[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he United States’ national anthem turned 200 last week, and Baltimore celebrated in grand fashion.
Vice President Joe Biden and Governor Martin O’Malley presided over a gathering of elected officials, entertainers, and visitors to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and the Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine.
Photo by Andre Chung BALTIMORE, MD — 9/13/14 — Fireworks frame the historic flag flown at Ft. McHenry to celebrate the anniversary. Vice President Joe Biden, Governor Martin O’Malley and an extensive roster of celebrities and elected officials were at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine to take part in the centerpiece events of the week-long Star Spangled Spectacular.
The celebration of the bicentennial of our National Anthem, the centerpiece event of the week-long Star-Spangled Spectacular – which included more than 30 tall ships and U.S. Navy vessels, festivals, living history demonstrations and the Blue Angels – peaked with a two-hour, nationally televised live special on THIRTEEN’S Great Performances on PBS.
Joining the festivities were Congressmen and women Nancy Pelosi, Elijah Cummings, Dutch Ruppersberger, and John Sarbanes, Senator Barbara Mikulski, former Sen. Paul Sarbanes, and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. Performers included Jordin Sparks, the United States Marine Band, the Fort McHenry Guard Fife and Drum Corps, Morgan State University choir, Pipes and Drums of the British Army’s 1st Battalion Scots Guards, and renowned tenor Rolando Sanz.
A 30-foot by 42-foot Star-Spangled banner flag, much like the one that flew over Ft. McHenry back in 1812, was raised during proceedings.
Across the harbor was another event at Baltimore’s Pier Six Pavilion hosted by Sparks and actor John Lithgow. A concert featuring Kristin Chenoweth, Melissa Etheridge, Denyce Graves-Montgomery, Little Big Town, Pentatonix, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Rogers, Paulo Szot and Train was broadcast live on Great Performances on PBS. Among 21 songs performed were “This Land Is Your Land” (Train and Etheridge), “My Country Tis of Thee” (Pentatonix), and “America the Beautiful” (Little Big Town, Kenny Rogers).
The evening’s musical entertainment was complemented by a historic fireworks display from Fireworks by Grucci, featuring a pixel-by-pixel pyrotechnic display of the Star-Spangled Banner above Fort McHenry and the Inner Harbor.
The fireworks show, designed as a 21st century reimagining of the sights and sounds that inspired Key to write the Star-Spangled Banner, incorporated Pixel Burst technology to illuminate a massive flag image in the sky over Charm City.
Francis Scott Key penned the famous words that later became the national anthem two centuries ago while watching British naval vessels bombard Fort McHenry from the vantage point of a ship in harbor.
“The defense of Fort McHenry is an important chapter in our nation’s history – that story of courage, resilience, and interdependence still resonates today,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “What a thrill to know that Americans everywhere were celebrating alongside us as we commemorated the 200th anniversary of our National Anthem.”
