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A tale of two anthems
Published: Friday | June 25, 2010 1 Comment and 0 Reactions
Neita
Lance Neita, Contributor The Italians appear to do a better job of singing their national anthem than playing football. With a rich national background of operas and tenor performances, they are the only World Cup team that seems to know the words of their anthem, and they sing it lustily in a well-rehearsed manner. Other teams appear to struggle through the words and breathe a sigh of relief when it's all over.
The enthusiasm of team sup-porters in the stands is another matter. They sing, they pray, they weep, and the poignancy of the moment brings out extreme emotions of patriotism and national pride.
Jamaica has been there. Flashback to 1998 when the Reggae Boyz went to France. The squad rivalled the Italians when we threw back our heads and sang along with them as they asked for "justice, truth, be ours forever".
The spirit was also captured in that moment of pride and joy when the national anthem was played in the National Stadium at one minute after midnight, August 6, 1962.
We had given ourselves a short time, just some three weeks, to familiarise ourselves with the words of the new anthem that replaced the British 'God Save the Queen'.
And, as always, the making of an anthem was accompanied by all the drama, controversy, and near miss that Jamaica can contrive at the drop of a hat over anything national.
The great debate
Just about every member of the House had something to say when Donald Sangster, as leader of the House, introduced the first resolution on June 21 to approve an anthem. Sangster urged the members to accept what came out of the national competition as the most popular entry, because time was running out for Jamaica to select and popularise its anthem before August 6.
But the House was not satisfied, and the great debate took up the entire afternoon. Keble Munn complained that it didn't even sound like a sankey, while Herbie Eldemire said he preferred Bob Lightbourne's version to "that thing" that was played earlier.
Busta suggested that Vernon Arnett should sing it, because "he has a nice tenor, and the public would go crazy over it". Arnett, suspicious of Busta's motives, declined.
With members tiring, B.B. Coke suggested using one of Tom Redcam's (Jamaica's poet laureate) songs, God Shield Our Island Home.
It was at that point that Busta invited all the members "to come to my house, PNP and JLP. I have a lovely piano and my veranda will hold everybody".
So the House adjourned at 8:30 p.m. and it was off to Tucker Avenue where Busta's famous hospitality and liberal drinks cabinet 'informalised' the issue and at the end of the night no one was quite sure what had been selected.
What transpired next was a true accident of history. An informal House meeting on June 27 selected an anthem written by bandmaster Edward 'Ted' Wade of the West Indies Regiment. The informal meeting closed with all members standing and singing the new anthem with enthusiasm.
It was headlined in The Gleaner as 'The New National Anthem', two verses, the first reading: "Jamaicans proud we stand today, our homeland fair and free. Against the foe we will defend our liberty. Our island home, through years to come, our faith in thee is sure. Jamaicans free, we're proud to be, today and evermore."
That one didn't last long. Popular sentiment was against the idea that an Englishman, Wade, had written our anthem. Norman Manley also complained that the procedure which took the matter out of the hands of the House in formal sessions, and into informal meetings, was irregular and unfortunate.
Under pressure, the House again met on July 19, reversed its decision, and this time formally accepted today's official anthem, with the words written by the Rev Hugh Sherlock and from music composed by Robert Lightbourne, as put together and arranged by Mapletoft Poulle, solicitor and musician, and Mrs Poulle.
A crash publicity programme was immediately put into effect, the anthem aired frequently on radio, the public informed when and where it should be played, and musical scores distributed all over the country.
And that is the story of how 'Jamaica Land We Love' came into being.
Comments may be sent to columns@gleanerjm.com or lanceneita@hotmail.com
Published: Friday | June 25, 2010 1 Comment and 0 Reactions
Neita
Lance Neita, Contributor The Italians appear to do a better job of singing their national anthem than playing football. With a rich national background of operas and tenor performances, they are the only World Cup team that seems to know the words of their anthem, and they sing it lustily in a well-rehearsed manner. Other teams appear to struggle through the words and breathe a sigh of relief when it's all over.
The enthusiasm of team sup-porters in the stands is another matter. They sing, they pray, they weep, and the poignancy of the moment brings out extreme emotions of patriotism and national pride.
Jamaica has been there. Flashback to 1998 when the Reggae Boyz went to France. The squad rivalled the Italians when we threw back our heads and sang along with them as they asked for "justice, truth, be ours forever".
The spirit was also captured in that moment of pride and joy when the national anthem was played in the National Stadium at one minute after midnight, August 6, 1962.
We had given ourselves a short time, just some three weeks, to familiarise ourselves with the words of the new anthem that replaced the British 'God Save the Queen'.
And, as always, the making of an anthem was accompanied by all the drama, controversy, and near miss that Jamaica can contrive at the drop of a hat over anything national.
The great debate
Just about every member of the House had something to say when Donald Sangster, as leader of the House, introduced the first resolution on June 21 to approve an anthem. Sangster urged the members to accept what came out of the national competition as the most popular entry, because time was running out for Jamaica to select and popularise its anthem before August 6.
But the House was not satisfied, and the great debate took up the entire afternoon. Keble Munn complained that it didn't even sound like a sankey, while Herbie Eldemire said he preferred Bob Lightbourne's version to "that thing" that was played earlier.
Busta suggested that Vernon Arnett should sing it, because "he has a nice tenor, and the public would go crazy over it". Arnett, suspicious of Busta's motives, declined.
With members tiring, B.B. Coke suggested using one of Tom Redcam's (Jamaica's poet laureate) songs, God Shield Our Island Home.
It was at that point that Busta invited all the members "to come to my house, PNP and JLP. I have a lovely piano and my veranda will hold everybody".
So the House adjourned at 8:30 p.m. and it was off to Tucker Avenue where Busta's famous hospitality and liberal drinks cabinet 'informalised' the issue and at the end of the night no one was quite sure what had been selected.
What transpired next was a true accident of history. An informal House meeting on June 27 selected an anthem written by bandmaster Edward 'Ted' Wade of the West Indies Regiment. The informal meeting closed with all members standing and singing the new anthem with enthusiasm.
It was headlined in The Gleaner as 'The New National Anthem', two verses, the first reading: "Jamaicans proud we stand today, our homeland fair and free. Against the foe we will defend our liberty. Our island home, through years to come, our faith in thee is sure. Jamaicans free, we're proud to be, today and evermore."
That one didn't last long. Popular sentiment was against the idea that an Englishman, Wade, had written our anthem. Norman Manley also complained that the procedure which took the matter out of the hands of the House in formal sessions, and into informal meetings, was irregular and unfortunate.
Under pressure, the House again met on July 19, reversed its decision, and this time formally accepted today's official anthem, with the words written by the Rev Hugh Sherlock and from music composed by Robert Lightbourne, as put together and arranged by Mapletoft Poulle, solicitor and musician, and Mrs Poulle.
A crash publicity programme was immediately put into effect, the anthem aired frequently on radio, the public informed when and where it should be played, and musical scores distributed all over the country.
And that is the story of how 'Jamaica Land We Love' came into being.
Comments may be sent to columns@gleanerjm.com or lanceneita@hotmail.com