The Star-Spangled Banner is a song that easily lends itself to be modified with its relatively simple arrangement, so it is no wonder that there are many different variations of it. However, not all of them are tasteful or good. But what makes a rendition of the national anthem of the U.S. “good”?

Of course, what someone’s idea of “good” in music is is subject to that own person’s opinions and tastes. In my opinion, the first criterion of a good rendition is that it must have sincere respect for the national anthem. Without this, no matter how musically advanced the piece may be, the entire point of performing the anthem is lost. The second criterion is not as important, but it affects the listening experience, so it is something to be considered. There is a certain amount of modification that is appropriate for a piece until it becomes unrecognizable. Of course, to what extent the amount is is a matter of opinion, but I believe that to tie it all together there should be some element of its original, traditional tone present.

I really enjoyed the South City Voices’ rendition of the anthem. It was atypical in that there was an element of discord due to the jazzy chords used in the harmony; however, it was both heartfelt and true to the original. I also thought that it sounded like a Christmas song, perhaps because of the acapella “caroling” tone. The Gottschalk version of the song was also beautiful, and reminded me of a classical piano piece. Although both pieces were great, I enjoyed the South City Voices’ version more because of its unusual and fresh take.

While listening to Stravinsky’s version, I didn’t notice much of a change of harmony in the piece, although I did hear some interesting and complex sound combinations in the harmony.

After listening to Jimi Hendrix’s version of the anthem, I came to the conclusion that it was not offensive, though I could see how it could be taken that way. It was very nontraditional in tone, and the sound of the electric guitars was discordant and “violent.” However, according to my research, he was protesting the Vietnam War, and expressed this through the war-like sounds in his rendition. I felt the Stravinsky version was excellent in both respecting the original anthem and adding embellishment to it, and I can’t think of why it would be offensive. If I had to choose a reason, though, it could be because Stravinsky was a Russian composer.

I was introduced to the Star Spangled Banner while studying U.S. History some time around the age of 6-8. Since I was homeschooled, I learned how to sing it when my parents sang it occasionally after we sang hymns together.

To me, this song represents the triumph and resilience of the U.S. during times of oppression. Although the United States, as all other countries, is not perfect, I believe it and its anthem represent freedom and deliverance, which are ideals that most of its citizens take pride in. It was the desire of the people who fought in the Revolutionary War to shake off the yolk of the British and the cry of the people who fought for equality in the civil rights movement–a universal message that represents the specific struggles many Americans had to, and still have to, face.