Today we will talk about the melody that is often heard at military ceremonies of the US army, and in feature films dedicated to wars involving Americans of the last century and a half. It is “ Battle Hymn of the Republic” — a patriotic song received in 1862 by a combination of music from the anthem of the fighters for the slaves liberation “John Brown's Body” which was rather a set of military ditties, and a new text authored by the poet Julia Ward Howe. In fact, it was a classic religious hymn praising Christ, which quickly gained popularity among soldiers of the Northern army during the American Civil war.
The song is also known as “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah” according to the first words of the chorus, repeated many times during the performance. Today, many songs and hymns of army units and sports teams have been written to the tune of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic”. Below is a magnificent performance of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” by the giant 360-member Mormon Tabernacle Choir at events dedicated to Independence Day 2018 at West Point Military Academy.
