The 200th Anniversary Of The Star-Spangled Banner In Baltimore, Maryland

Ladies and Gentlemen: I have just returned from what was perhaps the most historically significant event of our time - "The Star-Spangled Banner" 200th Anniversary Commemorative Concert.  It was beyond incredible being in the actual city on the actual day of the Bicentennial and it was one of the most extraordinary episodes of my life.

I am way too tired to post a proper entry so I will do that tomorrow.  For tonight, I decided to make a collage with some of the pictures from today.  It will act as a preview for tomorrow's post.



The top three pictures are from Old Saint Paul's Episcopal Church, the host of the Commemorative Bicentennial Concert and the parish whose organist, Thomas Carr, published the first printing of the poem.  I am standing with David Hildebrand, the man who organized, and performed in the event.  The bottom two pictures are from Fort McHenry, the place where the 15-Star, 15-Stripe Flag survived the bombardment by the British thus giving Francis Scott Key the inspiration to pen the poem.  Once again, all of the pictures were taken today, September 14, 2014 ... the exact day that the poem was written two centuries prior.