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Our National Anthem
Not a soul seated. Barely an eye left unwashed in tears. An ovation worthy of a mighty arena, though it were the sanctuary of a meager country church. For some, this unfinished depiction wants of nothing more, but for those whose imaginations are still at work, the veil shall be slowly lifted.
What, it might be asked, evoked a response such as this? It is likely that similar displays of genuine movement have been witnessed in a variety of circumstances, but in this particular case, it was an American soldier's humble rendition of our National Anthem. These words have as yet failed to adequately capture the moment, and perhaps such attempts should be reserved for the great poets on their finer days, yet there is hope in that many Americans have experienced these moments, and it is upon this hope that this piece must rely.
Without surrendering entirely to presumption, the heartfelt response of this audience probably needs little explanation. It is probably understood that the crowd was not reacting to the range, tone, nor quality of this soldier's voice, but to a pure display of selfless love symbolized by his commitment to his fellow soldier and to his nation, and representative of millions who are currently serving or who have served in our nation's military.
Not all performances of the "Star-Spangled Banner" are so pure, so genuine, and so well representative of America's essence. Performances are frequently marred by overblown vibrato and embellishment which occurs in direct proportion to the size of venue and the profile of the performer. Few are surprised when words are forgotten or changed, whether or not intentionally. Though lacking for purity, these performances are usually forgotten and their transgressions easily forgiven in recognition that even the most well-intentioned are tempted by false grandeur and apt to err. And it would hardly be reasonable to expect he who has given his life to song to deliver a patriotic experience comparable to he who has given his life to the defense of this nation.
There exists yet one more variety of National Anthem performance which lacks both the purity of the American soldier and the forgetability of the pop star. This performance is quite distinct from others in that the Star-Spangled Banner is replaced by the whim of the performer, or by "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" if you are Rene Marie at the Denver Mayor's "State of the City" address.
Casting aside the obvious subtexts, the focus here shall be on the overriding theme that Mrs. Marie exhibited and the stark contrast it holds to the American soldier of the opening paragraphs. However pure her motives, what clearly happened at this event was that Marie substituted her own inward-looking desires for the overarching symbolism that bares the essence of Americanism. In short, she made something designed to be greater than herself about her. An invitation to perform our National Anthem is a wholly inappropriate time for personal statements for the simple reason that symbols such as the Flag and the National Anthem represent intangible qualities that are larger than any one person. The Flag is more than fabric and the Star-Spangled Banner is more than a mere sequence of notes. These symbols represent the very essence of America and are stained with the blood of sacrifice. They represent the both the great and the ordinary men and women on whose shoulders we stand.
The contrast between the Marie performance and the American soldier performance could not be greater. Marie displayed contempt, the soldier displayed honor and humility at chance to sing. Marie's focus was inward, the soldier's was outward. Marie seized the moment, the soldier understood that the moment was not his to seize. Marie sang for herself, the soldier sang for America. Once again the words fall short, and once again their worth is eclipsed by experience, for Marie's smattering of applause mixed with confusion and the soldier's moving to tears speak loud and clear.
http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=94919&catid=339 |
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I'm tired of getting e-mails asking for my reaction to this, so here it is ... New 
BoaterTalk 
