Why don’t they change the British National anthem?

Coco51

To anybody who watched the parade of competitors in the Commonwealth Games and all those people who are proud of having the Queen as head of the Commonwealth, the idea of removing her from our national anthem is abhorrent

That's a bold presumption. I would say that all of them are there for the competition and scarcely give the queen a passing thought.

volver

^all 4 regions of it^

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not "regions", they are countries.

I never sing the National Anthem any more. Haven't done for ages.

Volver You're quite right they are indeed countries, and wonderful countries at that. But they are also regions of the geographical British Isles which in turn comprises the United Kingdom. But reading many of the responses here there is not a lot of unity now. Perhaps that's part of the problem overall we've lost that unity. Sad really.

Volver Why are you so aggressive and argumentative, you seem to enjoy picking on people and being pedantic about their comments. Well don't pick on me! I won't be publicly criticised by anyone least of all a C**t - that's Celt by the way! I thought this was supposed to be a friendly discussion about anthems not a free-for-all attack on individuals.

montymops Well said. We can't change history. Neither should we forget it. But we can learn from it, move on and try to do better in the future.

Why are you so aggressive and argumentative, you seem to enjoy picking on people and being pedantic about their comments.

That's because I am sick fed up of people forgetting that Scotland is a country and not part of England. I'm sick fed up of people who say that the prevailing attitude is anti-English when we have to put up with the sub conscious discrimination of the English. I'm sick fed up of being told we were enslaved, by people who have obviously never read a book of Scottish history in their lives. Many people have an image and concept of the Scots which is totally removed from reality.

Now I feel bad for saying bad things about the English. Contrary to what you might think, its not what I like doing. But sometimes, needs must...

I'm not a Celt by the way, I'm a Pict. I've got the DNA analysis to prove it too. So guess what? The things you think you know about Scots don't always hold true. Fancy that.

I think a lot depends on how the National Anthem is sung. It can be a dirge, but the rendition at the beginning of the Commonwealth Games this week was energetic, fun and moving. Well done Brum!

I notice that Jerusalem is being played when England win a gold medal at the Commenwealth Games..

Littleannie

The Flowers of Scotland was originally a folk song composed by two wonderful folk singers The Corries. Sadly one of them died some years ago. They both had lovely distinctive voices. You can probably find them on YouTube.

Not “The Flowers of Scotland” - Flower of Scotland
What a good excuse for a listen though!
m.youtube.com/watch?v=W8tNgAIh-TI&vidve=5727&autoplay=1

The second verse a cappella gets me every time...?

volver Wow it really gets to you doesn't it! But your - dare I say it - pugnacity - sometimes comes across as unfriendly and a bit OTT, when I'm sure you're a very nice person really.

Descended from Picts eh? That's impressive, a very ancient peoples I believe. I used the word Celt as I have a Scottish friend who always refers to himself as a Celt. Who knows maybe he's got it wrong too! I'll confess I know very little of Scottish history, or Irish or Welsh for that matter even though my own ancestry is Welsh and I'm very proud of that. But history is just not my thing really. Anyway as we have both had our say perhaps we could call a truce now in the interests of forum harmony [olive branch]

I don't agree with changing the National Anthem. It would be like saying the Queen is nearly finished. \leave it alone at least for now. I actually think it's really special.

? (dove of peace)

My pugnacity is probably borne out of all the stuff we have to put up with. Sorry! So many assumptions and so much superiority. It wears us out ? And then we get told how we think we're great. Ok enough from me. Off to watch Kate Bush.

Oh, is she on tv?
I love her music.

Kate Bush night on BBC2! On right now, program after program!

What about Wuthering Heights for the national anthem? ?

volver

The second verse a cappella gets me every time...?

Me too! ???????

volver The trouble with Wuthering Heights is that I can't hear it without seeing Noel Fielding's version.

volver

What about Wuthering Heights for the national anthem? ?

The singing along could prove interesting.

MawtheMerrier

volver

The second verse a cappella gets me every time...?

Me too! ???????

Love it. I also do not know why but bagpipe music has always made me cry(in a good way!)
Maybe something in my dna ?

We'd have to do the dance too. ?

I'm not wearing a leotard! I draw the line at that.

MawtheMerrier
Sorry, typing error. Flower of Scotland. I realised as soon as I posted my comment.

I agree that the national anthem is boring and needs something more rousing. I'm an atheist but nevertheless wouldn't mind either Land of Hope and Glory or Jerusalem as our anthem. What I DON'T want is some milksop song, which is what we'd get if something new were composed now.

ruthie2

I agree that the national anthem is boring and needs something more rousing. I'm an atheist but nevertheless wouldn't mind either Land of Hope and Glory or Jerusalem as our anthem. What I DON'T want is some milksop song, which is what we'd get if something new were composed now.

Whatever the individual wants, it would have to attract the majority. I don't think either of those would.

That nobody knows- not even the Welsh !

Grandmajb

That nobody knows- not even the Welsh !

???

Maybe our time for a new anthem is when we get our freedom from the Scots. I wish we could have a referendum and see how many of the English people want to retain them, I think a lot of Scots would get a surprise.I would give them it tomorrow.
After all the battles and trouble in my county we are still at war verbally. We even had the only State controlled Breweries and Pubs in the country when they poured over the border on a Sunday got legless and into fights. All because their Calvanistic religious rules would not let their pubs open.
I have even been on Scots islands in the 70's and 80's when children playground swings etc.were tied up on Sundays what a reflection on the peoples doure mentality.
As for DNA it shows where your forebears came from but does not reflect how you feel about the country you call home.
I am proud to be English ,but my DNA from both parents has a lot of Scotsand Irish and Viking.
Where I live was part of the Celtic Kingdom of Strathclyde until after the Norman conquest so some Scots must have Celtic DNA if the Kingdom was divided.