Land of Hope and Glory

Yes Annie we learnt the Welsh National Anthem at my primary school in East London!

Never sung them in school, not even the National Anthem but
we were singing the Welsh National Anthem From a Young age

Like Urmstogran I learned the words of Jerusalem at school where it was sung with great gusto. Land of Hope and Glory was a firm favourite and yes, together with Rule Britannia I do know all the words.

However I cannot claim to know more than two verses of the National Anthem, and I wonder if it is a generation thing. My mother, when in her 80s could still sing not only every verse, but also those of the Welsh National Anthem in English and Welsh. Her father was born in Wales but from an English family, and such things were important to him. Perhaps I come from a particularly patriotic family, who knows?

Well if that wasn't done to stir up trouble in the first place I don't know what was !

Just seen this on the news and think it's the right decision.

Whitewavemark2

Jingoism is such a good thing

It's only one night of the year and for many is more about tradition and celebrating the end of a music festival than extreme patriotism

Pleased about the U turn, couldn’t understand why they intended to sing Jerusalem and not the other two which have become iconic at the LNofP

Jingoism is such a good thing

Agree, good

BBC have done a U turn

Land of Hope and Glory and Rule Britannia will be sung by the BBC Singers.

Good!

If you are quoting it as part of the opera it should correctly be entitled Rule, Britannia. The comma makes the statement an instruction. The line was also Britania rule the waves (not rules). At the time the navy was not the dominant sea force it became. The comma was dropped and the s adopted by the Victorians by which time the navy was in charge of the seas.

Rule Brittania is part of an opera by Thomas Arne about King Alfred.

I learned the words to ‘Jerusalem’ at my junior school for a concert. I was 10y old at the time. I could sing it now. Shows what good (rote) teaching we must have had!

quizqueen

Isn't it a good thing to celebrate NOT being slaves!!

You do realise that those lines were written when Britain was very busy enslaving people and shipping them off to the West Indies? They seem to be more self congratulatory than celebratory.

Isn't it a good thing to celebrate NOT being slaves!!

Especially British people descended from slaves.

Anyone can sing a song.

Isn't it a good thing to celebrate NOT being slaves!!

makes you all warm, fuzzy and proud, no?

www.facebook.com/watch/?v=392952661672675&extid=o36Z7JLclYfTcPRj

Anyone not on the list of officially approved and re-educated citizens, kittylester.
Others are sent to Room 101.

vegansrock, who exactly is 'rentamob*?

It’s actually the rentamob defending the singing of these songs that have no knowledge of their history.

Rule Britannia celebrates the fact that our Royal Navy freed 150,000 black people from slave ships which helped to abolish the slave trade. It's no use expecting a lot of the 'Rent-a-Mob' protestors to know that
Strange then that it was first performed in 1740 when the slave trade was developing reaching its height in the 1780s and there was no abolition until well into the 1800s

Some people in this country have reached the stage when everything related to our history is put under the microscope just in case there might be a smidgeon of something they can complain about. History cannot be altered. It has happened. It is what we do with the future that matters. Rule Britannia celebrates the fact that our Royal Navy freed 150,000 black people from slave ships which helped to abolish the slave trade. It's no use expecting a lot of the 'Rent-a-Mob' protestors to know that.

I am so sorry to hear- and it is not a question of either/or.

War is a terrible thing, for all involved. Whether of not the sinking of the Belgrano was a legitimate act- are you really surprised, thinking about the terrible losses on both sides- thatr anyone might feel 'uncomfortable' about words can glorify this dreadful loss of life?