America, America!

As the Fourth of July celebration weekend winds down, I’ve been reflecting on the amazing country in which I am blessed to live. At first, I reflected on the lyrics of America the Beautiful, written by Katherine Lee Bates. Bates described in her hymn a joyous celebration of this great land:  purple mountains majesty … amber waves of grain … alabaster cities. I’ve certainly found her lyrics meaningful.america-the-beautiful-poster-george-delany

When I was in choir (both in high school and college), America the Beautiful was an indispensable part of our choir presentation. In both choirs, we memorized the lyrics and often sang them a cappella, because a piano wasn’t always available for accompaniment.

Also during college, I traveled with a music group known as The Sound Generation. One of our most requested numbers was a medley (we called it the Patriotic Package) that included the songs God Bless America, America the Beautiful, and This Is My Country. I actually found a YouTube video of the medley. (This was taped after I had left the group, but a warning:  don’t be surprised by the clothing/haircuts, etc. This was the early 70s.) Continue reading “America, America!”