Posted on 05/27/2002 11:20:44 AM PDT by redrock
"Taps"
Composed By Major General Daniel Butterfield
Army of the Potomac, Civil War
"Fading light dims the sight,
And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright.
From afar drawing nigh -- Falls the night.
"Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills, from the sky.
All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.
"Then good night, peaceful night,
Till the light of the dawn shineth bright,
God is near, do not fear -- Friend, good night."
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"TAPS is the most beautiful bugle call. Played slowly and softly, it has a smooth, tender and touching character. The bugle call was written during the Peninsula Campaign of the Civil War by General Butterfield, with an assist from his bugler, Oliver W. Norton, in 1862.
"TAPS" went on from its origin as an alternative to "Lights Out" to become not only a signal that day was done, but also to say good-bye to a fallen comrade.
"TAPS" is customarily played at funerals at Arlington national Cemetery as well as at ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknowns there.
Its composer is buried in the Post Cemetery at the United States Military Academy at West Point (even though he did not graduate from the Academy).
Time to place the flowers...and whisper the words "Thank You' to those men and women who have given their all.
..and to remind ourselves just what this Nation has cost...and to be grateful to those who paid the price.
We can all argue about politics later.....
redrock
redrock
redrock
redrock
redrock
I heard it played this morning in a local cemetery. It was followed by a poignant speech from a Pearl Harbor survivor. Very touching.
September 11, 2001, is our day of infamy. We are reminded once again that our freedom is won, not granted.
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Listen to ``Taps" |
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The bugle call Taps had its origins on a battlefield of the Civil War. After the Union suffered a large number of casualties in a battle near Richmond, Virginia, Brigade Commander Colonel Daniel Butterfield reflected with sadness upon the men he had lost. Unable to compose music, he hummed a melody which his aide wrote down in musical notation. The company bugler played it that night to honor their dead comrades. It was officially recognized by the United States Army in 1874. Accompanied by the drumbeat, Muffled Ruffles, it is the highest honor given to those who have died in service to our country. |
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ADDING INSULT TO INJURY
The PBS Memorial Day Celebration was a strange mixture : tap dancing and tears; MC'd by an actor of considerable reknown (Ossie Davis), who has a long history of involvement in Communist causes; and who, as a devotee of Malcolm X, must have nearly choked on the words in his script.
I have a small suggestion for the Musical Directors of this show ( and for the related extravaganzas coming up in the months ahead ) :
Patriotic songs, such as America the Beautiful ,God Bless America, and The Star Spangled Banner are best performed as written. When the singer adds "personal enhancements" - in the form of stylistic pauses, and atonal ululations - to the words and melody, the effect is to add insult to injury.
I suppose the Celebration was a great improvement on our old custom of spitting on and reviling our Service People...but the tap dancing has got to go !!
5.56mm
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