A'Top of the World, Our Flag
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https://digital.library.illinois.edu/items/96857b60-e466-0135-4ad8-0050569601ca-9
The organization that has made the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information.
Descriptive Information
| Title | A'Top of the World, Our Flag |
| Alternative Title | p. 3, top: A' Top of the World, Our flag |
| Composer | McDonald, John D. (Duncan) |
| Lyricist | McDonald, John D. (Duncan) |
| Publisher | John D. McDonald |
| Place of Publication | New York (N.Y.) |
| Year of Publication | 1918 |
| Date of Copyright | 1917-12-17 |
| Physical Description | 1 score, voice and piano ([1-2], 3-5, [1] p.) |
| Comment |
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| Historical Note | The published song was preceded by a very different version copyrighted in manuscript on August 16, 1917, on which Marjorie Monroe is credited as arranger. This is clumsy and and amateurish: the refrain is structurally awkward, the key signature is incorrect, and the tessitura is impractically high. The introduction is altogether different; in fact, only the melody of the first strain and the mutation to the parallel minor appear as presented in the published copy. For the publication, the music was apparently rewritten almost entirely by William M. Redfield, who also made arrangements for orchestra and band that McDonald copyrighted separately. |
| Musical Note | A conventional march song, with rat-a-tat-tat fills and occasional fanfare figures and walking bass. The first strain is unusually repetitive, with three of four lines beginning identically; but it also displays somewhat surprising chromatic inflections that take the music briefly into the parallel minor. The refrain somewhat resembles a trio, with more sweeping, varied lines; the final phrase restates once more the opening idea. The lyric somewhat resembles a semi-high-class ballad in its rather exalted language, and possibly that explains some of the musical characteristics in the original manuscript version. |
| Dedication | Dedication |
| Subject - Topic | |
| Subject - Geographic | |
| Subject - Temporal | 1911-1920 |
| Lyrics |
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| Musical Genre | March song |
| Repository | Newberry Library |
| Rights | NoC-US |
| Rights Description | The organization that has made the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. |
| Artist | Pfeiffer, E. H. [Edward Henry] |
| Cover Description | Globe, with North America as the focus, displayed over a stylized United States flag, stars above, stripes beneath. Red and blue on white; signed BL. |
| Back Cover Description | Blank. |
| Interior Description |
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| Performance Medium | Voice and piano |
| Original Location | Box 163 |
| Local Identifier | nda163_017 |
| Collection Title | James Francis Driscoll Collection of American Sheet Music |
| Collection | World War I Sheet Music from the James Francis Driscoll Collection of American Sheet Music |
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