neatoka Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 Where did the OA get the tune to there song? not the words Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsteele Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 It's part of a very well known classical music piece usually performed by an orchestra, but for the life of me I can't think of which one. Can anyone else help? DS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilLup Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 I believe the tune is from a Russian national anthem. You will hear it toward the end of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsteele Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 Thanks, Neil. It is from the 1812 Overture. DS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Be_Prepared Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 Correct. It is "God Save The Czar" - which was the Russion National Anthem until the revolution in 1917. It was used in the orchestra pieces Slavic Dances and Overture of 1812, among others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eisely Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 How's about them apples? Learn something new every day. As I roll the melody through my head it is indeed the same as the passage from 1812 Overture. Two questions: What has God Save the Czar got to do with native american lore and a BSA honor society? Why couldn't the founders have picked something easier to sing? Most times this is sung, people make a horrible hash out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eamonn Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 Please don't think that I'm taking a cheap shot. Eisely, Have you ever listened to a group trying to sing the middle bit of the American National Anthem? At times it can be a little hard on the ears. Eamonn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eisely Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 Oh I agree. The melody for our national anthem is also quite difficult to sing. If I could only remember the words.... One hates to give the French credit for anything these days, but the Marseilles as a national anthem does stir the blood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilLup Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 The US National Anthem uses the meter and tune of an English drinking song "To Anacreon in Heaven." Also, it is in 3/4 time, which is waltz time rather than marching time. As far as the OA song, I suspect that Urner Goodman and Carroll Edson were throwing things together as fast as they could. Likely, they were just putting something together for their summer camp in Philadelphia. They never said "Let's plan a national honor society for Scouts which will go nationwide." There were many such organizations at the time and only years later was the OA chosen as the national one. I also understand that the ceremonies are similar to Masonic ceremonies of the time. I understand that Goodman and Edson were both Masons. Likely Francis Scott Key and Goodman and Edson just picked something with which they were familiar and used it. The selection for national usage came much later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob58 Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 NeilL, I'm not sure that FSKEy had anything to do w/ the melody. I'd have to check my history vs. folklore file... often lyrics are written independenty of the actual tune but dependentupon meter or time. Try sining the words to any ballad to another ballad's melody. "Happy Trails to you...." Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilLup Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 The following site: http://www.bcpl.net/~etowner/anacron2.html says this about Key and the Tune: Key and the Tune As early as 1806 Francis Scott Key adapted the tune to an earlier poem he wrote entitled "When the Warrior Returns" in honor of an American naval victory over the Barbary pirates. Hence, there is no doubt that Key was well acquainted with the tune, when in, September 1814, he saw the flag over Fort McHenry "by the dawn's early light." Soon after the battle, the poem and tune were published, a reminder of the American victory. Of course, that isn't saying it is accurate, but the site seems to have gone into matters in pretty great detail(This message has been edited by NeilLup) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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