JEFF KAROUB
Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) — A tune that reverberates through ballparks, auditoriums and community gatherings is getting an amped-up workout during its 200th anniversary.
One of the biggest and flashiest salutes to “The Star-Spangled Banner” comes Saturday at the University of Michigan. The Ann Arbor school’s marching band, a 500-voice choir and dance team combine during a football halftime show.
The university also plans a sing-along Friday, the same day it opens an exhibit on the national anthem’s cultural history.
Major festivities also are happening in Baltimore, including a flag-raising ceremony Sunday at Fort McHenry National Monument. That’s where Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics on Sept. 14, 1814, during a pivotal War of 1812 battle.
Many events nationwide are encouraged by the Star Spangled Music Foundation. It’s founded by Michigan musicology professor Mark Clague.
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