We were at an Independence Day concert. It wasn’t billed as such – it was to be just a normal concert of a gospel quartet. But it was on the 4th of July weekend so it turned into a celebration of America.
It was fine, but then they sang “Proud to be an American”. The song is fine, but it’s what the audience does with it that annoys me. We had been sitting comfortably throughout the concert. But as we approached the line “and I gladly stand up next to you” I knew that the audience would stand up at that line and peer pressure would compel me to stand.
Sure enough, right on cue at the word “up”, about a quarter of the audience (mostly the people near the front) stood up. The pressure of patriotism spread throughout the audience and eventually all the sections were standing for the remainder of the song. It’s not like the lyrics tell people to stand up, or any of the singers said to stand if we like America. There was no one standing and defending America at that point, so there was no one next to whom we could stand. But people stood anyway. Then the song was over and we all sat back down like we were doing before. I considered it a 7th-inning stretch.
At least the people who stood did it on purpose. That’s better than when there’s a performance of “America the Beautiful” some time before the national anthem at a sporting event and people just automatically stand because they don’t realize it’s not the national anthem.
But the best/worst part of the concert was yet to come.
After that song, there were more patriotic things, like the anthems for each branch of the military, and recognizing veterans in the audience, and so on. And then, since it was a gospel concert, they finished up with the Hallelujah Chorus to remind us that praise belongs to God and not our government or military.
I’m a fan of the Hallelujah Chorus, especially when it is performed as originally written. But I did not like the use of this song in this situation.
Why not?
Because people stand up for it.
We had just recently gotten back into our seats after standing for a Lee Greenwood lyric, and now the Hallelujah Chorus?
People didn’t want to stand, but it takes only a few people near the front, and then everyone else reluctantly gives in and stands.
It was annoying to have to stand back up, but the amusing part is the reason why.
Why do people stand for the Hallelujah Chorus?
Because the king of England did.
A long time ago.
My line of thinking went like this: we are celebrating Independence Day here, and America and stuff – our independence from England, so we wouldn’t be under their rule anymore, which means we don’t care what their monarchy does. So why are we honoring something the king did a long time ago, especially for an American celebration? Let’s exercise our independence from British rule and remain seated for the song.
I’m just glad it was something simple like standing. What if the king had sneezed during the performance of the Hallelujah Chorus? Or done a cartwheel? I’ll be glad when the standing tradition dies out, but since it’s been over 150 years and still going, I doubt I’ll ever see it end.
After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God;
Revelation 19:1
This is Alpha, the first-born, when he was 2YO.
This is Beta, the second-born, when he was about 2YO.
This is Gamma, the third-born, when he was about 18MO.
