The Anacreontic Society was a popular gentlemen's club of amateur musicians in London, named in honor of Anacreon, a lyric poet of Greece who lived and wrote in the sixth century B.C. The society's patron saint was Anacreon, the "convivial bard of Greece." St. ... Anacreon can refer to: Anacreon (poet), a poet and lyricist from ancient Greece Anacreon (planet), a fictional planet in Isaac Asimovs Foundation Series Anacreon (computer game), a computer game inspired by the Foundation series To Anacreon in Heaven was a drinking song. ...

While the society's membership, one observer noted, was dedicated to "wit, harmony, and the god of wine," their primary goal (beyond companionship and talk) was to promote an interest in music. The society presented regular concerts of music, and included among their guests such important musicians as Franz Joseph Haydn, who was the special guest at their concert in January 1791. Franz Joseph Haydn, (March 31 or April 1, 1732 – May 31, 1809) was a leading composer of the Classical period, called the Father of the Symphony and Father of the String Quartet. Although he has come to be popularly known as Franz Joseph Haydn (with many published scores and recordings...

The lyrics of the Anacreontic Song, the first four words of which are "To Anacreon in Heaven" were written by Ralph Tomlinson, who had been president of the society. At Tomlinson's request, the song was set to music by John Stafford Smith in the mid-1760s. The resulting tune is today best known as "The Star-Spangled Banner". To Anacreon in Heaven was the official song of the Anacreontic Society, a club of amateur musicians in London who gathered regularly to perform concerts. ... John Stafford Smith (1750 - 1836) is a composer best known for writing To Anacreon in Heaven. ... Nicholson took the copy Key gave him to a printer, where it was published as a broadside on September 17 under the title The Defence of Fort McHenry, with an explanatory note explaining the circumstances of its writing. ...