NEW ZEALAND'S NATIONAL ANTHEM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23685, 17 December 1938, Page 25

NEW ZEALAND'S NATIONAL ANTHEM

ITS AUTHOR AND MUSICAL COMPOSER By Bernard Magee At a meeting of the Centennial Committee in Wellington on December 8 it was decided to recommned the Government to adopt Bracken's "God Defend New Zealand" as the Dominion's national song. New Zealand is more fortunate concerning its anthem than many other countries. South Africa is perturbed over its anthem, and much political turmoil has been engendered by it. Australia for many years has promoted competitions which have failed to produce a national anthem measuring up to the standard which critics consider symbolical of its sentiment and aspira tions. Political parties wrangle, musical authorities are hard to please, and composers fail to rise to the heights demanded by Australia's position, present and potential, in the ranks of nations.

Our National Anthem, seems to please the diverse tastes of New Zealanders, if one may judge by the lack of criticism. Yet for half a century the dust of oblivion lay deep on it. Its history is worth pondering. Thomas Bracken was a native of Dublin, and early in his youth left for Australia, attracted thereto by the gold fever. Like many of his countrymen he exuded poetrv. and several volumes stand to his credit. Perhaps the chief claim he has to fame is his poem "Not Understood." It has circled the globe and has become the favourite with many people in far-flung countries of the earth. It hrs been discovered that several people have appropriated it as their own. I myself have seen it with names attached to it that had not the slightest claim to its authorship. On one ocasion such a well-known and authoritative journal as John o' London's Weekly had the poem "Not Understood" included .in a list it published as being by unknown authors. BRACKEN'S VERSATILITY

Thomas Bracken, after a stay in Australia, sailed for New Zealand in the.wake of miners bound for Otago. then in the throes of gold-discovery excitement. Bracken engaged in many callings—miner, hotelkeeper. canvasser member of Parliament, journalist, and poet. Dunedin was his chief centre of activity. The same sublimity of thought and felicity of expression that characterised his world-wide poem " Not Understood " marked Bracken's conception of New Zealand's National Anthem He wrote the anthem in the early 'seventies. In 1875 a long-since-defunct newspaper of Dunedin. the Saturday Advertiser, edited by Thomas Bracken and having the financial backing of Mr John Bathgate, inaugurated a competition for the musical setting of the anthem, the prize being a substantial one. By this inducement it was hoped to attract the best musical talent in the colonies so that Bracken's lofty conception might be mated with equallv apnealing music. The most eminent musicians in the southern hemisphere were sought as adjudicators for the competition and the most outstanding selected These were Zelman Zeplin. and Siede, of Australia- It was required of them that they should act independently in judging the work of the entrants

J. J. WOODS' MUSICAL SETTING Transport at the time was primitive to a degree. Teaching school at Lawrence was a young master named John Joseph Woods, who was born in Tasmania in 1849. When the coach from Dunedin arrived at Lawrence (60 miles distant) one evening in 1875 Mr Woods was down to meet it in order to collect the mail. Thus he became apprised of the competition for the musical setting of Bracken's National Anthem. It was 9 o'clock at night, but the urge on him was so strong to start away there and then on the work that he disregarded the promptings of friends to let it stand over till the. morning. Mr Woods sat down at his piano and worked at the task till it was finished. Realising the need for a setting suitable for singing at public assemblies and by congregations and massed school children, he directed his energies to that end, with what success the award to it of first place in the competition and its popularity over the air have demonstrated. The three judges, without "collaboration, each awarded Mr Woods' composition first place. Thomas Bracken expressed his agreement with that of the judges. As a mark of his 'satisfaction he conveyed to Mr Woods by deed of copyright the music and words of "God Defend New Zealand." Thomas Bracken died in 1898, but J. J. Woods lived till 1934. his death taking place at the 1 age of 85 at Lawrence, where he had spent all his life. Up till the vogue of the radio New Zealand's National Anthem was rarely heard where one might have expected to hear it. Now it is broadcast to such an extent at community singing tha* its stirring appeal for toleration and its breathing intense love of country have caught the imagination of New Zealanders and become highly favoured. Notwithstanding the remissness of New Zealanders in the past for "God Defend New Zealand," the anthem was appreciated far beyond the confines of the country of its origin. Away back in the 'nineties, by command of Queen. Victoria, a cony of it was lodged at Buckingham Palace, rnd it was frequently played by the naval band.* in England. An incident may here be related showing that "God Defend New Zealand" had honour a long way from the country of its birth. In 1907 a Dunedin business man was in Rome One day he found himself at a celebration attended by an enormous crowd of people. During proceedings the bands played the national anthems of various countries, nationals of the countries so honoured rising to thei: feet and standing during the playing Judge of the astonishment of the touring New Zealander when he heard a band strike up New Zealand's National Anthem. He jumped to his feet—a lonely figure in that great assembly of foreigners. The conductor noticed the solitary gentleman standing erect, and when the anthem was over he sent for the New Zeadander. Through an interpreter he made inquiries concerning the anthem, its author, and its musical composer. The Dunedin man replied to the best of his ability After the conversation he wrote to his brother in New Zealand requesting him to forward the best score of the anthem to the Italian conductor which was done.

At the great Boy Scout jamboree in Englaife in 1929. where New Zealand was renresented by a contingen* of Scouts. Chief Scout Baden-Powell was greatly interested in the singing in Maori of New Zealand's National Anthem by the group of Dominion Scouts. The Maori musical setting the work of Mr R. A. Home, of Christchurch, piqued the curiosity of some musical authorities in Surrey, who wrote to the London office of Charles Begg and Co making incruiries regarding the authors of both musical settings. •