# How did Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture become part of American Independence Day celebrations

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-tchaikovskys-1812-overture-become-part-of-american-independence-day-celebrations/817635>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 10, 2018, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-tchaikovskys-1812-overture-become-part-of-american-independence-day-celebrations/817635 "2018-07-10T03:39:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Ispolkom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47774/32.png) [@Ispolkom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ispolkom)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2018, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-tchaikovskys-1812-overture-become-part-of-american-independence-day-celebrations/817635/61 "2018-07-15T04:06:25Z")

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> [@Leo\_Bloom](#):
>
> FWIW, on the general topic raised by this thread, and arguably even on this particular comment of **MikeS** –
> 
> The [hasidic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasidic_Judaism) movement in Judaism has wordless ecstatic chants ([nigunim](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigun)) which are a distinguishing part of its practice. I don’t have the cite, but one of its grand _rebbe_s ruled on a complaint about one of their tunes taken from some war-song or other (nationalistic and secular, obviously, both bad mojo) and ruled it is not only acceptable but an elevation and transformation of the actual spirit in the music.

On the other hand, the Catholic Council of Trent in 1572 ruled the other way, forbidding the use of secular melodies in settings of the mass, which was widely popular in the 16th century.

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**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2018, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-tchaikovskys-1812-overture-become-part-of-american-independence-day-celebrations/817635/62 "2018-07-15T05:10:19Z")

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I think the religious hymns in the _1812_ are Orthodox, though, not Catholic. (You can also hear “God Save the Tsar”, the national anthem of the Russian Empire, at one point)

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**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2018, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-tchaikovskys-1812-overture-become-part-of-american-independence-day-celebrations/817635/63 "2018-07-15T12:00:51Z")

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_“My Country, 'Tis of Thee”_ is sung to the same tune as the British National Anthem…?

[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/sN2I6vdzgts/hqdefault.jpg "America (My Country 'Tis Of Thee)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN2I6vdzgts)

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2018, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-tchaikovskys-1812-overture-become-part-of-american-independence-day-celebrations/817635/64 "2018-07-15T12:39:46Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Quoth **Ispolkom** :
> 
> On the other hand, the Catholic Council of Trent in 1572 ruled the other way, forbidding the use of secular melodies in settings of the mass, which was widely popular in the 16th century.

Which was either rescinded or ignored, because lots of Catholic hymns have tunes which originated from secular songs.

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