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'World Anthem' at Graduation Sparks Anger
Scripps-McClatchy Western Service/RockyMountainNews.com ^ | 6/07/02 | Todd Hartman

Posted on 06/08/2002 7:42:04 AM PDT by TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!

Debate over anthem surprises principal

By TODD HARTMAN
Scripps-McClatchy Western Service
June 07, 2002

DENVER - Poudre High School's decision to play the World anthem for its graduation ceremony sparked an angry reaction from a parent who wanted to hear the national anthem and stirred a dust-up on talk radio this week.

Gail Wagner, whose daughter graduated May 24, wrote a letter to the school principal, the district superintendent and the Denver Rocky Mountain News calling the anthem "an insipid little song about a world of peace and love" and an insult to America.

She said it took the place of the national anthem.

It did not, said Poudre High Principal Sandra Lundt.

Lundt said she was surprised to find the decision scolded on Mike Rosen's KOA talk show and Peter Boyles' KHOW show Thursday morning. Lundt said the Fort Collins school has never played the national anthem at its graduation.

"This was never meant to take the place of the national anthem," Lundt said. "It's an anthem that really celebrates every nation."

Wagner's husband, Fred, and daughter, Erin, also opposed the playing of the world anthem. Erin said she was surprised "The Star Spangled Banner" wasn't played.

"It didn't make much sense," Erin said. "We live in America, so they should have played it. I guess I would say I was offended."

Lundt said the school's senior class council, a group of 15 to 20 students, participated in the decision to play the world anthem. The school's orchestra, band and choir teamed to perform the piece.

The senior class council "was very excited about the opportunity," Lundt said, noting that one of the people who helped promote broader performance of the anthem, Ed Goodman, is a 1973 graduate of Poudre High.

The world anthem was conceived in 1996 and completed by 2000. The idea behind the piece, according to the Web site www.worldanthem.org, is this: "We believe there is a wonderful way to bring a message of hope, healing, peace and unification to all people through the universal language of music ... to give the world a gift, to bring about a symbol for peace and a common spirit of trust toward the idea of one people, one world."

Its creation, even those involved acknowledge, borders on the bizarre. Music from the anthems of every country in the world were combined in a computer. Using musicology software, a blended creation emerged. The same technique was used to produce the lyrics, according to Goodman.

"This is not two bars of 'The Star Spangled Banner,' then a bar of 'O Canada,'" Goodman said.

"It's more like if you took all the melodies, harmonies, rhythms and tempos and somehow were able to average them. ... It's very, very sophisticated; it took years of work to accomplish."

This means, Goodman said, that the piece wasn't composed by any one person or any one nation. "The point of it was to have one song that all nations could share," he said.

The piece has a significant history in Colorado. It was heard for the first time at the Denver Millennium Celebration on Dec. 31, 2000, at the stroke of midnight in conjunction with fireworks, according to historians of the anthem. In November 2001, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra provided the first live performance of the piece.

Goodman said that even Air Force's Band of the Rockies is taken with the piece and arranging its own version. It's slated to be played at an upcoming global peace conference in Croatia and at a ceremony celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Peace Corps this summer.

The Wagners are not impressed.

"No matter how much the principal gushed over the privilege of being one of the first to hear this piece performed, we did not feel privileged or find it inspirational, heartwarming or moving," Gail Wagner wrote to the News.


(Contact Todd Hartman of the Rocky Mountain News at hartmant(at)RockyMountainNews.com.)


TOPICS: Activism/Chapters; Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Politics/Elections; US: Colorado
KEYWORDS: graduation; hughhewitt; nwo; sparksanger; unlist; worldanthem
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To: anniegetyourgun
How does one 'believe in trust'???

I believe in 'trust but verify.' Is that close enough?

41 posted on 06/08/2002 8:33:41 AM PDT by Gil4
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To: steveo
With the direction and rate at which things are going , we're gonna have to be REAL lucky to never hear it, steveo.
42 posted on 06/08/2002 8:35:48 AM PDT by iconoclast
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To: McGavin999

The U.N. think someone died and put them tyrannically in charge


43 posted on 06/08/2002 8:37:09 AM PDT by TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
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To: TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
bump for later read....
44 posted on 06/08/2002 8:38:04 AM PDT by The Mayor
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To: johniegrad
What the heck are they smoking in Colorado? Did all the hippies end up there? Oh yea, I can imagine bin Laden singing right along with this tune...Him and the rest of our enemies love to see stuff like this.
45 posted on 06/08/2002 8:38:51 AM PDT by hope
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To: TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
Another nail in the coffin of true education.

These people are "teaching" future generations of Americans to "feel good", but, do not think. As long as the feds are in the "business" of local education, we will see dumbed down robots in the future who will have the right to vote.
Isn't that scary?

46 posted on 06/08/2002 8:39:34 AM PDT by poet
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To: McGavin999
Suggested rewording:

Throughout the world, We sing our praise, our praise to victory,
Our bond of strength, During this fight, Will serve us endlessly.

May we sing together, And fire our weapons true,
And let us now, Believe in strength, We dedicate anew.

All the winds, And all the storms, All the passions, Be focused and real.
Let the earth's good people arise, The call is against the evil.

This song we sing, To lead us through the darkness of the night,
To see us through, The trying times, To win the righteous fight.

Throughout the world, We will sing, our praise to victory,
Our bond of strength, Will serve us true for, All the world to see.

47 posted on 06/08/2002 8:42:55 AM PDT by Aeronaut
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To: gitmo
This was the refrain of an earlier version:

So comrades, come rally
And the last fight let us face
The Internationale unites the human race.
So comrades, come rally
And the last fight let us face
The Internationale unites the human race.

The new one seems to be much the same, except a little wussier.

48 posted on 06/08/2002 8:46:24 AM PDT by Right Wing Professor
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To: Momaw Nadon
I'm no theologian, but it's obvious and has been from the beginning that man seeks a utopia without God. He seeks to become his own god own. This kind of false hope and false peace will continue until we realize God is not going to stand idle while man takes credit for His creation. The age of grace will end. Then look out! Can you imagine a world when God completely pulls back and says ok guys you try for a while?
49 posted on 06/08/2002 8:46:38 AM PDT by hope
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To: Tacis
You really want to start a dust up? It would be easy to do. Simply modify the words, tempo or music of the "World Anthem." especially in a manner that could seen to be derisive. The commie, pinko left wing, liberal extremists will rise up and scream.

It does seem to be a little short; even the US natiobnal anthem has four verses, but thankfully, there's a second verse just waiting to be tacked right on:


Throughout the world
We sing our praise to peace,
Our Bond of love
Will serve us endlessly.
May we sing loud
To fire our hopes and joys
And let us now
Believe in trust
Eternally for all.

All the winds
And all the storms,
All the passions,
Be calm.
Let the earth's foundations rise
To call us all as one.

This song we sing
To lead us through the night
To see us through trying times
To a future bright.

Throughout the world
We sing our praise to peace,
Our bond of love
Will serve us true for
All as one for all.

[second verse]

Raise high the flag,
The ranks are closed and tight,
Storm Troopers march,
With firm and steady step.
Souls of the comrades

Shot by Reds and Countermight Are in our ranks
And march along in step.

Open the road
Just for the brown battalion.
Let's clear the way
For the storm trooperman.

In hope, to the swastika
Raised are eyes of millions,
Dawn breaks for Freedom
And bread for all man.
This is the final
Bugle call to arms.
Already we are set
Prepared to fight.

Soon Hitler's flags will wave
O'er every single street.
Enslavement ends
When soon we set things right!

*Music here* [MP.3]

-archy-/-

50 posted on 06/08/2002 8:54:53 AM PDT by archy
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To: TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
I heard part of this stupid song this morning. They were discussing it on our local radio station... and laughing at how ridiculous the concept of a "world anthem" is. It was awful... it sounded something like that Coca-Cola "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" song! *yech*
51 posted on 06/08/2002 8:59:08 AM PDT by nutmeg
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To: TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
Gail Wagner, whose daughter graduated May 24, wrote a letter to the school principal, the district superintendent and the Denver Rocky Mountain News calling the anthem "an insipid little song about a world of peace and love" and an insult to America.

I like this lady!

52 posted on 06/08/2002 8:59:31 AM PDT by Mulder
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To: spookbrat;brad's gramma
ping
53 posted on 06/08/2002 8:59:46 AM PDT by homeschool mama
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To: TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
Vizualize...

WHIRLED PIECE!

54 posted on 06/08/2002 9:01:23 AM PDT by Gritty
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To: gitmo
Anyone ever hear of the "World Anthem" before?

Luckily, I never did. I guess even the Liberal media finds it unpalatable! :-)

55 posted on 06/08/2002 9:02:40 AM PDT by Smile-n-Win
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To: Mulder
Gail Wagner, whose daughter graduated May 24, wrote a letter to the school principal, the district superintendent and the Denver Rocky Mountain News calling the anthem "an insipid little song about a world of peace and love" and an insult to America.

From what I heard of it this morning, that's exactly what it sounded like to me!

56 posted on 06/08/2002 9:02:49 AM PDT by nutmeg
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To: KOZ.

WHAT THEY REALLY MEAN TO SING...

____________________________________________________

The World Anthem

Throughout the world, We sing our praise to Kofi Annan and Folgers and Maxwell House,

Our bond of Orange Unicef orange boxes, Will serve us with trillions of dollars endlessly.

May we sing loud, get filthy rich, and run the world like Hitler's dream,

To force our fire of our garbage and filth and ideals the United States, 'our' hopes and joys are to your demise, And let us now brainwash ALL---send your money,

Believe in Tyrannical Utopia, Eternally for all.

All the winds, And all the storms, All the passions, Be calm, until we reel in all the worlds money with our fake religion.

Let the earth's foundations (Kofi pots of power) rise, To call us all as one and usher in a weirdo new age anti-christ evil leader.

This tyrannical song we sing, To scam and brainwash you through the night,

To see us through, The trying times, the Unicef boxes from the U.S. are dwindling to pay for Kofi's mansions and limo's, To a future black as night but we have all your money and control you.

Throughout he world, We sing our praise to Kofi, Maxwell House Folgers,

Our bond of all the money you give us, Will serve us true for, All as we are rich and powerful and you are not one freedom loser day at a time, for all.

57 posted on 06/08/2002 9:04:08 AM PDT by TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
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To: TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
The third-world communist sh!tbags, not only fail to feed themselves or produce anything of value, they can't even compose a decent song.

Now here's a real song:

Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! O long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wiped out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner forever shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

58 posted on 06/08/2002 9:05:19 AM PDT by Mulder
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To: remaininlight
Do the kids have to stand during the playing of this?
59 posted on 06/08/2002 9:05:54 AM PDT by 3catsanadog
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To: TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
Throughout the world
We sing our praise to peace,
Our Bond of love
Will serve us endlessly.

May we sing loud
To fire our hopes and joys
And let us now
Believe in trust
Eternally for all.

Methinks they'll be hearing from Dr. Bronner's lawyer shortly....

60 posted on 06/08/2002 9:07:48 AM PDT by steve-b
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