By C.E. Hanafin
Enquirer staff writer

We asked some local musicians to name their favorite patriotic tunes. Here's what they said:

Emily Strand: "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," known as the black national anthem, written in 1900 by James Weldon Johnson. "Granted, I'm a white girl," says Strand, a singer-songwriter and guitarist, "but I love the song because it speaks of liberty and freedom not as givens in America, but as ideals we must strive for together to genuinely achieve, like a choir of diverse voices and harmonic pitches striving for a unified sound."

John and Gwenn Noftsger of the Ohio River Minstrels: "New Freedom Bell," performed by the Country Gentlemen. The couple, who perform old time music, often include the '70s bluegrass song in their set list.

Michael John Mollo: "Eve of Destruction," recorded by folk-rock artist Barry McGuire in 1965. "It really breaks down what happens during a time of war," says singer/guitarist Mollo.

Maurice Mattei: "Dixie," composed in 1859 by Daniel Decatur Emmett. "The melody's stunning, and the words are just so poignant," says Mattei, a singer-songwriter of acoustic rock.

Marc Wolfley: "This Land is Your Land," by Woody Guthrie. Wolfley, a jazz percussionist, says of the '50s folk song, "It talks about the people, as opposed to some great huge idea. It's more about the everyman."

Ricky Nye: "America the Beautiful," "most definitely sung by Ray Charles," says Nye, a pianist and band leader. "The lyrics and chord changes are epic - just as grand as our land. For whatever kind of shape our country might be in, that song makes me glad to be here."