program notes by composition > A > Anthem from "Chess"
Anthem from "Chess"
Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson/arr. Johan de Meij
Marc Stingley, tenor soloist (
November 14, 2010
)
Anthem is a stirring vocal selection from the 1980’s musical, Chess -- lyrics by Tim Rice, melody by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, formerly of ABBA, arrangement by Johan de Meij. The plot involves a romantic triangle between two men in a world chess championship, and the woman who manages one and falls in love with the other. It is set in the Cold War era when the United States and the Soviet Union both sought to win international chess tournaments for propaganda purposes. The character of the American was loosely based on Bobby Fischer, while elements of the story may have been inspired by the careers of Russian grandmasters Viktor Korchnoi and Anatoly Karpov.
Last updated on July 18, 2013 by Palatine Concert Band