DevilDeb put it. We always appreciate it when people sing the anthem straight, because it's not supposed to be about them, it's about the anthem.

[westwall]

[QUOTE=MHTorringjan; We always appreciate it when people sing the anthem straight, because it's not supposed to be about them, it's about the anthem.[/QUOTE]

-- but too often it IS all about them.

[El_Diablo]

Umm...HE'S A CHILD.

[Indoor66]

Umm...HE'S A CHILD.

If he takes on adult actions, he should act as an adult and be prepared.

[UrinalCake]

I think Coach K left him in too long. Should have pulled him after "Rocket's red glare" and given the bench singers some time.

[le_modeliste]

Was anybody there for the guy who played it on the harmonica earlier this year - the St. John's game, I think?

[uh_no]

Was anybody there for the guy who played it on the harmonica earlier this year - the St. John's game, I think?

so good

[NSDukeFan]

I think Coach K left him in too long. Should have pulled him after "Rocket's red glare" and given the bench singers some time.

My favorite post of the day so far.

[Vincetaylor]

Give the kid a break. He was really good. 12 year olds aren't supposed to be perfect.

[Indoor66]

Give the kid a break. He was really good. 12 year olds aren't supposed to be perfect.

But they are supposed to know the words to the songs they sing in performances.

[stillcrazie]

I think Coach K left him in too long. Should have pulled him after "Rocket's red glare" and given the bench singers some time.

Someone would complain that Coach K wasn't giving the youngsters enough singing time. How will he improve his voice if he gets taken out early?

[Vincetaylor]

But they are supposed to know the words to the songs they sing in performances.

Once again, he was 12. Which words didn't he get correct by the way? I was there and didn't notice any mistakes(of course I wasn't looking for mistakes either).

[Acymetric]

... he didn't get all the words right! He has a beautiful voice but seems to subscribe to the school of LOUDER IS BETTER!

I know this is old fashioned, but I love(d) it when Francis and the band do the National Anthem. They do it straight; the crowd can join in. I'm not sure who picks the warblers, but some of them this season have been questionable... not true of the guy last night who just needs to work on memorizing the words! :o

If it was too loud blame whoever ran the sound, not him. The performer should perform however makes them feel most comfortable and able to perform, its up to the sound guy (or guys) to adjust the levels appropriately so that its not too loud or too quiet coming out of the speakers.

My guess is they lazily just assumed it would be a quiet performance because it was a kid and set it high, and never changed it once he started.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Once again, he was 12. Which words didn't he get correct by the way? I was there and didn't notice any mistakes(of course I wasn't looking for mistakes either).

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
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?Well, the one mistake I caught was he sang "For the land of the free". If there were others, I missed them, but that definitely caught my attention.

I am strongly in the camp of sing it the way it was written, don't warble and don't slow it down, and don't harmonize. He was a bit slow for may taste, and he had a strange emphasis a time or two, but I loved his voice.

At least he didn't sing "perlous flight" like some apparently drunk woman/girl did a few years ago, which may have been the reason for the first thread we had on this topic. Is there a code in the HPR for this? :eek: I'll go look!

I didn't think Harmonica Man did a particularly good job - he probably thinks he could have performed better too. - Nope, but there should be!

[Greg_Newton]

I thought the kid was amazing. You could hear the rumbling in the crowd after he finished because everyone was so impressed! I'm not sure what the "too loud" and "warbling" comments are referring to, the kid was pretty close to technically perfect. I don't know how he learned that in 12 years....

Hillsborough, who'da thunk it?:)

[jmb]

I've always wished that the crowd would sing the anthem. Anyone who's been to a hockey game in Canada can attest to how cool that is: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meLpuF9UMvk&feature=fvw for those who haven't)

[Duke4life92]

Originally Posted by DukeDevilDeb
... he didn't get all the words right! He has a beautiful voice but seems to subscribe to the school of LOUDER IS BETTER!

I know this is old fashioned, but I love(d) it when Francis and the band do the National Anthem. They do it straight; the crowd can join in. I'm not sure who picks the warblers, but some of them this season have been questionable... not true of the guy last night who just needs to work on memorizing the words!

Wow,just amazed at the topics.I agree with those that think it sounded very good and really was'nt listening close enuff to find word mistakes-:rolleyes:.Sounded a hellovalot better than the harmonica guy :eek:.

[BobbyFan]

I think Coach K left him in too long. Should have pulled him after "Rocket's red glare" and given the bench singers some time.

What are you basing this on? Coach K listens to these kids practice all the time. He has a better idea than any of us as to how good the backup singers truly are.

[snowdenscold]

We always appreciate it when people sing the anthem straight, because it's not supposed to be about them, it's about the anthem.

I agree as well. Also, the song is not supposed to be a funeral dirge - heck, the tune was based on an English drinking song - so let's pick up the pace a little and not have it take 5 minutes to sing.

[NSDukeFan]

What are you basing this on? Coach K listens to these kids practice all the time. He has a better idea than any of us as to how good the backup singers truly are.

The backup singers aren't going to get any better unless they are allowed to make mistakes during a performance. ;)

[stillcrazie]

What are you basing this on? Coach K listens to these kids practice all the time. He has a better idea than any of us as to how good the backup singers truly are.

Then why do "so many" transfer to get more singing time?

[Devilsfan]

Too loud and the wrong words, make room Carolina here comes another student.

[hurleyfor3]

What are you basing this on? Coach K listens to these kids practice all the time. He has a better idea than any of us as to how good the backup singers truly are.

The real reason a 12-year-old was in there in the first place is because we can't ever recruit the right big man to sing it.

[DukeUsul]

=
I am strongly in the camp of sing it the way it was written, don't warble and don't slow it down, and don't harmonize. He was a bit slow for may taste, and he had a strange emphasis a time or two, but I loved his voice.


Emphasis mine.

How can you not harmonize? The music inherently has harmonies in it. :confused::confused::confused: Are you saying you disapprove of vocal musicians singing the harmonies and only approve of a band playing them?

[cascadedevil]

Amazing to me how some people are likely to complain about the taxes they would have to pay if they won the lottery. I had the good fortune to compliment the young man on his performance last night, and tell his father how proud he should be. If he or his family happen to read this board, I hope they will know that any negative comments in postings say much more about the poster than they do about him. He did an amazing job, and just having the courage to stand up there and belt it out shows he is headed for great success in whatever he chooses to do. On the other hand, those who choose to publicly (and anonymously) tear apart the efforts of a 12 old, I suspect must be lurking Terp fans.

[Lord Ash]

I for one think he would have done fine if we had a real 12-year-old-kid-singing coach, instead of Wojo... I mean, Wojo has only played point guard, he has never sung before.

[snowdenscold]

Emphasis mine.

How can you not harmonize? The music inherently has harmonies in it. :confused::confused::confused: Are you saying you disapprove of vocal musicians singing the harmonies and only approve of a band playing them?

Well since a vocalist can only hit one note at a time, I assumed he meant they should sing the melody - not change the pitch of various notes in the song (assuming they're by themselves)

[uh_no]

Well since a vocalist can only hit one note at a time, I assumed he meant they should sing the melody - not change the pitch of various notes in the song (assuming they're by themselves)

i think the appropriate word would be 'ornament' rather than 'harmonize'

[jimsumner]

I'll give him points for not turning the word "free" into a five-syllable word, as seems to be the habit these days.

If you hear the national anthem in public as often as I do, you come to appreciate singers who perform the work without excessive ornamentation, without shouting and without drawing attention to themselves. It's not American Idol, folks.

This happens very rarely, unfortunately.

For the record, I could do without the harmonica. For the record 2, I could do without the 'Oh." What's the point? At least State fans can rationalize "Red." But the letter O appears nowhere in Duke University basketball. It's just a disrespectful affectation. Again, IMO.

My father was career military, so I grew up with an appreciation of the National Anthem and the American Flag. Watch Mike Krzyzewski sometime during the national anthem and you'll see what I'm getting at.

Take it seriously or don't do it at all.

[uh_no]

But the letter O appears nowhere in Duke University basketball.

It's obvioulsy a shout out to washingtOn duke....

[DukeUsul]

i think the appropriate word would be 'ornament' rather than 'harmonize'

Right, that's what I took the "warbling" to mean.

[J.Blink]

For the record 2, I could do without the 'Oh." What's the point? At least State fans can rationalize "Red." But the letter O appears nowhere in Duke University basketball. It's just a disrespectful affectation. Again, IMO.

Hear, hear!

Furthermore, didn't the "Oh!" tradition originate with the Orioles? Do we Duke fans really want an imported MARYLAND tradition in Cameron! I hope not!!

Alas, like the "Hi _____, you suck!" it appears that "Oh!" is here to stay.

p.s. and for the record, I liked the kid's singing very much, and far more than many of the singers. It was a little loud, but I don't think that was his fault.

[gep]

My father was career military, so I grew up with an appreciation of the National Anthem and the American Flag. Watch Mike Krzyzewski sometime during the national anthem and you'll see what I'm getting at.

Take it seriously or don't do it at all.

I echo this sentiment. My father was in WWII... I was born a few years after that. Ever since I can remember, we went to an annual (if not more often) party with the veterans, and they are a close, proud group of guys. We don't know what close means until you see these guys who literally "had each other's back", and seen their buddies die and have to leave them. I, too, grew up with a deep appreciation for the National Anthem and the American Flag. To this day, I still get goose-bumps when the National Anthem is done "as is"... but not as much when it's embelished/ornamented/etc and becomes more a focal point of the performer(s) than the song/flag.

p.s. As I've read through this thread, I wanted to comment, but didn't want to distract from the young boy. But with Jim's post, I wanted also to express my thoughts...

[OZZIE4DUKE]

The lady who sang tonight (New Years Eve) did a beautiful job, sang it spritely (not slowly) and got all the words right. Nothing to complain about, other than she got benched after just over a minute of playing time :p:D

[Festus]

Don’t post all that often but this is a subject that I feel strongly about. I completely agree with Mr. Sumner’s post. As a retired Navy veteran, I have stood proudly at attention countless times to hear my country’s most inspiring anthem and it really irritates me when it is performed as to draw attention to the performer. A couple decades ago, I was privileged to be assigned as the senior USA officer on a NATO staff in southern Italy where I represented our country on numerous ceremonial occasions which, by protocol, required that all the anthems of participating countries were performed in sequence. My conversations with my allied counterparts revealed that they felt similarly regarding their anthems as a tradition and testimony to the many folks who played a role in their country’s respective histories. I suppose for those who do not have a military history personally or from family connections, it may not be that important and it is alright for it to be a production rather than its traditional intent but neither I nor most of my fellow veterans support this recent trend (actually, I believe the trend probably goes back to 1968 when Jose Feliciano sang his version of the "Star Spangled Banner” at the World Series)..

[El_Diablo]

Who cares? Let people put a little emotion into it if they want to.

If you like it sung a certain way...great. If someone else likes it sung a different way, with some real passion...great. Either way, there's no need to disparage people who actually show the courage to stand up in front of a large crowd to sing it as best as they can, even if it doesn't conform with your personal subjective taste.

Your taste is not really the original "intent" anyway...since it was actually penned as a written poem, not a flat unornamented song set to an old English drinking song.

[Jim3k]

In a certain respect, the anthem has lost its unique status, given the fact that it is played so regularly at sporting events and other occasions which bear no relationship to patriotism.

I'm not entirely sure of the history, but I understand it was not until WWII that the major leagues began playing it prior to their games. It has now become a tradition throughout sport, but with that usage comes a certain ennui which somehow reduces the song's importance. Being so commonplace leads singers to try to present it in an original/personalized manner, rather than be accused of favoring triteness. It should send a chill to each of us as we think on what it stands for and the lives that have been lost defending us. But for many it no longer does. *

It's a hard balance. And dropping it from sporting events in order to recapture its salience would not be well-received.

-------
* Those folks who insist on distorting it with their "O's" are evidence of the problem. They don't sing it with a patriotic purpose. To them it's close to mindless.

[merry]

If we insist on having the anthem before every game then why not admit it's just become part of the tradition and pagentry? If it's so important to "respect" it then why don't we always have a color guard present? And why are the people who sing it allowed to do whatever they want - they do audition I'm pretty sure so these odd renditions that people object to are accepted in advance.

Based on the other posts here I'm obviously in the minority, but I can't see what relevance the anthem has at sporting events at all and don't know why it is played/sung at the beginning of an event. I'd be in favor of dropping it entirely. If we keep the anthem (which I'm sure we will since nearly everyone seems to think it's important and anyone who doesn't do it their way is unpariotic) then can we at least drop the lenghtened intro to the anthem that was adopted after 9/11 and just go back to "please rise for our national anthem"?

[mapei]

Merry, I couldn't agree more. I too would just drop it.

[PallasAthena]

Thank you, Mr. Henderson! You sang beautifully tonight. Please, please, please, Powers-That-Be, make Mr. Henderson the permanent replacement for Frances Redding.

For those of you who missed it: tonight's singer was PERFECT, a professionally trained voice sang all the notes and all the words as written.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Thank you, Mr. Henderson! You sang beautifully tonight. Please, please, please, Powers-That-Be, make Mr. Henderson the permanent replacement for Frances Redding.

For those of you who missed it: tonight's singer was PERFECT, a professionally trained voice sang all the notes and all the words as written.
He was wonderful. He also reminded me of Ronan Tynan. I wonder if he sings God Bless America too? http://popup.lala.com/popup/432627090803527457 :cool:

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Mr. Henderson was indeed superb. His enunciation was clear and precise. He followed the original music very closely and did not add amateurish frills and trills. He didn't silence the "O," but he did sing past it. What a great voice! He sang beautifully without any accompaniment.

[Duvall]

He also reminded me of Ronan Tynan.

In that case, I certainly hope that he won't have time to make another appearance at Cameron.

[Dunkin]

The singer last night was indeed superb. This is the 2nd time he has sung the anthem at a bb game. The first was about 2 - 3 years ago. I used to work with him and I saw him in the concourse before the game back then. He said his voice instructor who was teaching at Duke was supposed to perform, but couldn't, so he was getting to do it. He said he hoped he could do it some more, but last night was the first time I have seen him since then. I am lucky enough to go to all the home games, so I would have noticed him. In "real life" he was a computer programmer/systems engineer last I knew.

[buddy]

was superb. I hope he returns often. And please, can the harmonica rendition of the anthem. What a joke!

[jjasper0729]

The gentleman last night was very good. The young man for the LBS game was good as well (For/o'er not withstanding).

I presume with the students coming back, we'll get a few more of the campus choral groups. My favorite for basketball games was the Durham Police group (a quartet or quintet, been a while, can't remember). They were spot on and to the point.

I remember reading on SI.com about Dr. Z timing the anthems and having his best and worst lists about them. My grandfather served in WWII and taught me about respecting the anthem and the flag. It always gets me choked up when I hear it (best at a game I EVER heard was the Marine band before a football game a few years ago)

For the history buffs, the first time the Star Spangled Banner was played at a sporting event was 1918 at Wrigley Field in the WS during the 7th inning stretch. It wasn't adopted as the national anthem until 1931 and not used by all the major league teams until 1942. After that, the usage to other sporting events spread.

[Devilsfan]

Let Francis do the women's games. Please.

[DU82]

Let Francis do the women's games. Please.

Not anymore, based on the last time I heard her. A bit too slow and off-pitch. Much like asking somebody like Jim Spanarkel to play ball, 30 years after graduation. Great in the day, though.

The women's games get more groups, including what must have been over 50 elementary school choir members at a game last month. Groups, I believe, do "better" (better in terms of tradition and keeping on key and with the right words) than soloists (last night's men's singer as well as the vocal professor at the women's NCCU game as exceptions.)

[blazindw]

Alright, I thought I would chime in with my thoughts. To me, freedom of expression is something that I think we all agree is a fundamental right. And, I think that freedom extends to the national anthem. I like when people give their own personal rendition of the national anthem, because in a nation that prides itself on its freedoms, I love hearing singers put their own personal expression on it. Remember Super Bowl XXV during the Gulf War when Whitney Houston put on the performance of a lifetime with her rendition of the national anthem? Not a person who watched that did so without choking up at least a little bit. In my mind, Marvin Gaye's rendition performed before the 1983 NBA All-Star Game ranks as one of the best performances of all time.

Sure, for every Marvin Gaye or Whitney Houston there is a Roseanne Barr or Carl Lewis, but I can appreciate someone laying a rendition down that gives you goosebumps and fills you with shivers to the core. It's, IMO, part of what makes this country great, and certainly the right to express oneself on the national anthem is one of the fundamental rights that our soldiers fight for every day.

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

LOVED the anthem this time! But, I'm still waiting for some wonderful, inspirational person to invite and encourage the crowd to sing along. I could hear murmurs accompanying the tenor soloist last night, I suspect because we had the faith that he would sing a version we could all follow rather than making it a personal ballad and his own 60 seconds of fame. I still want CIS to be the place where we all sing it together as one......loud and proud!
Love, Ima

[Richard Berg]

Hear hear, Donald. I was going to cite Whitney Houston's performance until you stole the opportunity :)

As for the guy who doesn't like harmony...well friend, suffice to say my favorite rendition of the anthem ever recorded comes from Take 6 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qZe8aB7plU), so we're gonna have to agree to disagree. Unfortunately, the backtracking that followed hasn't helped your case either -- ornamentation by a soloist been has been a part of vocal traditions in Western (and other) music for just as many centuries as harmony, if not more. I'll admit it does grate on my nerves when mediocre singers try to hide a lack of fundamentals behind pop hooks, but that's not an indictment of the technique generally.

Wish I still lived in the area to hear the last few performances. I've had the pleasure of performing with Wade many times; glad to know his talent is appreciated outside the classical realm. With any luck I'll be hearing this 12yo on TV or radio soon enough.

At the other end of the spectrum, one of the lousiest anthems in recent memory came at the Preseason NIT this past fall. It consisted of a violin + a trumpet, both very amateurish [especially for NYC!], playing an arrangement that would've surely flunked Counterpoint 101.

I also recall a game in Cameron (2002 maybe?) where the singer forgot the words right as they started the bridge. After a pause she muttered "I'm sorry" into the mic...just as the audience started to pick up where she left off. On the bright side, it was a very rousing finale!


As a retired Navy veteran...it really irritates me when it is performed as to draw attention to the performer. [insert story about national anthems at NATO events]
Please. Some perspective. The performances in question -- even the totally lame ones -- were all in the context of a televised basketball game taking place in one of the nation's premiere entertainment venues. I don't agree that adding musical flair to an anthem is unpatriotic in any way...but if I did, surely I'd want to seek out an "authentic" performance (whatever that means) at a VFW Post instead of Cameron?

[Kimist]

Thank you, Mr. Henderson! You sang beautifully tonight. Please, please, please, Powers-That-Be, make Mr. Henderson the permanent replacement for Frances Redding.

For those of you who missed it: tonight's singer was PERFECT, a professionally trained voice sang all the notes and all the words as written.


AGREED - Now what I am really waiting for is a singer who will, just prior to the obnoxious "O" thing, be silent briefly and THEN sing the "O say ....." Speaking of sending a message!

I still cannot believe that Coach K, with his military background, (apparently) condones the "O" interruptions. While the "downstairs" folks think such is fine, it is not unusual to hear murmurs among some "upstairs" folks, especially first-timers in Cameron, along the lines of "what in the heck was THAT?!?" Those with a military history (there are many!) of their own also frown upon such behavior during the singing of the national anthem. Perhaps they see the flag and the national anthem in a slightly different perspective than the college-age crowd??

k

[captmojo]

I didn't get to see or hear the kid, but if he gets a nod from Oz, he's okay by me.

If he were to get the lyrics wrong in chapel hole, would Roy have him kicked out? :D