Classical Considerations: The Sound of a Nation
France: La Marseillaise
In April 1792, a young French officer named Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle was dining with Strasbourg’s mayor when challenged to compose a rousing war anthem. Rouget, slightly intoxicated and deeply patriotic, rushed home, feverishly playing his violin until dawn. By morning, he had crafted “La Marseillaise,” borrowing revolutionary slogans for lyrics and pairing them with a bold, march-like melody rumored by skeptics to have been cribbed from a popular tune. Within days, Rouget’s anthem spread through France, reaching volunteers from Marseille marching to Paris. Their enthusiastic singing gave the anthem its name and propelled it into legend.
Initially embraced by General Napoleon Bonaparte during his revolutionary campaigns, “La Marseillaise” was officially adopted as France’s anthem in 1795. However, when Napoleon became Emperor, his attitude shifted drastically. Rouget, fallen from favor and desperate, unwisely bombarded Napoleon with critical letters calling his empire “fake enthusiasm.” “La Marseillaise” endured censorship under subsequent monarchies, but its revolutionary spirit survived, inspiring global movements from Europe to China.
Nepal: Sayaun Thunga Phoolka
Nepal’s national anthem, “Sayaun Thunga Phoolka” (“Made of Hundreds of Flowers”), joyfully defies traditional conventions. Composed on a Casio keyboard, its sweet simplicity contrasts sharply with typically martial anthems. The anthem emerged from Nepal’s turbulent transition from monarchy to republic after a decade-long civil war. Pradip Kumar Rai, an obscure social worker, wrote the poem celebrating Nepal’s diversity that would come to serve as the anthem’s libretto.
Tasked with composing music for the new piece, revered musician Amber Gurung grappled with creating a melody simple enough for universal singing yet distinctively Nepali. Struggling for months, he produced thirteen attempts, finally offering three options: a traditional march, an intricate raga, and a humble folk tune. Courageously, Nepal chose the folk melody, embracing a sound uniquely its own.
United States: The Star-Spangled Banner
“The Star-Spangled Banner,” America’s famously challenging anthem, originated from a vivid moment during the War of 1812. In September 1814, lawyer-poet Francis Scott Key watched anxiously as British forces bombarded Baltimore’s Fort McHenry. At dawn, spotting the American flag still waving defiantly, Key penned verses capturing the dramatic victory. Key fit his words to a popular British drinking melody, “To Anacreon in Heaven,” known for testing singers’ vocal ranges. This ironic marriage of patriotic American lyrics with a melody from London’s gentlemen’s clubs perfectly conveyed the newly formed country’s defiance and unity.
Due to its notoriously wide vocal range, “The Star-Spangled Banner” routinely challenges even skilled singers. Its octave-and-a-half span and old-fashioned language contribute to countless memorable public performances, both brilliant and catastrophic. Officially adopted by Congress in 1931, its difficulty prompted lawmakers to require proof it was singable, a feat famously demonstrated by the Navy Band’s professional tenor. Singers have frequently adapted the anthem creatively with Marvin Gaye’s soulful interpretation, Jimi Hendrix’s electrified version at Woodstock, and Whitney Houston’s powerful rendition at the 1991 Super Bowl becoming particularly iconic.
Liechtenstein: Oben am jungen Rhein
Liechtenstein’s anthem, “Oben am jungen Rhein” (“High on the Young Rhine”), shares its melody with Britain’s “God Save the King.” This quirk dates back to Jakob Jauch, a Swiss priest exiled to Liechtenstein in the 1850s. Jauch penned heartfelt verses celebrating Liechtenstein’s landscape and set them to a familiar melody from his time in London. Initially just another patriotic song, it gradually became Liechtenstein’s de facto anthem by the late 19th century, despite not being designated as such until decades later.
The anthem’s borrowed melody became particularly significant during the rise of Nazism. Singing the British melody ironically became an act of defiance against Nazi aggression, reinforcing national unity. Today, Liechtensteiners humorously acknowledge their anthem’s peculiarity, jokingly referencing incidents at international events when organizers mistakenly played Britain’s anthem for Liechtenstein athletes. While occasional suggestions to adopt an original melody surface, the nation cherishes its borrowed tune as a symbol of quirky survival and proud independence.
South Africa: Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika + Die Stem
South Africa’s anthem combines two songs previously emblematic of racial division: “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika,” the anthem of anti-apartheid resistance, and “Die Stem van Suid-Afrika,” the apartheid government’s official anthem. “Nkosi,” composed by Enoch Sontonga in 1897, became the African National Congress’s rallying hymn, symbolizing hope amidst oppression. Conversely, “Die Stem,” penned in Afrikaans in 1918, celebrated Afrikaner nationalism and dominanation, polarizing society.
Post-apartheid reconciliation efforts led Nelson Mandela to commission a unified anthem blending both songs. Music professor Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph skillfully combined these distinct melodies, smoothly transitioning from “Nkosi’s” gentle hymn to “Die Stem’s” bold march. The resulting anthem endures as a powerful reconciliation symbol.
National anthems provide fascinating insights into the hearts of nations, revealing their histories, struggles, and aspirations. These five examples show how songs can capture and sustain the spirit of entire countries, echoing their collective stories for generations.
-Matthew Young
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