To Anacreon in Heaven
Encyclopedia
"The Anacreontic Song", also known by its incipit
"To Anacreon in Heaven", was the official song of the Anacreontic Society
, an 18th-century gentlemen's club of amateur musicians in London
. Attributed to the composer John Stafford Smith
, the tune was later used by several writers as a setting for their patriotic lyrics. These included two songs by Francis Scott Key
, most famously his poem, "Defence of Fort McHenry". The latter combination became known as "The Star Spangled Banner" and was adopted as the national anthem
of the United States
in 1931.
from Gloucester
, to lyrics by the Society's president, Ralph Tomlinson. Smith wrote the tune in the mid-1760s, while still a teenager. It was first published by The Vocal Magazine (London) in 1778.
These barristers, doctors, and other professional men named their club after the Greek
court poet Anacreon (6th century BC), whose poems, "anacreontics", were used to entertain patrons in Teos
and Athens
. His songs often celebrated women, wine, and entertainment.
The connection with Anacreon, along with the "drinking" nature of the lyrics, have caused many people to label "The Anacreontic Song" a drinking song
, though due to the difficulty of singing the song this claim is highly dubious, although the chorus certainly suggests Bacchanalia
with its lyrics "And long may the sons of Anacreon intwine the myrtle of Venus with Bacchus' vine."
The song, through its bawdy lyrics, gained popularity in London and elsewhere beyond the Anacreontic Society, and new lyrics were also fashioned for it, including, in the United States, several patriotic titles. The most popular of these at the time was Robert Treat Paine Jr.'s Adams and Liberty (1798).
wrote "Defence of Fort McHenry
" while detained on a British
ship during the night of September 13, 1814, as the British forces bombarded the American
fort. Key specifically wrote the lyrics with this familiar patriotic tune in mind, just as he had done with an earlier set of his lyrics (in which he had made similar use of 'star-spangled banner' imagery). Later retitled The Star-Spangled Banner
, Key's words, set to Stafford Smith
's tune, became a well-known and recognized patriotic song throughout the United States, and was officially designated as the U.S. national anthem on March 3, 1931.
Incipit
Incipit is a Latin word meaning "it begins". The incipit of a text, such as a poem, song, or book, is the first few words of its opening line. In music, it can also refer to the opening notes of a composition. Before the development of titles, texts were often referred to by their incipits...
"To Anacreon in Heaven", was the official song of the Anacreontic Society
Anacreontic Society
The Anacreontic Society was a popular gentlemen's club of amateur musicians in London founded in the mid-18th century. These barristers, doctors, and other professional men named their club after the Greek court poet Anacreon, who lived in the 6th century B.C. and whose poems, "anacreontics", were...
, an 18th-century gentlemen's club of amateur musicians in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Attributed to the composer John Stafford Smith
John Stafford Smith
John Stafford Smith was a British composer, church organist, and early musicologist. He was one of the first serious collectors of manuscripts of works by Johann Sebastian Bach....
, the tune was later used by several writers as a setting for their patriotic lyrics. These included two songs by Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet, from Georgetown, who wrote the lyrics to the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner".-Life:...
, most famously his poem, "Defence of Fort McHenry". The latter combination became known as "The Star Spangled Banner" and was adopted as the national anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1931.
Composition
The tune was probably composed by a member of the Society, John Stafford SmithJohn Stafford Smith
John Stafford Smith was a British composer, church organist, and early musicologist. He was one of the first serious collectors of manuscripts of works by Johann Sebastian Bach....
from Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
, to lyrics by the Society's president, Ralph Tomlinson. Smith wrote the tune in the mid-1760s, while still a teenager. It was first published by The Vocal Magazine (London) in 1778.
These barristers, doctors, and other professional men named their club after the Greek
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
court poet Anacreon (6th century BC), whose poems, "anacreontics", were used to entertain patrons in Teos
Teos
Teos or Teo was a maritime city of Ionia, on a peninsula between Chytrium and Myonnesus, colonized by Orchomenian Minyans, Ionians, and Boeotians. The city is situated on a low hilly narrow strip of land connecting two larger areas of land . Teos ranked among twelve cities comprising the Ionian...
and Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. His songs often celebrated women, wine, and entertainment.
The connection with Anacreon, along with the "drinking" nature of the lyrics, have caused many people to label "The Anacreontic Song" a drinking song
Drinking song
A drinking song is a song sung while drinking alcohol. Most drinking songs are folk songs, and may be varied from person to person and region to region, in both the lyrics and in the music...
, though due to the difficulty of singing the song this claim is highly dubious, although the chorus certainly suggests Bacchanalia
Bacchanalia
The bacchanalia were wild and mystic festivals of the Greco-Roman god Bacchus , the wine god. The term has since come to describe any form of drunken revelry.-History:...
with its lyrics "And long may the sons of Anacreon intwine the myrtle of Venus with Bacchus' vine."
The song, through its bawdy lyrics, gained popularity in London and elsewhere beyond the Anacreontic Society, and new lyrics were also fashioned for it, including, in the United States, several patriotic titles. The most popular of these at the time was Robert Treat Paine Jr.'s Adams and Liberty (1798).
"The Star-Spangled Banner"
Francis Scott KeyFrancis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet, from Georgetown, who wrote the lyrics to the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner".-Life:...
wrote "Defence of Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry, in Baltimore, Maryland, is a star-shaped fort best known for its role in the War of 1812, when it successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British navy in Chesapeake Bay...
" while detained on a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
ship during the night of September 13, 1814, as the British forces bombarded the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
fort. Key specifically wrote the lyrics with this familiar patriotic tune in mind, just as he had done with an earlier set of his lyrics (in which he had made similar use of 'star-spangled banner' imagery). Later retitled The Star-Spangled Banner
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
, Key's words, set to Stafford Smith
John Stafford Smith
John Stafford Smith was a British composer, church organist, and early musicologist. He was one of the first serious collectors of manuscripts of works by Johann Sebastian Bach....
's tune, became a well-known and recognized patriotic song throughout the United States, and was officially designated as the U.S. national anthem on March 3, 1931.
"Star Spangled Banner"
Media
- Link to .mp3 as sung by John TownleyJohn TownleyJohn Townley is a musician who was a member of the folk-rock group The Magicians from 1965-66. After The Magicians "disappeared", Townley built the first 12-track recording studio in New York, Apostolic Studios, which opened in 1967 and which was often used by Frank Zappa. A naval historian, he...
on The Top Hits Of 1776. - Link to video as performed by the Georgia Tech Glee Club.