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Jeux Olympiques de Londres 2012: 10 pires hymnes nationaux
London 2012 Olympics: 10 worst national anthems
National anthems have been a tradition at the Olympic Games since 1924. While British athletes have been told to brush up on the third verse of God Save the Queen, they have little hope of memorising some of the more obscure national hymns.
God Save the Queen is one of 205 national anthems that will be played at victory ceremonies during the London 2012 Olympics Photo: PA
3:32PM BST 26 Jul 2012
From the traditional to the tuneful, the wordless to the wacky, this year’s 205 anthems will be played at more than 800 victory ceremonies across London.
British composer Philip Sheppard was in charge of recording arrangements of the world’s anthems for the 2012 Games. It took 36 musicians 50 gruelling hours over six days to complete the feat, compressing each national song to just 90 seconds of music.
British athletes might reasonably have expected to avoid any embarrassed mumbling, given how familiar we are with God Save the Queen. Until, however, Games organisers increased the pressure by decreeing that our anthem's less familiar third verse must also be sung to meet the requisite length.
While the British area of the Olympic village may start humming to the words of verse three, Thy choicest gifts in store, it must be hoped that other teams don't follow suit – some countries’ national songs are better left unheard. Here’s our round up of the 10 worst anthems to listen out for over the next fortnight.
1. North Korea
This week's blunder over the North and South Korean flags is a clear illustration of the importance of getting the details right. Aegukku, or Let Morning Shine, was written by Pak Seyŏng and adopted as the national anthem in 1947, replacing that used by South Korea which, unexpectedly, follows the same tune as Auld Lang Syne.
2. Uruguay
The longest anthem in the world, with 105 bars of music lasting six minutes, Uruguay’s national song was inspired an opera by Donizetti. Composed by Francisco Jose Debali, a Hungarian composer, the anthem includes the ferocious line: “Tyrants: tremble! Tyrants: tremble! Tyrants: tremble! Ah!”
3. Greece
Greece’s anthem, the Hymn to Liberty, is a musical version of a 158-verse poem from 1823. Mercifully short, the far-from-inspiring piece of music has been performed at every Olympics closing ceremony in history, to pay tribute to Greece as the birthplace of the ancient Games.
4. Spain
One of the oldest anthems in the world, dating back to 1761, the problem with La Marcha Real is its lack of lyrics. A 2007 competition by the Spanish Olympic Committee to find words for the anthem resulted in 7,000 entries. Days after the winner was announced, the lyrics were withdrawn due to public criticism.
5. Algeria
The composer of Algeria’s national anthem, poet Mufdi Zakariah, wrote the lyrics in blood on the walls of his cell in a French colonial prison in 1956. As well as glorifying machine guns and gunpowder, the anthem is the one of a few in the world to make reference to another state, namely France.
6. Colombia
Oh Unfading Glory, the Colombian anthem, was the joint creation of an actor, a former national president and an opera singer. Under a law passed in 1995, it is broadcast on all radio and television channels at 6am and 6pm every day. Memorable lyrics include: “In agony, the Virgin tears out her hair and, bereft of love, leaves it to hang on a cypress.”
7. Iraq
Iraq’s national song, My Homeland, comes from a poem written by Ibrahim Touquan, a Palestinian poet, in 1934. Reinstated in 2004 after a previous anthem reminded residents too much of Saddam Hussein’s regime, the lyrics are rousing but the jaunty melody underplays the seriousness of the message.
8. Burkina Faso
The anthem of this small west African nation was written by former president Thomas Sankara and adopted in 1984. Its lyrics are heartfelt, but far too gory for an Olympic victory ceremony: “Against the humiliating bondage of a thousand years, rapacity came from afar to subjugate them for a hundred years.”
9. Kazakhstan
Sacha Baron Cohen helped Kazakhstan’s anthem hit the headlines with his spoof rendition in the 2006 film Borat. Unfortunately, the comedy version – praising the nation for its potassium exports and prostitutes – was played by mistake a shooting competition in Kuwait earlier this year.
10. Democratic Republic of Congo
La Congolaise, Congo’s national song, is by far the most passionate in the Olympic line-up. Its lyrics include: “And if we have to die, what does it really matter? Our children everywhere will be able to say how triumph comes through battle.” The anthem, written by Jacques Tondra and Georges Kibanghi, was reinstated in 1991.
telegraph.co.uk
National anthems have been a tradition at the Olympic Games since 1924. While British athletes have been told to brush up on the third verse of God Save the Queen, they have little hope of memorising some of the more obscure national hymns.
God Save the Queen is one of 205 national anthems that will be played at victory ceremonies during the London 2012 Olympics Photo: PA
3:32PM BST 26 Jul 2012
From the traditional to the tuneful, the wordless to the wacky, this year’s 205 anthems will be played at more than 800 victory ceremonies across London.
British composer Philip Sheppard was in charge of recording arrangements of the world’s anthems for the 2012 Games. It took 36 musicians 50 gruelling hours over six days to complete the feat, compressing each national song to just 90 seconds of music.
British athletes might reasonably have expected to avoid any embarrassed mumbling, given how familiar we are with God Save the Queen. Until, however, Games organisers increased the pressure by decreeing that our anthem's less familiar third verse must also be sung to meet the requisite length.
While the British area of the Olympic village may start humming to the words of verse three, Thy choicest gifts in store, it must be hoped that other teams don't follow suit – some countries’ national songs are better left unheard. Here’s our round up of the 10 worst anthems to listen out for over the next fortnight.
1. North Korea
This week's blunder over the North and South Korean flags is a clear illustration of the importance of getting the details right. Aegukku, or Let Morning Shine, was written by Pak Seyŏng and adopted as the national anthem in 1947, replacing that used by South Korea which, unexpectedly, follows the same tune as Auld Lang Syne.
2. Uruguay
The longest anthem in the world, with 105 bars of music lasting six minutes, Uruguay’s national song was inspired an opera by Donizetti. Composed by Francisco Jose Debali, a Hungarian composer, the anthem includes the ferocious line: “Tyrants: tremble! Tyrants: tremble! Tyrants: tremble! Ah!”
3. Greece
Greece’s anthem, the Hymn to Liberty, is a musical version of a 158-verse poem from 1823. Mercifully short, the far-from-inspiring piece of music has been performed at every Olympics closing ceremony in history, to pay tribute to Greece as the birthplace of the ancient Games.
4. Spain
One of the oldest anthems in the world, dating back to 1761, the problem with La Marcha Real is its lack of lyrics. A 2007 competition by the Spanish Olympic Committee to find words for the anthem resulted in 7,000 entries. Days after the winner was announced, the lyrics were withdrawn due to public criticism.
5. Algeria
The composer of Algeria’s national anthem, poet Mufdi Zakariah, wrote the lyrics in blood on the walls of his cell in a French colonial prison in 1956. As well as glorifying machine guns and gunpowder, the anthem is the one of a few in the world to make reference to another state, namely France.
6. Colombia
Oh Unfading Glory, the Colombian anthem, was the joint creation of an actor, a former national president and an opera singer. Under a law passed in 1995, it is broadcast on all radio and television channels at 6am and 6pm every day. Memorable lyrics include: “In agony, the Virgin tears out her hair and, bereft of love, leaves it to hang on a cypress.”
7. Iraq
Iraq’s national song, My Homeland, comes from a poem written by Ibrahim Touquan, a Palestinian poet, in 1934. Reinstated in 2004 after a previous anthem reminded residents too much of Saddam Hussein’s regime, the lyrics are rousing but the jaunty melody underplays the seriousness of the message.
8. Burkina Faso
The anthem of this small west African nation was written by former president Thomas Sankara and adopted in 1984. Its lyrics are heartfelt, but far too gory for an Olympic victory ceremony: “Against the humiliating bondage of a thousand years, rapacity came from afar to subjugate them for a hundred years.”
9. Kazakhstan
Sacha Baron Cohen helped Kazakhstan’s anthem hit the headlines with his spoof rendition in the 2006 film Borat. Unfortunately, the comedy version – praising the nation for its potassium exports and prostitutes – was played by mistake a shooting competition in Kuwait earlier this year.
10. Democratic Republic of Congo
La Congolaise, Congo’s national song, is by far the most passionate in the Olympic line-up. Its lyrics include: “And if we have to die, what does it really matter? Our children everywhere will be able to say how triumph comes through battle.” The anthem, written by Jacques Tondra and Georges Kibanghi, was reinstated in 1991.
telegraph.co.uk
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