Official schedule for Barack H. Obama's inauguration ceremony

(UPDATE: The morning schedule for the Jan. 20 inauguration has been released and is published below.)

The Official Inauguration Coverage Committee of The Top of the Ticket cordially invites you and one guest to print this item out and put it by your TV for the morning of Jan. 20, when way too many try to get to Capitol Hill to witness the official swearing-in of the 44th president of the United States.

For people who try to attend the ceremony, if they are very early and very lucky, the above photo is about as good as what they're going to see.

You, on the other cheek, will be all comfy in your front-row chair and, with this Ticket item in hand, able to predict with pinpoint accuracy what's coming next on the televised program and when you can program in bathroom breaks.

This is the official order just announced this afternoon by a bunch of very important Congress people we're going to leave out.

The order of the program will be as follows:

Musical selections, the United States Marine Band

Musical selections, the San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus

Call to order and welcoming remarks, the Honorable Dianne Feinstein (which explains the aforementioned San Francisco choirs)

Invocation: Dr. Rick Warren, Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, Calif.

Musical selection, Aretha Franklin

Oath of office administered to Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.
by associate justice of the Supreme Court, the Honorable John Paul Stevens

Musical selection, John Williams, composer/arranger
Itzhak Perlman, violin; Yo-Yo Ma, cello; Gabriela Montero, piano; Anthony McGill, clarinet

Oath of office administered to President-elect Barack Hussein Obama
by the chief justice of the United States, the Honorable John G. Roberts Jr.

Inaugural address: the president of the United States, the Honorable Barack Hussein Obama

Poem: Elizabeth Alexander

Benediction: The Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery

The national anthem, the United States Navy Band “Sea Chanters.”

For a historical perspective, here's what Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural looked like. When this photo was taken on March 4, 1865, the 16th president had less than six weeks to live.  He's the tall, hatless fellow almost exactly in the center holding his speech.

-- Andrew Malcolm

If Obama and Biden registered here for cellphone alerts to each new Ticket item, they wouldn't be late for their own swearing-in ceremony come Jan. 20.  RSS feeds are also available here. And we're on Amazon's Kindle now too.

Official Schedule for the Inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama, Jan. 20, 2009:

The ceremony will commence at 7 a.m. Pacific on the west front of the U.S. Capitol and will include:

•    Musical Selections:  The United States Marine Band, followed by The San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus.

•    Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks: Senator Dianne Feinstein.

•    Invocation: Dr. Rick Warren.

•    Musical Selection: Aretha Franklin.

•    Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will be sworn into office by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, the Honorable John Paul Stevens.

•    Musical Selection: John Williams, composer/arranger with Itzhak Perlman, (violin), Yo-Yo Ma  (cello), Gabriela Montero (piano) and Anthony McGill (clarinet).

•    President-elect Barack Hussein Obama will take the Oath of Office, using President Lincoln’s Inaugural Bible, administered by the Chief Justice of the United States, the Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr.

•    Inaugural Address.

•    Poem: Elizabeth Alexander.

•    Benediction: The Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery.

•    The National Anthem: The United States Navy Band “Sea Chanters”

After President Obama gives his Inaugural Address, he will escort outgoing President George W. Bush to a departure ceremony before attending a luncheon in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall. The 56th Inaugural Parade will then make its way down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House with groups traveling from all over the country to participate.

Later that day, the Presidential Inaugural Committee will host 10 official Inaugural Balls.  More details about those affairs will be released at a later date.   ###

Comments

[KAA]

Thanks for the sequence of events for the Inaugural Ceremony. One question - which I have yet to find the answer - WHAT TIME will the ceremony begin?!?!?!?!?

[Tiffany]

I SOOOO echo the above--I don't know what time to begin my watch-history-in-the-making party!

[Cathryn Barnett]

Please may we have the time all these events begin!? We are trying to schedule our school day, if we can't get the day off!! Thank you!!!!!

(Thanks for reading The Ticket, Cathryn. The full Inauguration schedule is published on the second page of this item above. If you don't see it displayed already, click on the "Read more" line to open it. And come back often; we'll have much more on this historic event in the next three weeks.)

[Jorge B. Jr.]

In response to the questions above...

"The ceremony will commence at 7 a.m. Pacific on the west front of the U.S. Capitol"

[Lucia Howard]

You have stated that the inaugural events begin at 7am Pac time, but if you can't watch all day, what are the approximate times that the other events begin, especially the actual swearing in?

[Sharon Greenberg]

What time will the swearing in begin Pacific time? We want to watch it at our school. Our librarian says to watch at 11:30am but I think that is East coast time.

(The ceremonies start at 7 a.m. Pacific time.)

[Linda]

Starts at 10am EST. So turn on at 9:30am!

[Pearl M. Wagstaff-Garff]

All of us - yes - ALL of us PRAY for our NATION!!!
We have NO time to be resistant, negative or judgmental to the creative ideas and plans of Barack Obama, Joseph Biden, Jr., and the 'NEW' Congress 111. Re-claim our heritage of PEACE ON EARTH. This is the Universal Year of the Peace Maker. Let's ALL join in PERFECT RIGHT ACTION and PERFECT RIGHT ORDER now.

Personally, I will hold Ceremony in Quantum Mechanics known as Shamanic Theater of the Munay ki in behalf of ALL - Globally and Locally.

Gratefully,
Miss Pearl
www.lifeartscenter.com

[Linda Zonana]

I was unable to find any "Read more" link. I gather the ceremony will kick off at 10AM EST but I'd like that confirmed, would also like to know the expected time for the actual swearing in and speech.

(As you say, the ceremony starts at 7 a.m. Pacific. And however long it takes them to get to the oath is when it will happen. No set time for that.)

[Joseph]

President-elect Obama will take the oath of office at 12 Noon Eastern;
11 a.m. Central
10 a.m. Mountain
9 a.m. Pacific
8 a.m. Alaskan
7 a.m. Hawaiian

The ceremonies will begin TWO HOURS before the swearing in time, so, tune in accordingly.