Which country has the best national anthem?

Rgirl · Aug 26, 2004

I'm so glad somebody started a thread about national anthems. Since the Olympics, I've been listening to them carefully, trying to forget any bias, and decide which ones I like best just as music.

Have only heard the "big guns" so far, but here's my list of favorites of the ones I've heard--no particular order:
France
Greece
USA
Great Britain
Russia
Kenya
Canada

Liked "Waltzing Matilda" better than what the Aussies have now.

I'd love to hear more of the African, Asian, Southeast Asian, Eastern, and Northern European anthems.

Off topic, but best thing about the '04 Olympics IMO: How stunningly beautiful Shannon Miller has become :love:

. She was always very pretty, but seemed sort of tense (can't imagine why) and girlish. I think she's about 25 now and all I can say is whadda woman! Good for her. I think we should give Shannon Miller her own Personal Anthem for being so cool.
Rgirl

euterpe · Aug 26, 2004

Shannon Miller has had a nose job and she does look beautiful.

I've always liked "La Marseillais", and of course I like the "Star Spangled Banner". I don't think the SSB is that hard to sing, as long as the singer has a range of more than one octave. I used to take singing lessons, and to warm up my voice teacher had me sing arpeggios. The first words of the SSB "oh, say can you see" are sung on arpeggios, so I've always found it relatively easy to sing. Same thing with "Oh What a Beautiful Morning".

phoenixflamezzz · Aug 26, 2004

Vietnam is a non-Western country that has a non-Western sound. Pretty sure there are more, but that's the only one that comes to mind right now.

BronzeisGolden · Aug 26, 2004

I liked Japan's national anthem. The first section is very beautiful.

JOHIO2 · Aug 27, 2004

After that Greek lady runner won, I decided I like the Greek anthem.

After yesterday's crowd antics, I might have to reconsider. (crowds kept race from starting by being loud and taunting the US runners -- who then swept the medals!)

STL_Blues_fan · Aug 27, 2004

the crowd was protesting the "suspicious" absence of their star (who reportedly had issues with passing the drug test). Relax, it is nothing against the Americans. It is not always all about USA, you know?

BTW, what do the actions of a bunch of sports fanatics have to do with weather you like an anthem or not?

My personal favorites are the Scottish (both of them are great, just like both flags are gorgeous), old Soviet (witht eh lyrics and all) and the Israeli.

Yana

Mathman · Aug 27, 2004

Oh say can you see?

Best rendition of the Star Spangled Banner: Mezzosoprano Mia Hamm and the U.S. Ladies Soccer Chorale! :laugh:

merrywidow · Aug 29, 2004

I heard the Moroccan National Anthem tonight & I really liked it. Actually, I like most all of them.

Tenorguy · Aug 31, 2004

Best Anthem

Hey, here's a tidbit. We sing it so often, we overlook the fact that both verses of the Star Spangled Banner are in the form a question. Isn't that weird?

Check it out...... "O, say, can you see......?" The 2nd verse (in my church's hymnal) is also a question.

Anyone know of another anthem that's a question?

Tenorguy

A.H.Black · Aug 31, 2004

Tenorguy said:
Hey, here's a tidbit. We sing it so often, we overlook the fact that both verses of the Star Spangled Banner are in the form a question. Isn't that weird?

Check it out...... "O, say, can you see......?" The 2nd verse (in my church's hymnal) is also a question.

Anyone know of another anthem that's a question?

Tenorguy

Yeah, but the third verse is definitely a statement. A triumphant one at that.

I think the reason the others are questions is because when Scott Key was writing it, it was the middle of the night, a battle was raging, and he was anxious to know whether or not the Americans had lasted the night. So, he was asking - can you see the flag? Is it still there? It was only much later that the words were used as an athem. You probably already knew that.

I don't know of any others that are like that. The Israelly one is very personal, but I don't think it's a question.

iluvtodd · Sep 11, 2004

In my original post, I said that I loved "O, Canada, " and that I really liked the melodies to the Russian National Anthem & Australia's. I also really like "God Save the Queen" & "The Marseillaise." My mom used to sing "The Marseilllaise" to me when I was a baby (that's what she told me - maybe that's one of the reasons I became so interested in studying French in high school & college) . It was her way to get me to drink my bottle :laugh:

! I also am very partial to Israel's National Anthem, "Hatikvah" (the hope), and was thrilled that Israel won its first Olympic gold medal (in windsurfing). My brother sent me a link to the video of the ceremony. Here it is:

http://video.nrg.co.il/lib/2004/sport/fridman_hatikva1.wmv

STL_Blues_fan · Sep 13, 2004

Thanks for the link, Gail! I knew he was garanteed a medal so decided to tape it just in case (it was on Bravo). So I have the ceremony and the end of the final race!

Yana

iluvtodd · Sep 14, 2004

You're welcome, Yana! We were away on vacation during part of the summer Olympics, so we missed a good bit of the coverage. I would have loved to see the race & medal ceremony on tv (truly a historic moment for Israel), so I was really glad to receive that link! :love:

Kotik · Sep 14, 2004

It's really funny for me to read that "La Marseillaise" is often cited as a favorite national anthem because 1) I'm half-French, 2) I hate it :laugh:

because the lyrics are just so aggressive and gory. To me, it's a war chant more than a national anthem. The Brazilian anthem is my all time fave. Beside skating, I'm also a fan of soccer, that's how I first heard it

[but I don't speak portuguese and maybe the lyrics are in the same vein as La Marseillaise !].

Kotik

Azza72 · Sep 17, 2004

Anthems are like my hobby, I love them, espessialy those from European countrys. My favourties are:

God Save the Queen (Great Britain):Its so patriotic to the monarch, i like that in a song

Desteapta-te, Romane (Romania) (Wake up, O Romania):Wonderfully powerful music

Hymne Cherifien (Morocco):Exellent military style tempo to it

Istiklal Marsi (Turkey) (March of Independance):Same as above

Wilhelmus van Nassouwe (The Netherlands) (William of Nassau):Just nice flowing music

La Marseillaise (France):Everyone loves La Marseillaise, its so uplifting

Hatikvah (Isreal) (The Hope): Deeply touching and personal

Hymne Monégasque (Monaco) (Song of the Monagasques): Nice tune

Marcha Real (Spain) (Royal March):Theres a little bit in it i listen to over and over, i love it

Gimn Sovetskogo Soyuza (former USSR) (Hymn of the Soviet Union):Its so dark and heavy, almost gothic in some parts

Kongesangen (Norways' Royal Anthem) (The Kings Song):This is acculy just a Norwegian translation of "God Save The Queen" but with different words it sounds different....but still good

Kong Kristian (Denmarks' Royal Anthem) (King Christian): Wonderfully put together, exellent composition

Those are just a few. I've prob left some out. Anthems i don't particualrly like are:

The Star Spangled Banner(America): Too hard to sing

Advance Australia Fair: Apart from having to sing it every day at school, its just so slow and boring.I refuse to sing Advance Australia Fair at assemblys now
. Bring back God Save the Queen.

Theres a few others too, but i just don't like them and have no reason, n i think if i'm gonna say i don't like somthin i should at least give u guys a reason.

As the Moroccans say
"BISHARA'AAR ALLAH, AL WATAN, AL MELEK!!!"

Cheers for now
Azz

Mathman · Sep 17, 2004

Wow, that was an impressive list, Azz. You must be some kind of linguist if you know the words to all those songs!

Thanks for posting, and welcome to Golden Skate!

Mathman

sk8ing_lady2001 · Sep 19, 2004

I think the Italian anthem rocks. The melody is fantastic.

Kitty · Oct 17, 2004

I havent heard all of them but I have to say The French national anthem (la Marseillaise) is a very powerful one.

It was written during the French Revolution around the year 1789.

Kitty

Kitty · Oct 17, 2004

Some people in Francewould like to change it as they think it's too aggresive !!!

Kitty

SkateFan4Life · Oct 17, 2004

As an American, I love my country's national anthem, although I have to admit that it's a difficult one to sing properly. The words and melody do not lend themselves to good singing. Sure, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir can perform it thrillingly, as they did at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics opening ceremony,
but how many times has this piece of music been mangled by would-be singers
prior to football, baseball, or hockey games? :eek:

I can't stand it when they start with "Whoa-ho say can you seeee?" IMHO, this anthem should be sung as it is written and not "interpreted" by those would-be singers.

On the other hand, "The Star Spangled Banner" was written during the War of 1812, at a time when the British and the US were again at war. The British marched on Washington and burned the White House. Francis Scott Key was in a ship in Baltimore Harbor, watching some of the battle underway, when he penned this piece. Given today's world, and the fact that Great Britain seems to be one of the few, stalward friends the United States has, I really think the time has come to change the national anthem.

"My Country 'Tis of Thee" is sung to the same music as "God Save the Queen", and the words are powerful. "America The Beautiful" paints a somewhat overly optimistic picture of this country, but it's also a lovely piece of music.

I like "O, Canada", "Advance, Australia Fair", "God Save the Queen". The national anthems of Russia, France, and Germany are also nice. Do you remember the national anthem of the former East Germany? It started off softly, then shifted gears into a march-style segment, and finished softly.

Which country has the best national anthem?

Rgirl

euterpe

phoenixflamezzz

BronzeisGolden

JOHIO2

STL_Blues_fan

Mathman

merrywidow

Tenorguy

A.H.Black

iluvtodd

STL_Blues_fan

iluvtodd

Kotik

Azza72

Mathman

sk8ing_lady2001

Kitty

Kitty

SkateFan4Life

Guest

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