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Which Song Strikes State's Chord?

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By GRETCHEN PARKER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 12, 2007

State Song Special Report

TAMPA - The proposal to retire a 150-year-old state song advanced to the Internet on Tuesday, opening the door to the possibility that Florida's anthem for a new era could be determined by the ultimate modern jury: voters in cyberspace.

The 243 entries vying to become the new state song were narrowed to three finalists, which were announced and posted on the Internet. To listen to the tunes, read the lyrics and vote for your favorite, go to www.justsingflorida.org.

Voting closes Jan. 11, and the winning song will be written into legislation for consideration next year.

Judges eschewed the jingly tunes that were submitted in favor of more stately, somber-sounding compositions appropriate for state ceremonies. The arrangements and some of the lyrics are reminiscent more of church hymns than the folk style of Florida's current song, "Old Folks at Home," widely known as "Swanee River."

"We are not erasing that song. We can always sing it as a memorable song about the way we were. But today, our state has changed so much," said Rep. Ed Homan, R-Tampa, who plans to file the House bill proposing a new song.

He was referring to the racial references in the old song, an ode to plantation life written by Stephen Foster in 1851.

"I invite everyone to go to the Web site and cast your vote, so when we present the bill, we can say, 'This is what the people of Florida choose to have as their state song,'" Homan said at a news conference to announce the finalists in the state Capitol in Tallahassee.

The finalists are:

•"Florida - Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky" by Jan Hinton of Pompano Beach. Hinton, an elementary school music teacher who is a native of England, has lived in Florida 11 years. It took her a week to write the song, which lauds the "land of flowers, land of light ... where our dreams can all take flight."

•"Florida, My Home," music by Carl Ashley and lyrics by Betsy Dixon, both of Boynton Beach. The two met while singing in a Presbyterian church choir in Lake Worth. Their song mentions the "moonlight on the Suwannee River" and gives tribute to explorers who came here "reaching out for freedom's hand."

•"My Florida Home," by Christopher Marshall of Orlando. Marshall is a composer who was raised in New Zealand and has lived in Florida since last year. "Wherever I wander you shine in my mind," he wrote, inspired by the sights from his seat on a flight into Orlando. He penned the song before he knew a competition was in the works.

The songs sound nothing like the soulful track, "Florida's Song," submitted by local blues legend Charles Atkins. The song was a favorite of Gov. Charlie Crist, who tapped Atkins to play it at his inauguration this year.

Atkins, a native Floridian who runs a blues lab at Florida State University, said he was disappointed by the selections made by the six judges, most of whom are music educators.

"The songs sound sad to me," said Atkins, who described his song as more inspirational. He attended the news conference, along with a handful of other composers who had thrown their tunes into the competition.

The Rev. Abraham J. Thomas drove from Miami to hear the announcement after submitting two of his own songs for consideration. He called the contest a failure, because it selected songs that he considers detached from the average Floridian. Also, he said they sound alike.

"They're way over the top," he said, describing them as "not relatable to the everyday, common person."

Agile Communications Group of Tampa is running the site for free, after hearing about the push by Sen. Anthony Hill, D-Jacksonville, to find a new song. Technicians will try to prevent people from voting twice by requiring them to register phone numbers and e-mail addresses.

Those with multiple phones would be able to vote more than once, but Agile will validate the digits to prevent voters from entering phony ones, said Rick Bowen, chief operating officer.

The culmination of the search and the voting comes on Jan. 11, when the winner will be announced and performed by Tampa's King High School chorus at the Tampa Convention Center.

Photographer Colin Hackley contributed to this report. Reporter Gretchen Parker can be reached at (813) 259-7562 or gparker@tampatrib.com.

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