SONGS WHICH HAVE SHARPENED SWORD'S.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 6, 1 July 1911, Page 9

SONGS WHICH HAVE SHARPENED SWORD'S.

♦ THE NATIONAL ANTHEMS. It is reported that the Portuguese Government is very anxious to get a satisfactory and wholly new national anthem, from which all reference to royalty shall, of course, fee omitted. But it is proverbially difficult to get either the words or the music of a truly national song written to order. Someone once asked a friend how he should pop the question, and got the answer that if the question did not pop itself there was something wrong with it. That is the case with national songs. If they do not come straight from the heart, from some burning enthusiasm or impulse, there is.generally something wrong with them, and they do not "catch on." That is why the officially recognised anthem is not always the people's anthem. In 'this country "Rule Britannia" is much more popular than "God Save the King," with its silly words about counfounding their politics and frustrating their knavish tricks, whilst the words "happy and glorious" seem better to describe the condition of a man who has been drinking something which cheers and inebriates, rather than that of a wise and temperate king. But yet another national anthem has been much sung of late. It was long proscribed because it was a Jacobian song, and it was thought that the singing of it, instead of showing loyalty, showed disloyalty to the reigning Royal House. But in the reign of Charles 11, "Here's a jiealth unto his Majesty," was exceedingly popular, and seeing that it is better from the musical standpoint than cither "Rule Britannia" or the National Anthem, it is likely to come to its own again.

America is in exactly the same plight. It hag an official national anthem—"My country 'tis of thee"—which is sung to the same tune as "God save our gracious King," but "The Star-spangled Banner" and "Yankee Doodle" are the popular favorites, and are sung in preference to the national anthem, except on official occasions. But these are by no means the only songs which can be truly called national in America. Though Abe Lincoln and Grant won the cause of the North in the Civil War, there is no doubt that "John Brown's Body" and "Marching through Georgia" did as much to help as twenty additional regiments; whilst "Dixie's Land" gained thousands of adherents for the other side. The Marseillaise is the national anthem of Republican France, because it was that song, as much as anything else, which made the Republic possible. Strangely enough, however, this splendid martial song—the finest national anthem in Europe—was not written as a revolutionary song. It was penned by a young captain of Engineers named Rouget de l'lsle, who happened to be quartered at Strasburg when Louis XVI. declared war on Austria in 1792. As Strasburg would probably be the first place to be attacked by the enemy, the Mayor wanted a patriotic song which would rouse the young men to action. Rouget tried his hand, and when he had finished the words he took up his violin and set the tune. He succeeded in both tasks so well 'that the soldiers, after practising it all the day, sung it with enthusiasm all over the town with magical effect, for nine hundred men volunteered. It went through the country like a flame, and the men of Marseilles sung it all the way from their Mediterranean port to the capital and marched into Paris singing it. That was the real beginning of the Revolution. Germany's national anthem is rather a misnomer now, since Alsace and Lorraine have been part of the German Empire.' Prior to 1870 these two provinces were part of France, and the river Rhine formed the boundaries between these two countries. No wonder that the "Watch on the Rhine" became the national song! It had been for generations the most dangerous boundary in Europe. But now the Rhine has long leagues of German territory on either side, and is not nearly so important. Nevertheless, it is still the favorite national song of ; Germans all the world over.

The Russian national anthem is noble in words and music. Its words are very solemn, beginning, "God, tue All-terrible," and its music is stately and melodious. But perhaps the national anthem which has the most distinguished author, as far as the music is concerned, is that of Austria, for it was written by the great Haydn. The tune is wellknown, as it is very often sung as a hymn in the churches of this country.