This was Beyonce's first inaugural performance
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(Yahoo!) - President Barack Obama was treated to a triumphant assortment of musical entertainment from Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, James Taylor, the Marine Band and the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir during his Inauguration ceremony on Monday.
Grammy winner Beyoncé, who sang "The Star-Spangled Banner," offered the most theatrical performance. The "Single Ladies" singer dressed in a sheer black gown appeared more serious than normal as she approached the podium.
Like a scene from movie Evita, the singer who performed Etta James' "At Last" at Obama's first Inauguration in 2009 took a moment to pan the crowd with an emotionless expression before belting the song's opening lyric, "Oh, say can you see..."
Accompanied by the Marine Band, Beyoncé opted to stick with a more traditional arrangement of the National Anthem. She kept her vocal runs to a minimum and, as the song progressed, Beyoncé relaxed and smiled. By song's end, she nodded her head as if to note victory before turning to greet the President.
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