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| | Was the Star-Spangled Banner a Drinking Song? |
 | | These melodies, known by name by almost everyone, were used for whatever purpose presented itself—a political song, a hymn, march tune, a drinking song, or a country dance. |
 | | The song dates from the mid-1770s and it was composed for a group of London gentlemen who had recently formed a social club. |
 | | The song images are from The Nightingale, A Collection of the Most Popular, Ancient, and Modern Songs, Set to Music (Portsmouth, NH: William and Daniel Treadwell, 1804), pp.188—191, courtesy of Arthur F. Schrader, and the photograph of the statue of Anacreon at the Musée D'Orsey in Paris is by William Houpt. |
| www.colonialmusic.org /Resource/Anacreon.htm (661 words) |
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