The National Anthem

Blossoming

Do Wales, Scotland and NI have ‘official’ national anthems? They each have their own football and rugby teams and I can’t imagine they all sing God save the current hereditary monarch.

The Welsh sing "Oh land of my Fathers beautiful in Welsh", and the Scots "The flowers of the Forrest". The Irish Rugby team consists of both north and south and they sing two lovely songs. If Northern Ireland is on their own as in boxing I think they sing or play"Danny Boy".

The French Anthem includes the very cheerful line,

Cut the throats of your sons and your companions

Anthems from some other countries sound so uplifting and like others have said ours is a depressing dirge and not about the country but about one person, the King.. Way past time for it to be changed.

Blossoming

Do Wales, Scotland and NI have ‘official’ national anthems? They each have their own football and rugby teams and I can’t imagine they all sing God save the current hereditary monarch.

Yes they do. The Welsh anthem is glorious when sung with gusto by a rugby crowd. The Scottish one is pretty good too Flower of Scotland? I’m not so familiar with the Irish anthem but I have heard it and it too is quite stirring. Agree that they are all better than the English anthem. I can’t agree about adopting Land of Hope and Glory as it’s too focused on outdated ideas of Empire. Mind you, the words of the French anthem, all about the revolution are pretty outdated too.

What’s wrong with Rule Britannia? A happy tune?

Gransnetters should have a go at writing one perhaps on a new thread.

Its unlikely to get changed but I agree any of the three mentioned above would be better and more rousing for competitive events.

It's awful. I don't sing it because I don't want to ask something I don't believe in to save anyone.
It's time it was changed.

I have been saying it for years we English should have our own national anthem the other nations that make up the UK and Northern Ireland all have theirs. God Save The King should only be used to represent Britain or when the Monarch or his representatives are present.

I think it’s best to see anthems as historical songs, and not take them too literally.

Anthem needs changed to something a bit more uplifting decribing GN rather than the Monarch. Other countries in UK don't have anthems, songs sung especially at sporting events are traditional folk songs. I know Scotland's Flower o' Scotland was written by The Corries folk group.

The Welsh national anthem isn’t a traditional folk song, it was written in the 1900s by a father and son from Pontypridd and became more and more popular. Here’s the history.
www.wales.com/about/language/welsh-national-anthem
I do think the key issue for any anthem to succeed is it’s place in the affection of the people, and their subsequent adoption of it, so imposing one is not going to work.

Casdon

The Welsh national anthem isn’t a traditional folk song, it was written in the 1900s by a father and son from Pontypridd and became more and more popular. Here’s the history.
www.wales.com/about/language/welsh-national-anthem
I do think the key issue for any anthem to succeed is it’s place in the affection of the people, and their subsequent adoption of it, so imposing one is not going to work.

And it is sung not just at sporting events but at many gatherings including religious services.
If the British National Anthem is to be sung then it is sung before the Welsh Anthem.

"The Welsh sing "Oh land of my Fathers beautiful in Welsh", and the Scots "The flowers of the Forrest_".
Yammy: I think you probably mean "Flower of Scotland". "Flowers of the Forest" is a lament for the Scots killed at Flodden in 1513. A lovely song, but not a suitable national anthem..

The Welsh anthem is glorious when sung with gusto by a rugby crowd
Yes, enthusiastic
But far better sung by a Welsh Male Voice Choir.

I love our National Anthem and don't want it changed at all.

I think the British National Anthem is a dirge and should have been updated years ago. Maybe we could do a petition on Gransnet, to get a new more stirring one that's more relevant to this century.

I don’t live in the UK any more, so always love to hear our National Anthem. Hope they never change it!

In Scotland we sing Oh Flower of Scotland not Flowers of the Forest.

I agree - it's dreary and inappropriate and expresses some very outdated ideas which are about one person "reigning," rather than the country and its population as a whole.

During coverage of the football, a song (I don't think it was the national anthem) was played which they showed Wales supporters singing beautifully. I don't know what the words were but the melody was lovely.

It was this Eloethan, the Wales World Cup song.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=43Fag8ZQcz4

I think we need a new anthem but I get concerned that a new one could be either jazz or rap!

I am 73 and have never sung it nor stood up for it my life, and never will. Our national anthem should celebrate the people of our nation, our struggles and our pride in what we have achieved despite the class who would rule us.

Calendargirl

It’s fine as it is.

Agreed!
It ain't broke so it don't need fixing.
I just find I can no longer get the words right. It's going to take a while to get used to the new lyrics and, until then I'm singing
'God save our gracious Quing'

ordinarygirl

I think we need a new anthem but I get concerned that a new one could be either jazz or rap!

Oh I don't know. George the Poet and Kae Tempest both have a great way with words and produce amazing rap poems (or poetic raps) with real social meaning. I bet either of them could come up with something appropriate and inclusive.