National anthem

[claymore]

Which country has the best national anthem {don`t get all patriotic and say God save the Queen} and why do they call it anthem why not just song?

[beejay1124]

anthems are songs of devotion and loyality . all anthems would be songs but all songs wouldn't be anthems

i think

[Kathyan]

I think Canada has the nicest anthem. It's about the country not a specific person..

[ludwig]

I'm thinking just about the tunes here - but I like France, Germany, Russia and South Africa.
God save the queen is awful. I always feel embarrassed when the dreary dirge blares out at the start of football matches etc.
thankfully I won't have to suffer it throughout the Euro 2008 finals. (I thought I'd get that in before someone else said it).

[Pippa68]

I love 'Star Spangled Banner'.

It is uplifting and moving..just as an anthem should be.

[ELVIS68]

Flower of Scotland is quite good, shame it`s wasted on that lot

[Gromit]

The European Anthem, Ode to Joy (based on the final movement to Beethoven's 9th symphony) is brilliant.

http://europa.eu/abc/symbols/anthem/index_en.h tm

The UK national Anthem is a terrible dirge.

[Lucy Thomas]

Gromit, the question was 'which country has the best anthem'.

The EU is not a country despite what you may think.

[Pippa68]

The UK isn't either, which is why we all need our own little ditty.

[Gromit]

Lucy Thomas

I find it a bit rich being told by you that I haven't answered the question, when your only contribution is to point out grammatical errors in others' contributions.

Needless to say, you did not have the courtesy to offer an answer to the question on this occassion.

[Kromovaracun]

When sung properly with full orchestral accompaniment, it's impossible to beat La Marseillaise.

Second up is definitely the German national anthem (the name escapes me unfortunately)

Jerusalem also has some wonderfully powerful images.

God Save the Queen wouldn't be so bad if everybody didn't feel some kind of compulsion to sing it as slowly as possible. It's still not a great anthem though.

[Pippa68]

Jerusalem isn't a national anthem..I do wish it was the English one!

[jno]

God Save the Queen is a waltz; it should sound quite lively if they played it a bit quicker. The Americans use the same tune for a better song, My Country 'tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing. But why a country's national anthem should just be a demand that the deity protect the monarch, rather than, say, the whole country itself, is beyond me. It sounds more like Buckingham Palace's private Number 1 than like a national anthem at all. Indeed, as Gromit has been pointing out, part of it is actually about crushing Scots.

[ludwig]

Yes jno, another good reason why it's rubbish. It's a hymn in praise of the monarch, and nothing to do with the country.
I believe it's possible to be patriotic without being a royalist, and if you were such a person you wouldn't want to sing that nonsense.

[sally1001]

what would be the likelyhood of them ever changing our national anthem? most people feel its not right and doesn't inspire pride in our country.

Jerusalem would be nice but might have too many religious connotations.

what about Shine by Take That?

[sp1814]

sally1001

Jerusalem is absolutely corking. It's a million times better than God Save The Queen, which is frankly, a bit of a dirge.

The imagery of Jerusalem is beautiful and the tune itself is just nicer than God Save The Queen.

Also, Zadok The Priest is pretty corking. It was used at Elizabeth II's coronation. I've always liked that.

...and then there's 'Ray Of Light' by Madonna.

...anyone...?

No...?

[SeaJayPea]

Land Of My Fathers - best in the world. It always makes what's left of my hair stand up when the rugby crowds sing it.

Just in case you don't know, it's the Welsh one. And I'm English

[mushroom25]

SP, your suggestion may hold some merit - the writers of the original "version" (sepheryn) were English.

[jno]

as someone has pointed out, the correct responses to the questions in 'Jerusalem' are No, No, No, No and Get them yourself

And did those feet in ancient time
walk upon England�s mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
on England�s pleasant pastures seen?
And did the countenance divine
shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
among these dark Satanic Mills?

Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!

[Paul22118]

Land of My Fathers, the National Anthem of Wales.
As a Welshman living outside Wales when a male voice choir sings this I just well up.
I don't think 'the best' is a cover all. It is what it means to the individual. As mentioned earlier here The millenium stadium at full volume - cannot be equalled.

[sp1814]

mushroom25

Flipping 'eck.

I bow to you sir.

There are very few people who know about Curtiss Maldoon:

http://www.purplerecords.net/sepheryn/sepheryn .htm

I'm slightly in awe of you.