America the Beautiful rose from a melody written by a Newark composer on a ferry in New York Harbor and a poem penned on Pikes Peak by a teacher from Philadelphia. These inspired works by Samuel A. Ward and Katharine Lee Bates came together in 1910 as an enduring hymn over our nation.

Atop a Colorado mountain, Katherine wasn't celebrating a perfect country. She wrote a prayer for the beautiful one that was still becoming. Awestruck by the splendor of creation, she asked God to set every wrong right and bless our nation with a complete, unifying love. This wonder-filled prayer stands today as an invitation to unite across peaks and harbors with greater love, love that reaches across this land we call home.

With this September 11th release, we remember and honor all who have served and those we have lost. And on this 250th milestone year, we celebrate and look forward to a future filled with vibrant hope, healing and renewal.