Battle Hymn of the Republic

T.. Lang ^ | 10/27/2008 | T. Lang

[Pinetop]

Enjoy these high school kids singing. At the conclusion listen to the high notes on the trumpet, played by a high school kid! One of the fathers recorded it, added some graphic enhancements to the recording, and posted it on the web. The song, of course, is the "BattleHymn Of The Republic." Be prepared - it could send a few shivers up your spine.

[Pinetop]

This will give a great start to your day. Proud to be an American.

[AnAmericanMother]

Thank you!

This is the Peter Wilhousky arrangement for SATB & orchestra -- it's a high school standard (I sang it back in the early 70s with our high school chorus).

The Navy Chorus and Band did this version at Pres. Reagan's funeral.

You can't beat it for a lump in the throat and tears in the eyes . . . .

[Pro-Life Jihad]

Beautiful! Lump in the throat.

[sierrahome]

That was wonderful.

[motherof2]

A typical Sunday morning around here ...I’m surfing Free Rep and two of my kids are playing “tent” with sheets over my furniture....I clicked on the link and they both ran over and watched the entire thing. My two year old was moving her head back and forth to the music and even started marching at one point.
Very nice job.

[Joiseydude]

Thank you for posting that.

[dokmad]

I’m surprised the socialsst teachers didn’t try to stop the High School production of this wonderful piece!

[FreeAtlanta]

The left’s UN education agenda (co-written by Bill Ayers?) will stop these kind of performances.

[rlmorel]

JUST WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That was one of the FINEST versions of that beautiful and terrible song I have ever heard!

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

Tears in my eyes.BEAUTIFUL.

[Fiji Hill]

It seems that the arrangement by Peter Wilhousky, a Czech-American, was first used by bandleader Fred Waring on the Chesterfield Pleasure Time radio show during the mid-1940's.

Unfortunately, most of the versions of the Battle Hymn that are heard today have replaced "as he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free" with "...let us live to make men free." And I have never encountered a choir that has dared to sing the third verse;

I have read a fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel;
“As ye deal with My contemners, so with you My grace shall deal”;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel,
Since God is marching on.

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Since God is marching on.

I also have never seen this verse in any hymnal.

[AnAmericanMother]

We sang the original words back in the 70s . . . of course it spoils the sense and balance of the verse, but that never stopped the stupid revisionists before (they do it with way too many hymns, and I just stubbornly sing the original version - Don't Mess With the Text).

I have never seen that verse anywhere but in the collected poems of Julia Ward Howe! Of course, as a practical matter at six verses total it is too long to perform, so something has to be cut, and it's usually that one and the last one. The last one particularly makes sense to cut, because the fifth verse is a good place to end. Julia obviously rang the bell on this one, but she wasn't really all that good a poet.

[seoul62]

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s version on YouTube is the most moving./Just Asking - seoul62........

[AnAmericanMother]

This is exactly the sort of arrangement that benefits from a BIG chorus like the MTC.

Everything has an upside and a downside. The downside is that a big choir does not have the delicacy, quick response, and color of a small group.

Our church choir sings chant and Renaissance polyphony, mostly English (Byrd, Tallis, Farrant, etc.) and Italian (Palestrina of course, Pitoni, & so forth) with some German (Hassler etc.) A large chorus would butcher them.

[PubliusMM]

Just...just...WOW!

Simply spine tingling, chin quivering, tear in the eye GREAT!

Thanks for posting the link.

[esoteric]

This really should have a Kleenex warning with it. That was awesome!

[RetiredArmy]

Those were fantastic. I sent the Battle Hymn on to friends.

[ataDude]

That was absolutely awesome.

However, it also reminded me of how absolutely concerned I am about the future of the United States of America... that our grandchildren will not know how truly great this country really is now... or can be in the future.

[joma89]

Nicely done.

JoMa

[Zippo44]

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