Beyoncé’s performance of the national anthem at President Obama’s second inauguration on Monday was everything it should be: soaring, moving, symbolic and musically superlative. It also wasn’t live.
The R&B diva only pretended to sing, lip-syncing the words to a backing track. What the listeners heard was a version she had recorded at a Marine Corps studio in Washington on Sunday night, a spokeswoman for the Marine Band said.
Chang W. Lee/The New York Times Beyoncé on Monday.The spokeswoman, Master Sgt. Kristin duBois, said the weather was good and the Marie Band had no trouble with intonation during most of the prelude and ceremony, nearly two and half hours of music. Still, at the last minute, she said, Beyoncé and the band received orders to use a recorded version of the national anthem.
“We don’t know why,†Sergeant duBois said. “But that is what we were instructed to do so that is what we did. It’s not because Beyoncé can’t sing. We all know Beyoncé can sing. We all know the Marine Band can play.â€
A publicist for Beyoncé did not immediately return telephone calls and e-mail messages.
Sergeant duBois said it is standard operating procedure to record the music for the inauguration in advance, in case the weather is bad and it becomes impossible for musicians to keep their instruments in tune. Four years ago, for instance, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman and two colleagues used backing tracks during their performance at President Obama’s first inaugu! ration because of the bitter cold.
It was not immediately clear who made the decision to ask Beyoncé to lip-sync the anthem on Monday, Sergeant duBois said. The band’s director, Col. Michael J. Colburn, received orders from the event’s organizers to switch to a backing track just before Beyoncé went on. “The entire performance was live except for the national anthem,†Sergeant duBois said.
Beyoncé recorded the song in a studio at the Marine Barracks Annex on Sunday night, using tracks already laid down by the Marine Band, Sergeant duBois said.
