FRANCE AND THE NATIONAL
ANTHEM
At a soiree at the Elysee recently France's claim that our National Anthem is a French composition was officially presented to the King and Queen. A one-act play on the subject by Mr. Sacha Guitry, with the author in the leading part, was the high light of the entertainment. The French claim that Lully;, Court composer to Louis XIV, wrote the music. They are prepared to admit, however, that he probably based it on an old English air. According to the French story, to which M. Guitry adhered, it was first sung at Saint Cyr, the school sponsored by Louis XIV and Madame de Maintenon for daughters of French soldiers. Ihe King visited the school in 1691, and the girls gave him a loyal greeting by ! singing: J Grand Dieu, sauvez le Koi! [ Grand Dieu, vengez le Roi! [ Vive le Roi! The words were by Madame de Brinon. Louis XIV was impressed. At a Court i soon afterwards he had it repeated, and presented the anthem to the English Ambassador as a gift to the King of England.
A Czech priest has been found, in Prague who, when he was curate at Linz, had Herr Hitler among his schoolboys and taught him the Catechism.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19381012.2.216
Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 89, 12 October 1938, Page 28
Word Count
209FRANCE AND THE NATIONAL Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 89, 12 October 1938, Page 28
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Evening Post. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Log in