> If I was a big shot in charge of a sporting event like a ball game or a car race, I would hold auditions for people to sing the national anthem.

Just yesterday in the evening I heard from a TV talk show a politician complaining about "how bad we Italians sing our National Anthem, while people in other countries *like the USA* (his words!) always try to sing it at their best".

AP.

P.S.
Frankly speaking, our Anthem isn't that good as far as good lyrics are concerned, but it was composed in the last Century, when we were fighting for our independency from France and Austria.