Hail to the Chief!

[gilmore]

"Hail to the Chief," used as the fanfare that announces the president of the US, and which many of us heard today, is of Scottish origin. Here is the Wikipedia article on it:

Hail to the Chief
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia




"Hail to the Chief " is the official march of the President of the United States. The song accompanies the President at almost every public appearance. The U.S. Department of Defense made "Hail to the Chief" the official music to announce the President of the United States in 1954. The song is preceded by four ruffles and flourishes when played for the President.

Verses from Sir Walter Scott's The Lady of the Lake, including "Hail to the Chief who in triumph advances!" were set to music circa 1821 by the songwriter James Sanderson (1769-1841), a self-taught English violinist and the conductor of the Surrey Theatre, London, who wrote many songs for local theatrical productions during the 1790s and the early years of the nineteenth century:

Soldier, rest! thy warfare o'er,
Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking,
Dream of battled fields no more,
Days of danger, nights of waking.
(The Lady of the Lake, 1810)

Scott's romance was quickly made into unauthorized romantic melodramas. In November 1810, Scott wrote to a friend that "The Lady of the Lake" was being made into a play by Martin and Reynolds in London and by a Mr. Siddons in Edinburgh. About the same time Scott received a letter from a friend and army officer who ended his note with a copy of the music of the Boat Song, "Hail to the Chief."

A version of Lady of the Lake debuted in New York May 8, 1812, and "Hail to the Chief" was published in Philadelphia about the same time, as 'March and Chorus in the Dramatic Romance of the Lady of the Lake'. Many parodies appeared, a sure sign of universal popularity.

On July 4, 1828, the Marine Band performed the song at a ceremony for the formal opening of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, which was attended by President John Quincy Adams. The song was first played to announce the arrival of the president at James K. Polk's inauguration on March 4, 1845. It was Julia Tyler, wife of Polk's predecessor, John Tyler, who suggested that the song be played when a president made an appearance.

Lyrics that were written by Albert Gamse are set to James Sanderson's music, but they are rarely sung.

Hail to the Chief we have chosen for the nation,
Hail to the Chief! We salute him, one and all.
Hail to the Chief, as we pledge cooperation
In proud fulfillment of a great, noble call.
Yours is the aim to make this grand country grander,
This you will do, that's our strong, firm belief.
Hail to the one we selected as commander,
Hail to the President! Hail to the Chief!

The original lyrics, written by Sir Walter Scott, read:

Hail to the chief, who in triumph advances,
Honored and bless'd be the evergreen pine!
Long may the tree in his banner that glances,
Flourish, the shelter and grace of our line.
Heav'n send it happy dew,
Earth lend it sap anew,
Gaily to bourgeon and broadly to grow;
While ev'ry highland glen,
Sends our shout back again,
"Roderigh Vich Alpine dhu, ho! i-e-roe!"
Ours is no sapling, chance-sown by the fountain,
Blooming at Beltane, in winter to fade;
When the whirlwind has stripp'd ev'ry leaf on the mountain,
The more shall Clan Alpine exult in her shade.
Moor'd in the lifted rock,
Proof to the tempest shock,
Firmer he roots him, the ruder it blow;
Menteith and Breadalbane, then,
Echo his praise again,
"Roderigh Vich alpine dhu, ho! i-e-roe!"
Row, vassals, row for the pride of the Highlands!
Stretch to your oars for the evergreen pine!
Oh, that the rosebud that graces yon islands,
Were wreath'd in a garland around him to twine!
O, that some seedling gem,
Worthy such noble stem,
Honor'd and bless'd in their shadow might grow!
Loud should Clan Alpine then,
Ring from her deepmost glen,
"Roderigh Vich Alpine dhu, ho! i-e-roe!"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hail_To_The_Chief

[Spc. Scott]

Very cool. I have never heard it sung before. I think that would be interesting.

A good find, thank you for sharing it.

[macwilkin]

Here's another bit of Presidential & Scottish trivia:

The "founding fahter" of Springfield, Missouri, was one John Polk Campbell, a cousin of US President James Knox Polk. The Springfield Campbells were invited to Washington when Polk was inaugurated in 1846, and reportedly were serenaded with "The Campbells are Coming" as they entered the Executive Mansion.

I found this bit of trivia whilst working as local history librarian.

Regards,

Todd

[ccga3359]

We burned down the Whitehouse . See you've rebuilt it, looks nice.


...Sorry back on topic now.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

We burned down the Whitehouse . See you've rebuilt it, looks nice.


...Sorry back on topic now.

No need to apologize. WE won the war.

Now back to our regularly scheduled (off) topic....

[macwilkin]

No need to apologize. WE won the war.

Now back to our regularly scheduled (off) topic....

Well...not really. Two failed invasions of Canada, the capital destroyed, a battle two weeks after the Treaty of Ghent, the only real victories against Tecumseh and his forces in the West -- pretty much status quo ante bellum.

Madison was wrong in bowing to the Warhawks; I would have been a New England Federalist at Hartford.

Todd