Boston, MA
Boston, MA
17
17
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1st Performance of Samuel F. Smith's "America"
On this day, July 4, 1832 the children's choir of Park street Congregational Church in Boston sang it at a Sunday school celebration. Beginning with the now familiar words, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty. . ." It gained immediate popularity. One leader commented that since it was "strong in simplicity and deep in trust in God, children and philosophers can repeat the hymn together. Every crisis will hear it above the storm."
The tune to "America" is actually quite cosmopolitan, the official or semiofficial melody of about twenty nations. For over a century it had been England's anthem, "God Save the Queen (or King)." As early as the seventeenth century it was found in Swiss music and had a long history of usage in Germany, Sweden, and Russia. Nine years after Smith adopted it, Beethoven wrote piano variations on the melody.
The four traditional verses of "My Country 'Tis of Thee" were all part of Smith's original poem. Editors deleted a fifth verse because of its strong anti-British sentiment. The best of the lines firmly plants our freedoms in God. "Our father's God, to thee, Author of liberty, to Thee we sing."
After completing his seminary studies, Smith went on to become one of the outstanding Baptist preachers of the nineteenth century. He composed 150 hymns during his life. In 1843, with Barton Stone, he compiled The Psalmist, the most widely-used Baptist hymnal of the day.
Later, as secretary of the Baptist Missionary Union, Smith visited many foreign mission fields. A gifted linguist, he was skilled in 15 languages, to which he attempted to add a sixteenth at the very end of his life: a year before his death at the age of eighty-six, he began the study of Russian! It is, however, for "America," that Samuel Francis Smith is best remembered.
http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1801-1900/1st-performance-of-samuel-f-smiths-america-11630412.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Francis_Smith
@ col mikel COL Mikel J. Burroughs @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen C. @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen F. LTC (Join to see) @ ltc john LTC John Mohor @ maj william Maj William W. 'Bill' Price @ maj ivan LTC Ivan Raiklin, Esq. @ capt tom Capt Tom Brown @ capt marty Maj Marty Hogan @ smsgt doc SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas @ msg andrew MSG Andrew White @ ssg pete SSG Pete Fleming @ sgt david SGT (Join to see) @ sgt david SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth @ sp5 robert SP5 Robert Ruck @ sp5 mark SP5 Mark Kuzinski SCPO Morris Ramsey Alan K. @ sra christopher SrA Christopher Wright TSgt Joe C.
On this day, July 4, 1832 the children's choir of Park street Congregational Church in Boston sang it at a Sunday school celebration. Beginning with the now familiar words, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty. . ." It gained immediate popularity. One leader commented that since it was "strong in simplicity and deep in trust in God, children and philosophers can repeat the hymn together. Every crisis will hear it above the storm."
The tune to "America" is actually quite cosmopolitan, the official or semiofficial melody of about twenty nations. For over a century it had been England's anthem, "God Save the Queen (or King)." As early as the seventeenth century it was found in Swiss music and had a long history of usage in Germany, Sweden, and Russia. Nine years after Smith adopted it, Beethoven wrote piano variations on the melody.
The four traditional verses of "My Country 'Tis of Thee" were all part of Smith's original poem. Editors deleted a fifth verse because of its strong anti-British sentiment. The best of the lines firmly plants our freedoms in God. "Our father's God, to thee, Author of liberty, to Thee we sing."
After completing his seminary studies, Smith went on to become one of the outstanding Baptist preachers of the nineteenth century. He composed 150 hymns during his life. In 1843, with Barton Stone, he compiled The Psalmist, the most widely-used Baptist hymnal of the day.
Later, as secretary of the Baptist Missionary Union, Smith visited many foreign mission fields. A gifted linguist, he was skilled in 15 languages, to which he attempted to add a sixteenth at the very end of his life: a year before his death at the age of eighty-six, he began the study of Russian! It is, however, for "America," that Samuel Francis Smith is best remembered.
http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1801-1900/1st-performance-of-samuel-f-smiths-america-11630412.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Francis_Smith
@ col mikel COL Mikel J. Burroughs @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen C. @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen F. LTC (Join to see) @ ltc john LTC John Mohor @ maj william Maj William W. 'Bill' Price @ maj ivan LTC Ivan Raiklin, Esq. @ capt tom Capt Tom Brown @ capt marty Maj Marty Hogan @ smsgt doc SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas @ msg andrew MSG Andrew White @ ssg pete SSG Pete Fleming @ sgt david SGT (Join to see) @ sgt david SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth @ sp5 robert SP5 Robert Ruck @ sp5 mark SP5 Mark Kuzinski SCPO Morris Ramsey Alan K. @ sra christopher SrA Christopher Wright TSgt Joe C.
4th of July
American History
Children
Boston
Posted 7 y ago
Responses: 6
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Thanks for sharing a stirring and poignant rendition of My Country Tis Of Thee by the Cedarmont kids SGT John " Mac " McConnell
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Great post! I was struck by the apparent indifference of the children to each other's race ... and the beauty of the song they sang together. Would that adults could reach the same level of color blindness and respect for each other. I pray for that this Independence Day.
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