The Library of Congress Music Division has announced the acquisition of a rare first edition of “The Anacreontic Song,” the melody from which the United States national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” is derived. This significant addition marks the second such first edition in the national collection, joining one acquired in 1914, with only 12 documented copies of this rare edition known to exist.
“The Anacreontic Song” originated as the ceremonial anthem for The Anacreontic Society of London, a gentlemen’s musical and social club active from approximately 1766 to 1792. The music was composed by the distinguished British composer John Stafford Smith, with words authored by club president Ralph Tomlinson, likely between 1773 and 1776. The society’s meetings featured concerts, including an appearance by Franz Joseph Haydn, followed by dinner and post-prandial singing.
The song quickly gained popularity in America after its publication, leading to more than 84 different American parodies with new lyrics by 1820. During the War of 1812, attorney Francis Scott Key penned his poem, “The Defence of Fort M’ Henry,” describing his firsthand account of the battle near Baltimore. It was soon suggested that Key’s poem be sung to the tune of “The Anacreontic Song.”
It took 117 years for “The Star-Spangled Banner” to be officially designated as the national anthem, a legislative act signed by President Herbert Hoover on March 3, 1931. Loras John Schissel, senior music specialist in the Library of Congress Music Division, noted that the anthem, as traditionally sung, is unique for ending in a question mark, challenging citizens to participate fully in democracy.