Extra Credit Questions

[L Verge]

Very well played, Anita and Scott! It was indeed played first in 1815 to commemorate George Washington during his birthday celebration and to recognize the end of the War of 1812. I have found two versions of when it was played for a President in office, however.

Like Scott, I thought it was played first to honor President Jackson in 1829. Several other sources place it on July 4, 1828, being played as President John Quincy Adams was leaving at the end of the dedication of the C&O Canal in Little Falls, Maryland. I'm going to give my interpretation that Jackson had the first official playing of it to recognize his ENTRY into an event! The 1828 and 1829 occasions both had the U.S. Marine Band performing the song.

Scott is certainly correct on the history of the song. Like our National Anthem, it began as a poem, The Lady of the Lake, written by Sir Walter Scott in 1810. "Hail to the Chief" are the words that open stanza XIX of the second canto. The poem's story line was so popular that it was turned into a play by James Sanderson for the London audiences and then premiered in New York on May 8, 1812. An old Scottish tune was used to accompany the lyrics. The lyrics that we know today were written by Albert Gamse. Bet you can't recite the lyrics, so here they are:

Hail to the Chief we have chosen for the nation,
Hail to the Chief, we salute him one and all.
Hail to the Chief, as we pledge cooperation
In proud fulfillment of a great noble call.

Yours is the aim to make this grand country grander,
This you will do, that's our strong, firm belief.
Hail to the one we selected as commander,
Hail to the President! Hail to the Chief!

It became an official part of the pomp and ceremony surrounding the Chief Executive in 1954, by order of the Department of Defense.

I forgot to add that Ruffles & Flourishes was added during the McKinley administration.