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Showing posts from July 1, 2008

THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC...no more!

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Please Visit Mark Knows It All, the Web Site My Seraphim Chorus sang a gig this past weekend. We performed for the alumni association of a local, now defunct, high school. The average age of these folks was at the high end of the 70 plus crowd, with many of the men in attendance obviously veterans of WWII or Korea. The organizer asked that we add some patriotic songs to our repertoire, and our director dutifully pulled out hymn book arrangements of America the Beautiful and The Battle Hymn of the Republic . While practicing these patriotic chestnuts before the performance, the music struck a chord in me and I became teary eyed and very sad. To make matters worse, when I got home from the concert, a friend of mine had emailed a performance of the Wilhousky Battle Hymn (think Mormon Tabernacle Choir) arrangement done recently by a local high school with a youth choir, band, and high school chorus. I am 58 years old, and I will guarantee that just about anyone my age who participated