Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle reading from theDeclaration of Independence with strains of “Americathe Beautiful” playing in the background, thousands ofred and white roses, a three-story high drape of OldGlory, and historian Stephen Ambrose, dressed in colonialattire, extolling the virtues of the Declaration ofIndependence — could you have been in any countryother than the U.S.A.? Patriotism marked the festivitiesat the 44th annual National Symphony Orchestra Ballheld at the National Building Museum on November30. Performers Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, AaronNeville, James Ingram, Patti Austin, Frank Sinatra Jr.,and Michael Crawford provided music for the soul. TheBall netted about $1.2 million (with Virginia businesswomanCatherine Reynolds, the co-chair and underwriterof the event along with her husband Wayne,matching every dollar), a record. Oh, Beautiful!