Re: [Harp-L] National anthem backing track

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Vern wrote:
<I agree that unaccompanied harmonica would sound weak and leave the audience unimpressed.

I disagree. You can hear (free) my solo recording of this piece at the URL below.

http://www.hunterharp.com/all-hunters-downloads-in-one-place/#Sbuy

I performed this arrangement publicly for the first time in October 2001 at Gartner, Inc.'s Symposium conference in Orlando, FL.  It was the first large conference held in the USA after the attacks of September 11.  There were about 2000 people in the audience.  Because of the very emotional context surrounding both the event and the piece, roughly half the people in the room were crying by the time I finished.  

This arrangement is performed in 1st position on a Country-tuned harmonica, which makes it possible to play the sharped 4th degree of the scale (which is necessary for this piece) without overblows. That makes the tone more even throughout, and also allows for the harmonization of that note (in 3rds, 10ths, and 6ths).  I added a brief reference to "Taps" to close the piece.  In the context of the original performance, that reference functioned as an homage to the victims of the 9/11 attack. 

I've heard plenty of solo singers do this piece to good effect. Given that the audience knows all the words by heart (and may very well sing along), playing the melody with a few carefully chosen harmonies added should do the trick.     

Thanks, Richard Hunter