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National Carry A Tune Week (2025)
One of the tunes chosen for this year's Tune Week was featured
in the popular film, CASABLANCA, the music score by Max Steiner,
and the song, "As Time Goes By," written by Herman Hupfeld.
See description below.
List of Tunes for
25th National Carry A Tune Week
October 5-12, 2025
This free online event has been sponsored
for the past 25 years by the
Total number of tunes chosen
2001-2025 = 585
List of Tunes for 2025
with links on YouTube
Patriotic Songs
From Gail:
"God Bless America"
Kate Smith's Heart-Stirring 'God Bless America' - This Is the Army (1943) HD - YouTube
Who else but Kate Smith.
The meaning is in the verse:
While the storm clouds gather far across the sea
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free
Let us all be grateful that we are far from there
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayerBut then there’s this fun version --
John Wayne's God Bless America 1970
From Jim
Tune: "You're A Grand Old Flag" by George M.Cohan (1906).
Cohan first wrote and performed this song as "You're A Grand Old Rag."
People objected, so he quickly changed it to "Flag".
From Roger
William Billings best known song
was a favorite
during the American Revolution titled,
"Chester" (1778) - possibly named after a dead patriot soldier.
The song was later
arranged for band or orchestra by American composer,
William Schuman in the 20th century.
Listen to two versions of the William Billings tune
1: Billings song (1778) sung by The Yankee Tunesmiths
2: Old Stoughton Musical Society Chorus (1786 version)
with ringing of Paul Revere made bell
"Chester" - William Billings -
two versions: 1778 (Billings words) and 1786 (Philip Doddridge words)Read about William Billings - Father of American Song -- here
Folk Songs
From Gail:
Tune: "My Old Paint"
sung by Harry Belafontehttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kq5EAaBWePM&pp=ygUYT2xkIHBhaW50IHNvbmcgYmVsYWZvbnRl
From Jim:
Tune: "Circle of Friends" by Mary McCaslin
(approx. 1971).
First recorded by Philo Records in 1973 LP album, "Way Out West."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7giHYrpPaU&list=RDi7giHYrpPaU&start_radio=1
From Roger:
"My Shaker Home" is a Shaker song
with words and music by Sister Lillian Phelps in 1959
after returning from a summer outing
and viewing her beloved home at Canterbury, NH
"at the top of the hill so quiet and still."
I discovered this song in 2009, fifty years after it had been written
and apparently never performed by non-Shaker singers.
I arranged it for The Canterbury Singers and
it is the title of the "My Shaker Home" CD
For more about this CD
and the Shaker music program on November 8, 2025
at Canterbury Shaker Village
Religious Music
From Gail:
Tune: "Where No One Stands Alone"
Elvis Presley – Where No One Stands Alone Lyrics | Genius LyricsDecoding The Mystery: Who Wrote 'Where No One Stands Alone' - Who Can Do What
“Where No One Stands Alone” was originally written as a gospel hymn,
reflecting the deep-rooted spirituality and faith of its composers. The song’s
powerful message of unity, comfort, and hope has made it a favorite within
religious communities and beyond.
The Lyrics: Mosie Lister
(Wally)Fowler is believed to have composed the melody
that accompanies Lister’s lyrics.
From Jim:
"I Was There To Hear Your Borning Cry"
by John C. Ylvisaker (1985)Performed by St. Olof Choir:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqOFmE6r2OI&list=RDPqOFmE6r2OI&start_radio=1
Popular Songs
From Gail:
"Buttons and Bows"
words by Ray Evans
music by Jay Livingston
Dinah Shore singing Buttons And Bows (1948)
From Jim:
Tune: "What'll I Do?" music and lyrics by Irving Berlin (1923).
From THE GREAT GATSBY 1974 film, song arranged by Nelson Riddle:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAES7BhzSDg&list=RDTAES7BhzSDg&start_radio=1
Song sung by Willie Nelson:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO3wNNZE9tk&list=RDTAES7BhzSDg&index=2
Classical Music
From Gail:
Alleluia (Randall Thompson, 1940)
Thompson wrote that the Alleluia is:"a very sad piece. The word 'Alleluia' has so many possible interpretations. The music in my particular Alleluia cannot be made to sound joyous. It is a slow, sad piece, and...here it is comparable to the Book of Job, where it is written, "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."
YouTube of this work sung by Octarium -- click here
From Jim:
"Blue Tango" by Leroy Anderson (1952).
I believe the popular recording was by The Boston Pops.Leroy Anderson conducting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAXNIar0fhY&list=RDMAXNIar0fhY&start_radio=1
1952 hit recording:
From Roger:
"Imagine...Tall Trees"
This is from my song cycle: "Six Haiku Songs" Op. 3
which was completed in 1970
and first performed at Rutgers Universityby a student soprano and pianist.
I also wrote the short haiku poem:
Imagine...tall trees...
thickly grouped...yet pushed aboutby a strong short breeze.
The complete song cycle of "Six Haiku Songs."
is available on this AMRC CD
Film Music
From Facebook Listener:
music & lyrics by Herman Hupfeld, 1931
First recorded by Rudy Vallee (1932)Sung by Dooley Wilson in CASABLANCA film (1942)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vThuwa5RZU
Additional Note from Roger Hall:
This is surely one of the best loved movie songs of all time.
Herman Hupfeld lived in Montclair, New Jersey and
I grew up in the nearboring town of Bloomfield.As it turned out my mother
had a favorite restaurant she liked called the Robin Hood Inn.And guess who was the dinnertime pianist at that restaurant?
Yep, it was Herman Hupfeld.
When I was very young I went to that restaurant
so I could have heard Hupfeld playing his famous song,
though I was too young to remember for sure.
From Gail:
"The Plow That Broke the Plains" – Virgil Thomson
Virgil Thomson : The Plow that Broke the Plains, Suite from the film music (1936)
From Jim:
"Victory At Sea" by Richard Rodgers (1952-53). I had intended to focus on
the lovely Tango included in the score but could not quite separate it.
Rodgers & Hammerstein used the tune in their 1953 musical play,
"Me and Juliet." Their song title is "No Other Love," made very popular in a
recording by Perry Como.Sung by Perry Como on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z9F4HCJkqE&list=RD8Z9F4HCJkqE&start_radio=1
From Roger:
"Hooray for Hollywood" (1937) -
words: Johnny Mercermusic: Richard A. Whiting
This lively song has become the trademark song for Hollywood
and it is the title of my new ebook about that music --
From opening scene of the 1937 film, HOLLYWOOD HOTEL
where the song was first sung:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkPkHv8KnBs&list=RDQkPkHv8KnBs&start_radio=1
The annual web event
"National Carry A Tune Week"
will be discontinued
unless a sponsor can be found
by 2026.
To inquire about
possible sponsorship
See the composers listed on the
National Carry A Tune Week (Main Page)
© 2025 PineTree Productions. All Rights Reserved for this written material on this website.