THE NATIONAL ANTHEM

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 56, 8 March 1919, Page 11

THE NATIONAL ANTHEM

ITS ENGLISH CHARACTER.

"Writing to The Times .Literary Supplement to controvert an opinion expressed by a Mr. Percy B. Lammin on the origin of the British National Anthem, a correspondent proceeds:— ,::.;.-

"There is good reason for thinking that this country was the first to have what is now calledi a 'national air'—that is to say, a tune used on ceremonial occasions to do homage to the Sovereign and to mark the nationality of the people using it. Tho international vise of a particular air or tune became frequent in our case because of the frequency with which our men-of-war carrying bands of music visited foreign countries and met the ships of foreign navies. There: was never any doubt what air should be played as a compliment to a British Sovereign or to the British flag, wliilstr-until very recently—there was both doubt and difference of practice as regards the tune to be played in compliment to a' foreign flag or personage. For instance, a British man-of-war meeting an American did not know whether'to play 'Hail, Columbia*' or the 'Star-Spangled Banner.' Similarly, in the Crimean War it was,not known what tune should be played when a French'man-of-war was met; and it was not until some months after the ships of the two countries had been meeting each other frequently that the Emperor Napoleon lit. made known his preference for 'Partant pour la Syrie.'

"The first Continental Sovereign to adopt and adhere to a particular ceremonial hymn or air was the King of Denmark, who chose our 'God Save the King.' He was followed some years later by the Kings of Prussia and of Saxony, who also chose 'God Save the King,' with—in the Prussian case—a march embodied in it. Some years ago I was assured by a German officer of high rank that 'God Save the King' was generally believedi in Germany to be a tune composed for one of the British Georges by a German composer, and that it 'was in no sense national, but merely a- tune in- honour pf kings as kings. ':> Of. course, this view was refuted by the practice of several generations. There does not appear to be any evidence of value in opposition to that which may be cited to •establish the antiquity and thoroughly English character of 'God Save, tho King.' "