George M. Cohan

Over There

George M. Cohan (1878-1942), getting an early start in vaudeville with his family act The Four Cohans, soaked up every facet of show business. He acted, composed, sang, danced, produced and wrote plays. One of his most celebrated songs, OVER THERE, became America's most beloved patriotic anthem during World War I. He wrote it on April 6, 1917, immediately upon learning that the United States had declared war on Germany. Charles King first sang it at a Red Cross benefit concert in New York. Enrico Caruso, Billy Murray, and Arthur Fields made vocal recordings, but the most successful, sang by Nora Bayes, sold one and a half million copies. This version has been orchestrated by William Ryden. Instrumentation: 2+Picc.2.2.2: 3Saxes (AAT; opt.): 4.3.3.1: Timp.Perc(4): Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set).