To Anacreon in Heaven

"The Anacreontic Song", also known by its incipit "To Anacreon in Heaven", was the official song of the Anacreontic Society, an 18th-century gentlemen's club of amateur musicians in London. Attributed to the composer John Stafford Smith, the tune was later used by several writers as a setting for their patriotic lyrics. These included two songs by Francis Scott Key, most famously his poem, "Defence of Fort McHenry". The latter combination became known as "The Star-Spangled Banner" and was adopted as the national anthem of the United States of America, in 1931.

Read more about To Anacreon In Heaven:  Composition, "The Star-Spangled Banner"

Famous quotes containing the word heaven:

    O thou that in the heavens does dwell!
    Wha, as it pleases best thysel’,
    Sends ane to heaven and ten to hell,
    A’ for thy glory!
    And no for ony gude or ill
    They’ve done before thee.—
    Robert Burns (1759–1796)