As a non -American, can I say my favourite American song? The back story: My father served in WWII, Korean, Malaya and Vietnam. 3 of theose wars were served with Americans. He made friends with another soldier, who was from New York State, and they wrote to each other from 1945 to 2006, when the other man died. Each year, at Christmas, they would call each other. My father has a beautiful voice, and he would sing God Bless America (he called it the American Hymn) to his friend, and we would all sing God Save the Queen or Waltzing Matilda to him - at 4 am on Xmas morning, then we would open the presents he sent. I still have a Barbie House he sent, which I loved. The presents would arrive in November, or early december, and we would try everything to figure out what they were.
Dad looked so lost the year he lost his friend, so my brother had the choir (they are both in a choir together) sing it at the Christmas concert, the Choirmaster is from Arkanas, and he was very moved. The choir have sung it every year at their Christmas Concert since.
The average age of the choir members is 80, the youngest is 63, the oldest, who looks like Santa, is 98.