Now comes the guy who lives in the city where the SSB was written. Many thanks, Padre, for saving me the trouble of writing out all the verses.
A few random observations on this and related subjects discussed further down.
One of the most frequent objections to the SSB as our National Anthem is that it's too hard to sing. True, its range is over an octave and when sung in the usual keys may go as low as B-flat below Middle C and/or as high as F above the G-staff. But I have noticed lately that there are a number of hymns in many standard hymnals with a similar range. And, singing as a bass in our choir, I have to cover from low C (below the bass staff) to high F (the one above middle C) which is 2 and a half octaves, which makes the SSB a piece of cake. So phooey to that objection. It's only hard for people who are not singers, or who are accustomed to sing only the modern pap which passes for music in this degraded generation.
That said, I would rather see "America the Beautiful" (to the tune 'Materna', the standard one) as our National Anthem.
As for 'O Canada', I confess to having a liking for it, especially in the French version, having sung it once (in French), with our choir, before a baseball game at Memorial Stadium between the Orioles and the Expos. I love the opening -- "Terre de nos aieux" is a really satisfying mouthful.
Lastly, a word about the author of the SSB. Francis Scott Key, who was on a humanitarian pro bono job and wound up being held on a British warship whilst Fort McHenry was being bombarded, was a talented and very successful lawyer. His home was in Frederick MD, where he is buried; he practiced mostly in Washington DC. He was a faithful, committed and practicing Churchman (Episcopalian) and at one point seriously considered Holy Orders but instead took up the law. Music and poetry were his avocations.
