Well, the Christmas tree is down, and all the paraphenalia is boxed up and stowed in the attic. The last thing to get stashed was the holiday CD collection, including Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas”. Yeah, he was an arrogant, not-always-so-nice guy, whose politics, shall we say, didn’t match mine exactly. But the man could sing! And whistle! (And he hung out with Eddie Lang! How cool is that?)
Anyway, I needed more good whistling. You know, the kind where you just use your lips? Well I found it here:
Funny you should mention whistling of the lips variety. I just recently watched Pucker Up a film about the 2005 International Whistlers Convention in Louisberg NC. Great documentary with some great music. Anyone else seen it?
Funny, that was screened here on Sunday night and I was tempted to start a thread like this one. Some of the whistleless whistling was rather good I thought. Here is the website of one of the better guys on that show.
For me, the funniest moment of that show was the bit where there was a whistle-off involving the eventual winner who didn’t have an extra number prepared. So he chose an a capella rendering of the ‘Star Spangled Banner.’ When he began whistling, almost everybody in the hall jumped to their feet and stood to attention. That struck me as really bizarre since it wasn’t a ceremonial performance of the national anthem. Suppose you were practising to sing the national anthem at a major sporting event. Would your family be expected to leap to attention every time you practised it?
I don’t think so. Otherwise I think the person would have to practice at a remote site!
As someone who lives in the States, where I guess this took place, I wouldn’t be surprised if the audience stood for the national anthem in a concert. I doubt many people have heard it played in any situation where everyone didn’t stand. I certainly never have. I guess I would think I should stand any time I heard it—except if someone was practicing it for a performance —that would be going a little too far. I have never heard it played as part of a concert though, I don’t think. I suppose there are 4th of July concerts that end with the national anthem and I would think everyone would stand up—but that is different than just a concert. Maybe it is sort of an odd piece to play in a concert.
I wondered that myself. It was pretty muddy, so I think most were standing anyway. I’ve seen that film a few times. I certainly don’t remember anybody standing to attention.
Do Americans stand for the national anthem when, say, it is played on TV before a football match and they are watching at home? It would never occur to me to do that when the Australian anthem is played although, curiously, if the TV showed a crowd observing a moment’s silence for war dead, I’d probably go along with that in my living room but wouldn’t expect others to. I would if it were live, I wouldn’t if it were a news report.
Aside: I test a new whistle by playing (among other things) the Star Spangled Banner. As with singers, this familiar (to many) song/tune will test the mettle of a musical instrument! (And the player…)
God, I hope not. Not at my house, certainly, but then, the odds of there being a football match on the television at my house are all but nil.
I, however, am a heathen non-believer in matters both religious and patriotic, so I could not tell you what goes on behind the closed doors of Republican, christian American Legion members. Some of them, I have heard, look upon this song as something holy and may choose to venerate it even in the privacy of their homes and even when there is no one there to attest to their fervor.
Not Republican and I don’t remember what AL is except that one of the local pipebands down on the South Side used to be their music unit in the Stockyards. but we’re pretty darn conservative/Christian and we don’t usually. Nobody talks during it, though. I prefer to stand too, tho if I don’t it’s no biggie (and if I were wearing anything I’d take it off, but I don’t usually wear anything indoors).
Not Republican and I don’t remember what AL is except that one of the local pipebands down on the South Side used to be their music unit in the Stockyards. but we’re pretty darn conservative/Christian and we don’t usually. Nobody talks during it, though. I prefer to stand too, tho if I don’t it’s no biggie (and if I were wearing anything I’d take it off, but I don’t usually wear anything indoors).
Not Republican and I don’t remember what AL is except that one of the local pipebands down on the South Side used to be their music unit in the Stockyards. but we’re pretty darn conservative/Christian and we don’t usually. Nobody talks during it, though. I prefer to stand too, tho if I don’t it’s no biggie (and if I were wearing anything I’d take it off, but I don’t usually wear anything indoors).
Back in the day, after every showing of any film, there would be a recording of the National Anthem played.
It was always interesting to see who would wait for the final credit to roll, and then stand up and sing along. I always did..goes without saying.
To this day, every time herself and meself go to a film, I am the last one out because I have a thing about credits, especially the soundtrack..which is always last on the list.
I still,after that, delay for a moment, expecting the National Anthem to play..then I remember where I am
I grew up in the midwest, in a pretty red area, and I never remember anyone standing up at home. Hell, getting out of your La-Z-Boy during a football game for non-beer purposes is more of a sacrilege than an act of patriotism.
It makes me think of that Monty Python episode where the Queen Mum was supposedly channel flipping, and patriotic music would play to let the people on TV know when she was watching them.
Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas”. Yeah, he was an arrogant, not-always-so-nice guy, whose politics, shall we say, didn’t match mine exactly. But the man could sing! And whistle! (And he hung out with Eddie Lang! How cool is that?)
—that would be going a little too far. I have never heard it played as part of a concert though, I don’t think. I suppose there are 4th of July concerts that end with the national anthem and I would think everyone would stand up—but that is different than just a concert. Maybe it is sort of an odd piece to play in a concert.
