Oh Richard, Oh, My King!
This aria from the Gretry opera,<em> Richard the Lion–Hearted, </em>was adopted by royalists during the early years of the Revolution. The song’s accusation that the king had been abandoned by all but his most devoted followers made it a suitable counter–revolutionary anthem.
1785
http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/d/622/
622
It’ll Be Okay
Popular during the early years of the Revolution, this song’s lively tune and repetitive chorus expressed revolutionaries’ hopefulness about the future. Singers manipulated its malleable lyrics to address a broad range of topical issues.
1790-05-00
http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/d/623/
623
Te Deum for the Federation of July 14, 1790 at the Champ de Mars
A hymn written by Joseph Gossec to celebrate national unity on the first anniversary of the taking of the Bastille. Combining old and new, Gossec set a traditional Latin text to music scored for wind instruments (rather than the common organ), the sound of which carried well at the outdoor festival.
1790-07-14
http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/d/614/
614