Liberty Bells – Gloucester Cathedral to chime 'Star-Spangled Banner' on July 4th for American NATO troops based in city

Courtesy Photo | U.S. Army Shamaire Carrizal visits the home of the Star-Spangled Banner tune at the Gloucester Cathedral, United Kingdom, June 29, 2020. United States soldiers from the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, who are based in Imjin Barracks, Gloucester visit the Cathedral and learn that the music for their national anthem, the Star Spangled banner, was composed. The Cathedral, which predates the United States was where the music was originally composed as a drinking humour song within the city. On July 4, 2020, the tune will also be played on the bells to mark US independence day. (Photo by British Army Warrant Officer Class 2 Mark Nesbit / MoD Crown Copyright)  

GLOUCESTER, GLS, UNITED KINGDOM

07.01.2020

Courtesy Story

NATO Allied Rapid Reaction Corps

U.S. Army soldiers serving with NATO in South West England will mark Independence Day on Saturday July 4th – as Gloucester Cathedral changes its bells to chime the U.S. national anthem, especially for the American forces based in the City.

The troops will parade in front of the Cathedral on Saturday morning as the bells play the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ across the historic city. The special rendition is to honour ten years of U.S. forces in Gloucester as part of NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC).

The tune was originally composed by Gloucester-born John Stafford Smith in the 1770s and later adopted as the U.S. national anthem.

Ahead of July 4th this year, the American soldiers visited the Cathedral to hear the Director of Music Adrian Partington give a special rendition of the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ on the same organ played by John Stafford Smith’s father when he was the Cathedral organist in the eighteenth century.

They also received a blessing from the Dean of Gloucester, The Very Reverend Stephen Lake, to acknowledge their 10-year presence in the City as part of the ARRC.

U.S. Army troops are based in Gloucester as one of the 21 nations serving with NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. The British-led Corps has been based in the City since 2010 after it moved from its former base in Germany exactly a decade ago.

Notes to Editors:
B-roll footage will be published to DVIDS on Saturday July 4th following the ceremony at Gloucester Cathedral when the cathedral bells will play the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ over the English city.

• Date Taken: 07.01.2020
• Date Posted: 07.02.2020 13:57
• Story ID: 373343
• Location: GLOUCESTER, GLS, GB
• Hometown: BILOXI, MS, US
• Hometown: LAS CRUCES, NM, US