You're A Grand Old Flag (Vocal Solo and Jazz Combo) by George M. Cohan Jazz Ensemble - Digital Sheet Music

SKU: A0.734787

Arranged in a straight (non-swing) march style for vocal solo, trumpet, tenor sax, trombone, and rhythm section (piano, bass, drums). Piano includes a fully notated part with chord symbols.  Key of G major; easy vocal range (mezzo-soprano or baritone vocal, with notes ranging from D to D).

Includes a full score and set of parts. 30 pages.

"You're a Grand Old Flag" is an American patriotic march written by George M. Cohan. A tribute to the American flag, it incorporates snippets of other popular songs, including one of his own. Cohan wrote it in 1906 for George Washington, Jr., his stage musical.

The song was first publicly performed on February 6, 1906 on the play's opening night at Herald Square Theater in New York City. "You're a Grand Old Flag" quickly became the first song from a musical to sell over a million copies of sheet music. The title and first lyric comes from someone Cohan once met; the Library of Congress website notes:

The original lyric for this perennial George M. Cohan favorite came, as Cohan later explained, from an encounter he had with a Civil War veteran who fought at Gettysburg. The two men found themselves next to each other and Cohan noticed the vet held a carefully folded but ragged old flag. The man reportedly then turned to Cohan and said, "She's a grand old rag." Cohan thought it was a great line and originally named his tune "You're a Grand Old Rag." So many groups and individuals objected to calling the flag a "rag," however, that he "gave 'em what they wanted" and switched words, renaming the song "You're a Grand Old Flag".- Library of Congress