Memorial Day 2021--Your blogger at the keyboard

 

Six Memorial Day pieces, all played by me on my trusty Casio WK-3800.  I know--Casio; ha, ha!  But this keyboard has some pretty amazing patches, I think the term is.  Some quick practicing on a few of these, with Praise for Peace redone just now at a slower tempo--I realized I had been speeding through it, and that just wasn't correct for a number called Praise for Peace.  We start with God Save America, which dates from 1942, and no political commentary intended--it's just a very nice patriotic number with some charming chromaticism in the harmony.  The only problem with altered chords, of course, is a higher chance of fumbling--but you won't be hearing any of the flubs, because they all went to the great delete folder in the sky.  Keller's American Hymn, aka American Hymn, aka Speed our Republic, O Father on high, is a terrific 1866 (?) tune by the German-American composer Matthias Keller (1813-1875), which was joined in 1869 to a text (Hymn of Peace) by Oliver Wendell Holmes.  Here's a wonderful YouTube performance of that version by Quire Cleveland.  That post deserves many more thumbs up.

William Billings' Revolutionary War classic Chester makes its return, and there are two "new" numbers, including Walter J. Goodell's America, My Country, which goes back at least to 1924.  The other is We Bless Thee for Thy Peace, O God, which is matched with Josiah Booth's 1887 tune, Northrepps.  Thanks to the priceless resource, The Cyber Hymnal, for that night-before-church find.

DOWNLOAD: Memorial Day 2021

God Save America (W. Otto Miessner, 1942)

America, My Country (Walter J. Goodell)

Chester (William Billings)

Praise for Peace (aka Praise Ye the Triune God) (Friedrich F. Flemming: Flemming, 1811)

We Bless Thee for Thy Peace, O God (Josiah Booth: Northrepps. 1887)

Keller's American Hymn (Matthias Keller, 1866?)

Played by Lee Hartsfeld, Casio WK-3800

Lee