Five Stellar Renditions of The Star Spangled Banner

When you’re married and have two children with insatiable appetites for video games and Star Wars toys, date night can often consist of an bottle of wine at home, chatting and listening to music. It’s a cheap night in, without the need for the expense of a baby sitter. And so it was for me and my husband this past Friday night. But it was a date night with a difference, because this time I was on a mission: to find my five favorite renditions of The Star Spangled Banner.

It’s a glorious song, of that there’s no doubt. Not hard to sing, but incredibly difficult to sing well, it might seem a little strange that I’m so fond of it, being that I’m from the United Kingdom and the song was written in the aftermath of the British Navy’s bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1812. The thing is, though, it’s a powerful song with a stirring melody and sentiment. What’s not to love?

There are so many different renditions on YouTube, that I had to find some kind of measuring stick. How was I to judge? I used the two following rules: 1) they had to hit every difficult note perfectly, and 2) it had to be so moving that it reduced me to tears.

There was no shortage of wonderful, heartfelt performances, I can say that. But I finally arrived at what I feel to be five absolutely stellar renditions that brought tears to my eyes and a quiver to my lip. I hope you enjoy them, too, though you might want to grab a box of tissues.

Whitney Houston 

Carrie Underwood

Marvin Gaye

Jessica Sanchez

My fifth choice might seem a little unusual, so let me explain. At this point I’ve spent more than half my life in the United States and can pinpoint the day I became an American quite precisely: September 11th, 2001.

After all the horror of that infamous day there came a moment when, in England, at Buckingham Palace, a strongly-held tradition was broken. At the Changing of the Guard, the band of the Coldstream Guard played, not God Save the Queen, but The Star Spangled Banner, providing solace to the stranded Americans who had gathered there and sending a clear message of solidarity with America.

My native land playing the national anthem of my adopted country...I don’t believe I’ve ever cried harder in my life and, for the first time in many hours, they weren’t tears of pain.

 The Coldstream Guards

On this Veterans Day, 2013, we thank those who have served in the armed forces in defence of our star spangled banner, of the land of the free, and the home of the brave.