That was so bizarre. It sounds as if it was recorded incorrectly to begin with. The way it started out in the wrong place, repeated the bars too many times (and seemed to skip those same notes each time), and then faded away at the end rather than having an actual finish. It wasn't just as if someone turned down the sound on it, it was as if that was all there WAS to the recording--as if it just faded out! I've heard that they're keeping all anthem renditions down to about 90 seconds to save time, but they could easily fit the full "The Star-Spangled Banner" into 90 seconds. Don't repeat any parts of it unnecessarily and you'll have plenty of time to play the whole thing, including "and the home of the brave"!

It was awful. Even before they cut it short I was thinking WTF? It didn't even sound right in the sections where they were playing the actual melody - it sounded the way dialogue would, if a foreign speaking actor were speaking dialogue in English phonetically - like it was recorded by an orchestra that never played Western music. Awful! If we are going to have to listen to the national anthem being butchered every time an American wins a gold medal, I'm going to be grinding my teeth by the time it's all over.

And what's worse? President Bush was in the stands at the medal ceremony!

"And what's worse? President Bush was in the stands at the medal ceremony!"

- - -and how, exactly did that make it worse?
Was Bush responsible for the music? - - or maybe this is another of those "Bush-Chaney" conspiracies?

"And what's worse? President Bush was in the stands at the medal ceremony!"

- - -and how, exactly did that make it worse?
Was Bush responsible for the music? - - or maybe this is another of those "Bush-Chaney" conspiracies?

I think that Serendipity was suggesting that it was more embarrassing to the Chinese hosts to mess up the music with the president present. Bushies are always so defensive!

BTW Who's Chaney?

I saw the award ceremony for the women's sabre earlier in the day and didn't notice that the anthem was butchered, or even that they used the weird rendition that was used with Michael Phelps. Hope they get their act together and straighten it out. I don't want to have to hear it butchered 8 more times with Phelps.

Oh come on. Bush noticed. Clearly. Everybody was just trying to deal with an awkward situation.

I actually heard it the night before. It's an odd arrangement, but at least the whole thing was there.

Yes, they cut-off the National Anthem... BUT what is worse is that the "arrangement" of our National Anthem is AWFUL. First, it is played by an orchestra and should be performed instead by a BAND like the US Marine Band in Washington DC. Second, the arrangement is "tricked up" and is filled with harmonic suspensions which dimply don't fit. It frankly creates a very "feminine" kind of impression, almost "impressionistic" in the French musical composer's tradition. It sounds AWFUL! And, it is way to slow! I have a doctoral degree in music and conduct a university band... I know what I'm talking about -- get me the US Marine Band or US Army Band in Washington and burn the recording that they have in Beijing!!!

thank you John for your comments about harmonies, instrumentation and tempo. I am SICK AND TIRED of hearing the national anthem played like a friggin durge. It's an ANTHEM.

bleh!

Go planet!

The arrangement is awful. Diminished chords at the bridge? WTF?! Each country should submit their own recording... this is embarrasing.

Who allowed this horrible rendition of our National Anthem?
You know it is bad when you cannot sing along!

BUT the arrangment itself, (when played on the recoding correctly), is by far the best I have ever heard in my 42 years on this planet. The string section of "Rockets red glare" is haunting.

I'd still like to know where to find this recording. I like it for it's reminiscence of a quality vocal arrangement.