Would YOU stand for the National Anthem?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

There does seem to be an awful sameness about these anthems. I mean, do you think the composers of Cameroun's national anthem might just perchance have heard of the Marseillaise? -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q31_tnXsw8s

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Came...ur_Forefathers

And, having heard it, the similarity between the Marseillaise and Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean (familiar to listeners of just about everything written by Charles Ives) becomes striking, too.

[Richard Tarleton]

In the news today

[EdgeleyRob]

There does seem to be an awful sameness about these anthems.

Yes vinteuil,I know what you mean.
I remember when I went to an England v Liechtenstein World Cup qualifier at Old Trafford a few years ago.
Even the England fans joined in with the Liechtenstein national anthem,but sang the wrong words

[subcontrabass]

There does seem to be an awful sameness about these anthems.

The ones for Greece and Cyprus are the same (by decision of the government of Cyprus in 1966).

[MrGongGong]

There does seem to be an awful sameness about these anthems.

That's because they are mostly for military bands to play
I quite like this one though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGHhSlPJRCI

[jean]

I love the Italian one! You could slip it into a Bellini opera and you'd never notice the difference!

Italian National Anthem:

[jean]

Bellini opera:

[Petrushka]

... how many H v K fans will admit to having the following in their collection:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anthems-Alb...rt+von+karajan

Yes, I will readily admit go having that CD. It's in the Karajan 1970s box though it's one of the discs in the box I've not yet got round to playing.

[Serial_Apologist]

Since Vasily's arrival, they've resumed the practice - but only for the first concert of the season, I think. He must like it.

The Liverpool Welsh Choral Union sing the English and Welsh National Anthems, though I'm not sure they do it at every concert, and I'm even less sure they always did.

I think I've mentioned here before that my first act of teenage rebellion was to remain sitting when my parents leapt to their feet every time GSTQ was played on the radio. My thought about it changed a bit after I lived in Poland and saw how much their Anthem meant to the Poles, and how churlish the odd seated tourist looked at concerts (especially as they were probably German). After that, I couldn't see much reason for distinguishing between one National Anthem and another, and I just do what everyone round me is doing.

.

I would argue there's a difference between a nation proclaiming or reaffirming its national identity when that national identity has long been supressed or repressed by foreign occupation (e.g. Poland) and a nation proclaiming its past domination of a large part of the globe.

[pastoralguy]

Yes, I will readily admit go having that CD. It's in the Karajan 1970s box though it's one of the discs in the box I've not yet got round to playing.

I've listened to it a few times and it strikes me that Karajan and Die Berliner Philharmoniker manage to make silk purses out of a sow's ear.

[Serial_Apologist]

So - if a future right-wing government (and, let's face it, there won't be any other kind) decided to reintroduce this custom, would you be prepared (or even happy?) to observe by standing to attention and even singing along?

But that could never possibly happen in the UK now, could it???

[David-G]

If most of the audience stand, I join them. If they don't, I don't either. Same for the Hallelujah Chorus.

Earlier this season I was at Glyndebourne for "Die Meistersinger". The opening chords somehow didn't seem correct - and then I realised that the orchestra was playing the National Anthem. (In honour of the Queen's birthday.) The audience joined in - and I don't think I have ever heard an audience sing the N.A. so musically.

[Alain Maréchal]

If most of the audience stand, I join them. If they don't, I don't either. Same for the Hallelujah Chorus.
.

Off-topic, but I'm curious. I have not attended a performance of "Messiah" anywhere for over 40 years (and only once before that). Do audiences still stand for the Hallelujah Chorus?

[ahinton]

But that could never possibly happen in the UK now, could it???

Well, to some, I guess that any UK government would be a "right-wing" one, but let's not get into that when the topic is whether one would stand when the National Anthem is being played (and, as an aside, whether or not one would also sing along with it).

One problem that some would obviously have with the UK one is that it's principally not about the UK or any national constituent thereof but its monarch; not all national anthems are along the same or similar lines, so I daresay that, were the Dryden/Purcell Fairest Isle or some more recent equivalent to supplant the current UK national anthem, rather more people might be prepared to stand for it (or indeed even sing it) than would be the case with the present one. Just think about its first verse (not that any of the others are ever sung, as far as I am aware):

God save our gracious Queen!
Long live our noble Queen!
God save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the Queen.

God (in whom not all UK citizens believe) gets three mentions and the Queen tops that with four, yet there's not a single mention of UK, Britain, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or England so, should the monarchy dissolve at some point, an entirely new National Anthem would have to take the place of the present one.

If featured as a topic on Just a Minute, buzzers would surely drown out the words and music in the light of the sheer amount of repetition.

Given that it's supposed to serve the same purpose whether UK has a female or male monarch (substituting "Queen" with "King" but without changing anything else), the words imply that graciousness and nobility of character are part of the job description; might that seem a somewhat risky assumption in certain cases?

The fait accompli that is the record length of the present one's reign rather renders the penultimate line redundant.

Where (and, for that matter, why?) is the Queen supposed to be "sent"? And must the sending be done by Royal Mail? (whose performance in my area is so poor that one would hope not).

As to the "melody", well - it ain't Purcell, is it? Or Elgar? Or...? Maybe when it finally gets changed, David Matthews should be called upon to write it (would he then be turned into Sir David Matthews, for services to, er, um...?...)...

[ahinton]

Off-topic, but I'm curious. I have not attended a performance of "Messiah" anywhere for over 40 years (and only once before that). Do audiences still stand for the Hallelujah Chorus?

I don't know, but I can't stand the Hallelujah Chorus, let alone stand for it...