American Anthem, Gene Scheer
American Anthem, Gene Scheer
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American Anthem
A Song of Our Nation

Author: Gene Scheer

Narrator: Ken Burns

Unabridged: 3 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/10/2021


Synopsis

Based on the song that President Joe Biden quoted in his inaugural address, this picture book, now adapted for audio, celebrates the beauty and diversity of this country and the legacies on which we build our future.

As President Joe Biden delivered his inaugural address, he quoted from a song that fully captured his own spirit of service: “The work and prayers of centuries have brought us to this day. What shall be our legacy? What will our children say? Let me know in my heart, when my days are through—America, America, I gave my best to you.” It was a sentiment that spoke not only to our new president’s character, but to the sense of pride in duty and purpose for the sake of a country we hold dear. And it contained a message of quiet patriotism that so many of us hope to share with the next generation.
 
In this new book, using the full text of the song President Biden quoted, we do just that. With words that speak to the soul of our nation, we take listeners on a journey through this beautiful country—its history, its struggles, and its dignity—and throughout, we count our own blessings and think about how we can do more to share them with others, and give our best to our country and everyone in it.

About The Author

Gene Scheer (genescheer.com) is a two-time Grammy-nominated songwriter and librettist noted for his scope and versatility. His work has been featured at many leading opera companies across the country, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the San Francisco, Santa Fe, and Dallas Operas. He has also written songs for such illustrious singers as Denyce Graves, Renée Fleming, Joyce DiDonato, Patti LuPone, and Nathan Gunn. Gene was inspired to write "American Anthem" in 1998 while reading the book The Miracle at Philadelphia about the creation of the U.S. Constitution. Over the years, "American Anthem" has been performed for Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush and at the memorial service for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. A version of the song, sung by Norah Jones, was featured in Ken Burns’s Emmy Award-winning World War II documentary for PBS entitled The War. Gene lives in Connecticut withhis wife, Kristina.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Barbara on June 11, 2021

Thirteen different artists have created illustrations depicting what this nation means to them, and readers will be pleased with the diversity of those images and the notion of service that runs through the pages and the text. The text is actually lyrics and music written in 1998 and quoted by Presi......more

Goodreads review by Stephanie on July 23, 2021

The classic song lyrics of Gene Scheer were a highlight of President Biden's Inauguration. The twelve stanzas inspired 2-page spread artwork by 13 illustrators (one illustration is done by a pair of sisters). Two page spreads (no description of mediums used) include: Fahmida Azim divides her artwork i......more

Goodreads review by Barbara on December 14, 2021

I only learned about Gene Scheer and his incredible song a few months ago. Then I learned about this book and wanted a copy. My sister gave me a Christmas B&N gift card. Now I had the perfect opportunity to buy it. It is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!--both the lyrics of the song and the illustrations. It......more