National anthems.

Hymns, marches, songs or fanfares used as official patriotic symbols.

National anthems are the equivalent in music of a country’s motto, crest or flag. The English term ‘anthem’ as applied to such a piece became current in the early 19th century; in most other languages the word corresponding to the English ‘hymn’ is used. The occasions upon which national anthems are required vary from country to country, but one of their main functions has always been to pay homage to a reigning monarch or head of state; they are therefore normally called for on ceremonial occasions when such a person or his representative is present. The playing of anthems in theatres, cinemas and concert halls, now less widespread than it once was, dates from 1745 when Thomas Arne’s version of God Save the King was sung at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Anthems are frequently used today at football matches and sports meetings, notably at the quadriennial Olympic Games, where the winner of each event is saluted with the anthem of the country he represents. The power of a national anthem to strengthen a nation’s resolve was demonstrated during World War II when the BBC’s weekly broadcasts from London of the anthems of the Allied Powers attracted an audience of millions throughout Europe. It is now as much a matter of course for every country to have its own anthem as to have its own flag.

Many of the older anthems, including those of France and the USA, came into being during a period of national crisis. The earliest of all, that of Great Britain, was sung and printed at the time of the Jacobite rising, although the melody itself is probably much older; and by the end of the 18th century Spain, France and Austria had also adopted national anthems. It was the growing awareness of nationalism in the 19th century that led to their proliferation, especially in central Europe and South America. Japan’s national anthem dates from 1893, but it is only since 1949, when China adopted its anthem, that Eastern countries as a whole have followed the West’s example in this way. The emergence of new independent states in Africa and elsewhere since the end of World War II and the break-up of the former Soviet Union have led to a corresponding increase in the number of anthems now in use.

The texts of national anthems are rarely of literary merit. Patriotic fervour is usually the keynote, although the forms and images used to express it vary a good deal and can reveal much about the character of a nation at the time the words were written. The text of an anthem may often have to be revised or modified in the light of political changes within the country or in its relations with its neighbours. Some countries, particularly those that have enjoyed long periods of peace and political stability, choose anthems that dwell on the natural beauty of the land. Several anthems are built around a national hero, such as Denmark’s King Christian and Haiti’s Jean-Jacques Dessalines, or around a nation’s flag, like those of Honduras and the USA. Many are in effect prayers, like God Save the King/Queen, or calls to arms, like France’s La Marseillaise. The struggle for independence (or the pride in achieving it) is a favourite theme among those countries that have emerged since 1945.

Few national anthems are noted for their musical quality any more than for their texts, but most countries have succeeded in finding a tune that is suitably dignified or stirring. Not surprisingly there has been a tendency for some countries to emulate their neighbours, with the result that the musical style of an anthem is often determined as much by geographical locality as by the date it was written. Broadly speaking, anthems may be divided according to their musical characteristics into five categories, which are not, however, entirely exclusive:

(a) Hymns. The stately rhythmic tread and the smooth melodic movement of God Save the King/Queen have served as a model for many anthems, both in Europe and among those countries that were formerly British colonies. European anthems of this kind tend to be among the oldest.

(b) Marches. Together with the first group, these account for the majority of all anthems. The earliest march to be adopted as a national anthem was the Marcha real of Spain (1770), but it is La Marseillaise that has provided the main inspiration for anthems of this type. Its initial phrase is echoed, either rhythmically or in pitch, in many examples.

(c) Operatic anthems. The tendency for an anthem of one country to resemble those of its neighbours is nowhere more clearly shown than in the examples of South and Central America. As a group they are strongly influenced by the style of 19th-century Italian opera, and at least three of them were composed by Italians. They are without question the longest, most elaborate and most impractical of all anthems. Always in march rhythm and often with an imposing orchestral introduction, they are mostly cast in a ternary form of chorus–verse–chorus. The longest and most ambitious, that of El Salvador, would not be out of place in one of Verdi’s middle-period operas.

(d) Folk anthems. A notable and perhaps disappointing feature of the anthems of those countries previously under the rule of Britain, France or Belgium is that they have mostly been content to imitate European traditions. Several of them were composed by nationals (missionaries or government officials) of the former controlling powers. For anthems independent of the European tradition one must look mainly to Eastern countries such as Myanmar, Japan, Tibet and Sri Lanka, whose anthems rely strongly on folk music and sometimes call for indigenous instruments and are accompanied by formal gestures.

(e) Fanfares. A few countries, mainly in oil-producing regions of the Middle East (Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates), adopted anthems that were little more than fanfare-like flourishes without text.

A 20th-century development stemming from the national anthem is what might be termed the ‘international’ or ‘supra-national’ anthem. The tune known as the Internationale (formerly the anthem of the USSR) has been used as a left-wing revolutionary song in many countries, including Italy and Yugoslavia. The melody listed below under South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia has existed for many years as a pan-African anthem, especially among the southern Bantu. In January 1972 an arrangement by Herbert von Karajan of the main theme from the finale of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony was adopted (against the wishes of many musicians) as a European anthem by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (it was later chosen also as the national anthem of Rhodesia). The United Nations Organization also has an anthem by Pablo Casals to words by Auden, although this has not been (nor is likely to be) officially adopted.

The list below gives brief details of the anthems, past and present, of each country. For the complete text and music of anthems in current use see W.L. Reed and M.J. Bristow, eds.: National Anthems of the World (London, 9/1997).