The Anthem Philatelist

"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships in Chesapeake Bay during the Battle of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812. The poem was set to the tune of a popular British drinking song, written by John Stafford Smith for the Anacreontic Society, a men's social club in London. "The Anacreontic Song" (or "To Anacreon in Heaven"), with various lyrics, was already popular in the United States. Set to Key's poem and renamed "The Star-Spangled Banner", it would soon become a well-known American patriotic song. With a range of one and a half octaves, it is known for being difficult to sing. Although the song has four stanzas, only the first is commonly sung today, with the fourth ("O th...

This first-of-its kind exhibit from the collections of Cebu Stamp Club's Richard Allen Uy is presented to celebrate the assumption of Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III as the 15th President of the Philippines. To be featured are the stamps, covers and photo of the new president as well as those of all the past presidents. Included too are philatelic materials and stamps of the great icon of democracy, Cory Aquino. Philippine history will also be shown using stamps with some dating as far back as the Spanish dominion, American Occupation, Commonwealth Period, Japanese Occupation and the Republic Issues. So if you are free this Friday, October 8, 2010, please give it a visit at SM City Cebu.

" Il Canto degli Italiani " (The Song of the Italians) aka " Fratelli D'Italia " (Brothers of Italy), Mameli's Hymn , is the National anthem of Italy. Il Canto degli Italiani (The Song of the Italians) is the Italian national anthem. It is best known among Italians as L'Inno di Mameli (Mameli's Hymn) and often referred to as Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy), from its opening line. The words were written in the autumn of 1847 in Genoa, by the then 20-year-old student and patriot Goffredo Mameli , in a climate of popular struggle for unification and independence of Italy which foreshadowed the war against Austria. Two months later, they were set to music in Turin by another Genoese, Michele Novaro . The hymn enjoyed widespread popularity throughout the period of the Risorgimento and in the following decades. After unification (1861) the adopted national anthem was the Marcia Reale, the Royal March (or Fanfara Reale), official hymn of the roya...