The Star Spangled Banner
A Tale of Two Composers
Over the next few weeks, I’d like to share about the history of some songs that are close to my heart — American patriotic tunes and Christian hymns from my upcoming cello album. I hope you enjoy this series and the accompanying music and scripture for meditation!
Few songs are as recognizable as the American national anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner.” But what may not be known is that the evolution of the song’s status as our national anthem took place over 150 years across two continents. Even less known is the Christian heritage of the two men who created this iconic song.
In the 1770s in England, John Stafford Smith, the son of a church organist in Gloucester and church musician in his own right, was commissioned by London’s Anacreontic Society, an all-men’s group of amateur musicians where he had gained acceptance, to write a tune for lyrics written by the organization’s president. This song, “To Anacreon in Heaven,” whose words were published in 1778 and music in 1780, later became the melody for “The Star Spangled Banner.” Smith himself went on to hold a number of roles in the church, becoming a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal in 1784, an organist for the Chapel Royal in 1802, and a Master of the Children in 1805. He was also a lay-vicar of Westminster Abbey and the organist at the Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester in 1790.
Fast forward to the following century…
Beginning on September 13, 1814, in one of the defining battles of the War of 1812, the British Royal Navy launched its bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland. During this time, Francis Scott Key, a young lawyer and amateur poet, went to Baltimore to secure the release of Dr. William Beanes, who was taken prisoner of war by the British forces. There, Key witnessed first-hand the failure of the British to capture the city. As the American flag was raised above the fort during the early morning hours of September 14, Key, inspired by the victorious sight, composed a poem, the first stanza of which is commonly performed as our anthem.
Key was a deeply devout Christian, who once considered giving up his law career to enter the ministry in the Protestant Episcopalian Church. Yet, he remained an active member of the church, including leading worship services, visiting the sick, and becoming an advocate for Sunday school, serving in leadership roles for nearly two decades at the American Bible Society and the American Sunday School Union, an organization responsible for founding thousands of churches across the nation. Key also went on to compose a number of hymns, including “Lord, With Glowing Heart I’d Praise Thee” (1823) and “Before the Lord We Bow” (1832). Yet, perhaps the most defining lyrics of all his creative work can be found in the fourth stanza of The Star Spangled Banner, where Key writes, “And this be our motto — “In God is our trust…” — a phrase which has since become the national motto of our great nation.
After Smith and Key’s respective passings, the song’s status as our national anthem still took decades to solidify. After a series of bills by Maryland Senator John Charles Linthicum to recognize the song as our national anthem, in 1931, President Herbert C. Hoover officially signed a law establishing Key’s lyrics and Smith’s music as the national anthem of the United States.
Scripture for Meditation: “And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians 3:17)
Listen Here:
https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-star-spangled-banner-amazing-grace/1736886215?i=1736886220
https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0CYL9HW5R
Select Links:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Francis-Scott-Key
https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Star-Spangled-Banner#ref274839
https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200000017
Video / Photography Credit: Madelyn H Photo, LLC
© Stephanie Bento, House of Riverenza, 2024.
Wow what a wealth of information that you have given us! Thank you for your research and for familiarizeing us with these Christian men that had such a huge impact on our country and our lives ! Many thanks!