American Graduation.

[snaykz]

Do Americans realise that their graduation ceremonies are carried out to the sound of the English National Anthem?

[Tadd]

Yes, it is our national anthem, but I think plays some importance to the Yanks as well, though with different words.

[Quizmonster]

Well, the words to it were popularised by the musicians of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in an effort to cheer the English up after the Scots defeated them at the Battle of Prestonpans, so - to that extent, I suppose - it might be considered the English National Anthem.

On the other hand, the actual tune was a folk-tune whose origins are lost in the mists of time. Thomas Arne and John Bull produced 'English' versions of it, but then Beethoven, Haydn and dozens of other composers incorporated it into their music, too. In other words, there's no reason why the Americans should feel in any way peculiar about using it either.

It's the British National Anthem!

[snaykz]

Sorry Quizmonster, but you are incorrect. The music was written by Sir Edward Elgar in 1902, almost a century after Beethoven and Haydn had died, and the words were added by A. C. Benson during the First World War. And I was correct in stating that it is the ENGLISH National Anthem.

[Quizmonster]

Snaykz, This is from 'The British Encyclopedia' entry on "National Anthem":- "The words are first recorded as being sung at Drury Lane Theatre on 28 September 1745...the music on that occasion was by Thomas Arne." That's 112 years before Elgar was even born!

I rather suspect you might just possibly be referring to 'Land of Hope and Glory', which - whilst it may be a fine patriotic song - is nobody's National Anthem. It was written by Elgar as a Coronation Ode for the accession of King Edward VII. He, of course, was King of Britain. The incorrectness is yours, I'm afraid.

[j2buttonsw]

Holy bananas, you even change the colour of the font with HTML. Good work, Quizmonster.

[snaykz]

Nope, you're wrong again Quizmonster. Of course I'm refering to 'Land of Hope and Glory' which is the song played at American graduation ceremonies. If you were unsure about this you should have a) asked, or b) not replied to the question until you'd done your research. You are the one who's been going on about 'God Save the King/Queen', I never mentioned it. As for 'Land of Hope and Glory' not being a true National Anthem, that surely verges on the pedantic. It is the ANTHEM played at the Commonwealth Games when the NATION of England wins a gold medal, which makes it a National Anthem in my book. By your logic you are wrong in any case, as "GOD SAVE THE QUEEN is sung in the United Kingdom as a matter of tradition. It has never been proclaimed the national anthem by an Act of Parliament or a Royal Proclamation." ( http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/sc-cs/godsave
_e.cfm ) I suspect the vast majority of people in this country (including myself) would recognise 'God Save the Queen' as the British National Anthem and 'Land of Hope and Glory' as the English one.

[snaykz]

Yes Einstein, we've established LOHAG isn't "official". My point was that neither is "GSTK/Q" and probably a great many other National Anthems. I take your point about other sports, although in some of those you mention, competitors compete as British rather than English so obviously they won't play LOHAG. By the way, I don't agree with the over-imperialist viewpoint regarding LOHAG. The Americans I know (from California) refer to LOHAG as "The Graduation Song" and I have seen a video of their ceremony where this was played. Maybe it does vary, perhaps from region to region or school to school?

[snaykz]

I've done some more research of my own and concluded that Land of Hope and Glory is indeed the music played at American Graduation ceremonies as standard. It is ultimately at the individual institution's discretion what music to play, but LOHAG is played in the majority of cases. http://www.brownielocks.com/graduation.html

[snaykz]

Apologies to Quizmonster, I didn't mean my second reply to sound so terse. My information is correct though.

[Quizmonster]

Don't worry about it, Snaykz...a bit of terseness never hurt anyone. The point I'd still make is that my information is correct, too. Perhaps next time you find yourself fervently belting out "Land of hope and glory", you'll pause to reflect on the indisputable fact that the 'land' referred to includes Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland every inch as much as it does England. (The reason for my seeming earlier 'confusion' was the fact that I had never - in 6� decades - so much as heard of anything called "the English National Anthem"!)

[sydmayne]

After reading the conversation between Snaykz and Quizmonster (who is of course correct) I can now understand why Disneyworld in Los Angeles plays LPHAG during their grand march