What is the best national anthem?

[306024]

March, march Dabrowski (Poland) is very good, I know the tune. And the European anthem of course.

Those two and Russia get my vote. Nul Points for God Save the Queen, although

I Vow to Thee my Country would be a far better alternative as a British national anthem

is indeed a much better alternative.

 

[Senex]

I always liked the GDR national anthem, not that it exists anymore. There's only the bit about the 'Volkesfeind' that means it's inappropriate today in the lyrics and it's very much an anthem for a post war Germany. Yes the regime it represented may not have been all that, but it's still a good song set to beautiful music.

The problem with Becher's poem was the line "Deutschland, einig Vaterland"! There's quite a nice rendering at

.

March, march Dabrowski (Poland) is very good, I know the tune. And the European anthem of course.

"Freude, schöner Götterfunken, Tochter aus Elysium" is utterly magnificient, but I've never felt too happy about taking that superb theme out of its symphonic setting and cheapening it to be an anthem (even a European one!).

 

[oldman]

I like the contrast between neighbouring Czechia and Poland, in anthem and perhaps national spirit:

Poland: History - constant rebellions agains various foreign rulers. Anthem - we will take back what we have lost with the sword.

Czechia: History - putting up with various foreign rulers. Anthem - our countryside is beautiful.

(To be fair, for a long time the Czechs were mainly ruled by Austria, who were not into cultural genocide, rather than Russia and Germany)

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

If you like a stirring national anthem, with a touch of the operatic, the National Anthem of Brazil (Hino Nacional Brasileiro) is hard to beat.

For the same reason, the European National Anthem I like best is that of Spain (Marcha Real)

’God Save the Queen’… the words are terrible, but has the great advantage of being brief. If played at a fast pace it’s a good tune.

‘

No one seems to really know who wrote the lyrics of the "local English anthem" or that it runs to six verses. The sixth verse refers to Field Marshal George Wade's army as it was assembling at Newcastle in 1745 to defend against the Scottish Uprising led by Bonnie Prince Charlie....
"Lord grant that Marshal Wade
May by the mighty aid
Victory bring.
May he sedition hush,
And like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush.
God save the King/Queen."

 

[thenorthern]

I was once told that most classical music experts say the Russian Anthem is the best one as it's got both the history and it's the kind of song that makes people feel proud. I was also told the country that gave us Tchaikovsky was always going to be good at writing music.

 

[colchesterken]

There are some new words to Land of Hope and glory
God Save the Queen seems a bit outdated now
PS I support the royal family As Prince Phillip said best plaque unveiler

 

[PR1Berske]

The Welsh anthem is perhaps the most stirring of all the Home Nations

 

[61653 HTAFC]

My main objection to GSTQ (besides being a rather dull dirge, and asking a being I don't believe in to protect an institution I'm indifferent about) is that it shouldn't be used for events involving any England team, as it's the UK anthem not the English one. Then again, if we had a consultation to find a new English anthem we'd probably end up with bl**dy Wonderwall winning the online poll!

Anyway, the best anthem in terms of rousing the spirits before a sporting event is Russia... just a shame their football team is pretty rubbish so we only get to hear it three times!

 

[PR1Berske]

My main objection to GSTQ (besides being a rather dull dirge, and asking a being I don't believe in to protect an institution I'm indifferent about) is that it shouldn't be used for events involving any England team, as it's the UK anthem not the English one. Then again, if we had a consultation to find a new English anthem we'd probably end up with bl**dy Wonderwall winning the online poll!

Anyway, the best anthem in terms of rousing the spirits before a sporting event is Russia... just a shame their football team is pretty rubbish so we only get to hear it three times!

There's a big discussion to be had about how GStQ can be decoupled from England sports teams. It won't be easy, not in the current climate, though it's a conversation we should have.

"Jerusalem" would do as a distinctly English anthem.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

There's a big discussion to be had about how GStQ can be decoupled from England sports teams. It won't be easy, not in the current climate, though it's a conversation we should have.

"Jerusalem" would do as a distinctly English anthem.

Alternatively, we could have a new UK anthem (hopefully one with a bit more spirit, and without the awkward anti-Scots verse that GStQ has) and let England carry on with it. Seeing our footballers' slack-jawed lip-synching along to it has become a tradition every two years!

 

[DarloRich]

I think the Queen (Band) version of God Save the Queen is cool, especially when Brian May was on the roof of Buckingham Palace

I think the point of the sex pistols song may have passed you by.......

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

There's a big discussion to be had about how GStQ can be decoupled from England sports teams. It won't be easy, not in the current climate, though it's a conversation we should have.

"Jerusalem" would do as a distinctly English anthem.

I wonder how many people in Israel would like "Ilkley" (as in Ilkley moor b'aht hat) as their national anthem.

 

[Whistler40145]

I wonder how many people in Israel would like "Ilkley" (as in Ilkley moor b'aht hat) as their national anthem.

The legendary comedian Billy Connolly suggested the theme tune from The Archers as an alternative to God Save the Queen

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Was the "Monty Python's Flying Circus" main theme tune ('The Liberty Bell'?) ever any country's national anthem?

 

[Gloster]

Was the "Monty Python's Flying Circus" main theme tune ('The Liberty Bell'?) ever any country's national anthem?

It appears not, but it has been played at a number of recent US presidential inaugurations. Supposedly, Bill Clinton chose it as a remembrance of his time at Oxford. Perhaps we could adopt it as out national anthem, as everthing here seems to be getting more and more surreal and ridiculous. And it might remind foreigners of our off-the-wall humour: ‘DVDs and downloads are available from the Ambassador’.

 

[StKeverne1497]

I think the Russian national anthem is a good tune and so is the Welsh "national anthem". The Scottish "national anthem" is a dull tune.

Little known fact, but the words of Hen Wlad fy Nhadau can be sung to the Russian tune, so presumably (I have no idea) the Russian words would fit the Welsh tune...

Oh, and the Cornish and Bretons have nicked the tune and the spirit of the words for their own anthems.

Personal preference is for HWfNh of course, living not too far away from Pontypridd where the father and son who wrote it lived. I even have a relative named after them!

The Italian one is rather jaunty, but doesn't half go on, and on, and on...

 

[the sniper]

Unquestionably for me the Russian anthem in the best, though the late Soviet lyrics were better.

 

[daodao]

I wonder how many people in Israel would like "Ilkley" (as in Ilkley moor b'aht hat) as their national anthem.

The indigenous population there would probably prefer anything compared to Hatikvah, with its blatant Zionist lyrics.

 

[oldman]

Unquestionably for me the Russian anthem in the best, though the late Soviet lyrics were better.

The Soviet version begins: 'Unbreakable union of free republics, Great Rus' has united forever to stand!' In other words, the peoples the Russians colonised are going to stay colonised, whether they like it or not. It's an imperial anthem rather than a national anthem.

The Russian version has a nice line about an eternal union of fraternal peoples, which could surely be adopted for Britain. I'm sure no nats would object to that.

 

[Iskra]

Always enjoyed the Russian/Soviet anthem.

Don’t like the words to God Save the Queen but the music is good. I don’t think a National Anthem should be about one person, but the whole country.

 

[Geezertronic]

The Russian National Anthem always reminds me of Rocky IV (USSR as was) And the Italian National Anthem has quite a jovial tune when it gets past the apparent stern start

 

[43096]

My main objection to GSTQ (besides being a rather dull dirge, and asking a being I don't believe in to protect an institution I'm indifferent about) is that it shouldn't be used for events involving any England team, as it's the UK anthem not the English one. Then again, if we had a consultation to find a new English anthem we'd probably end up with bl**dy Wonderwall winning the online poll!

Agreed - England definitely needs its own anthem; something rather more impressive than the dirge of GSTQ. It needs to be something that most people know, though. Jerusalem would be a contender.

Anyway, the best anthem in terms of rousing the spirits before a sporting event is Russia... just a shame their football team is pretty rubbish so we only get to hear it three times!

I rather like the French and Italian anthems.

 

[Spamcan81]

The beauty of God Save The Queen is that it's very easy to sing. The US national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner, is notoriously difficult to get right so it's not really a proper rousing tune for the masses like God Save The Queen is!

This is the version of the Star Spangled Banner that should be played at official events.

 

[Busaholic]

You can't beat the Marseillaise !

Indeed, and why would you want to?

God Save the Queen is dire.

I Vow to Thee my Country would be a far better alternative as a British national anthem

Yes, understated rather than bombastic. Brought tears to my eyes when Ted Heath included it in his Desert Island Discs selection back in 1988 as I waited for my wife to return from taking our beloved dog to the vet for the last time. 'My country' can be anything you want it to be.