Pick of the Day: Anthem (DVD)

Anthem: The Story Behind the Star-Spangled Banner. DVD, 61 min. Prod. by Make Your MarkMedia. Dist. by Colonial Music Institute. 2012. ISBN unavail. $20.
Gr 7 Up–The historical and musical background of “The Star Spangled Banner” is expertly told in this program. Divided into segments, the first part, “The Power of Music,” gives a history of music and its use in storytelling. Facts about music publishing and biographical information about Francis Scott Key are included.  Part two details the history of drinking songs and social clubs, as well as facts about the Barbary War and the Jefferson administration. “Madison’s War” relates the story of the British invasion of the Chesapeake region and their attack on Baltimore’s Fort McHenry in 1814. Key was a witness to the attack and penned a song inspired by the raising of a large flag over the fort. As years passed, the song began to be played as a national song, along with “Hail Columbia.” John Phillip Sousa often played Key’s song and in 1931 President Hoover signed legislation making it the national anthem. Historical illustrations, drawings, and maps are utilized throughout the program as well as interviews with Dr. David Hilderbrand, an expert in early American music; Dr. Ralph Eshelman, historian; Justin Reay, a naval historian from Oxford University; and Martin O’Malley, Maryland’s Governor. Also featured are contemporary songs and a stunning rendition of the national anthem by the Naval Academy Glee Club. This program will be an appealing new learning tool for history and music teachers.–Patricia Ann Owens, Illinois Eastern Community Colleges, Mt. Carmel