There has been quite a bit in the media about the necessary adjustment to singing the National Anthem with the change of monarch. I am tempted to think this is a bit exaggerated as it is really not that difficult to substitute “King” for “Queen”, let alone “him” and “he” for “her” and “she”.
The Internet led me to a slightly intriguing article from the Eastern Daily Press utilising a research project at UEA which is looking at the history of protest songs in this country. This includes the idea that the National Anthrm might originate as a Jacobite song rather than a Hanoverian one. The article is interesting in showing how protest had been articulated in song over the past four centuries. In addition I would add we have those medieval verses which voice criticism of those in power collected by Thomas Wright for the Camden Society and first published in 1839. The article can be read at UEA academics reveal rebellious roots of God Save the King
Having read that my algorithm led me to Country Life, This has a much more detailed account of the rather complicated, and often obscure, history of such a universally known piece. It can be seen at Who wrote 'God Save The King'? The extraordinary tale of the British national anthem
What exactly is the story before 1745 and the response in London to the news of the Jacobite victory at Prestonpans is fragmented. However it does look, ironically, actually to be Jacobite in origin and originally sung in support of King James II on the eve of the invasion by his nephew and son-in-law Prince William in 1688.
The seventeenth century appears to have been the origin of the music - the identity of the actual composer remains very debatable - of the basic text and of the very concept of a national piece of music, which seems to come from the reign of King Charles I.
The later influence of a patriotic anthem seeking God’s blessing on the Sovereign on Haydn during a visit to London and his subsequent composition of Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser for the Habsburg monarchy is well known. The later text from 1854 Gott erhalte, Gott beschutze could be translated into the many languages of the Empire.
Perhaps less will known is that the tune was also used in the German Empire from 1871 down to 1918 for Heil dir im Siegerkranz. There are several spirited renditions of this on YouTube.
The eighteenth century habit of adding topical verses persisted well into the nineteenth century. Thus in January 1859 London theatregoers were regaled with an extra verse to God save the Queen which had been composed celebrating the birth of Queen Victoria’s first grandchild, the future Kaiser Wilhelm II.
So, that digression finished, let us all resolve to sing with heart and voice “God Save the King”
3 comments:
Your post reminds me of three hymns, composed for the first Elizabeth, which I discovered at the time of Her late Majesty's Golden Jubilee.
Kind regards,
John
A song of rejoicing for the prosperous Reign of our most
gracious Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth.
Made to the tune of the 25. Psalm.
G Give laud unto the Lord,
And praise his holy name:
O O let us all with one accord
Now magnify the same.
D Due thanks unto him yield,
Who evermore hath been
S So strong defence, buckler, and shield,
To our most Royal QUEEN.
A And as for her this day,
Each where about us round,
V Up to the Sky right solemnly
The bells do make a sound:
E Even so let us rejoice
Before the Lord our king;
T To him let us now frame our voice
With cheerful hearts to sing.
H Her Majesty's intent,
By thy good grace and will,
E Ever, O Lord, hath been most bent
Thy Law for to fulfil.
Q Quite thou that loving mind
With love to her again:
U Unto her as thou hast been kind,
O Lord so still remain.
E Extend thy mighty hand
Against her mortal foes:
E Express and shew that thou wilt stand
With her against all those.
N Nigh unto her abide,
Uphold her Sceptre strong:
E Eke* grant with us, a joyful guide,
She may continue long. AMEN I.C. [1578])
and
An Anthem or prayer for the preservation of the Church,
the Queen's Majesty, and the Realm, to be sung after
Evening prayer at all times.
As for thy gifts we render praise,
So, Lord, we crave still blessed days:
Let thy sweet word and Gospel pure
With us, dear God, for aye endure.
With prosperous reign increase it still,
That sound thereof the world may fill.
Save, Lord, and bless with good increase
Thy Church, our Queen and Realm in peace.
That vine thy right hand planted hath,
Preserve, 0 Lord, from enemies' wrath;
And those that practise Sion's spoil,
With mighty arm (Lord) give them foil.
Thy Church and Kingdom, Christ, we pray,
Increase and build from day to day.
Save, Lord, and bless with good increase
Thy Church, our Queen and Realm in peace.
Like as thy grace our Queen hath sent,
So bless her rule and government,
Thy glory chiefly to maintain,
And grant her long and prosperous Reign:
All foes confound, and Rebels eke*,
That Prince or Church's harm would seek.
Save, Lord, and bless with good increase
Thy Church, our Queen and Realm in peace.
This English Isle, and people all,
Preserve, for Christes blood we call.
Grant peace t'enjoy thy blessings now,
Because none fights for us but thou.
So shall we live to praise thee then,
Which likewise grant. Amen, Amen.
Save, Lord, and bless with good increase
Thy Church, our Queen and Realm in peace.
[*eke = too, also, as well]
And two more
A thanksgiving, to be sung as the 81st. Psalm.
1 Be light and glad, in God rejoice,
which is our strength and stay:
Be joyful and lift up your voice,
for this most happy day'.
Sing. sing, O sing unto the Lord,
with melody most sweet:
Let heart and tongue in one accord,
as it is just and meet.
2 Sing laud unto the Lord above,
serve him with glad intent:
O clap your hands in sign of love,
for this which he hath sent.
Sing praise, sing praise with Harp and Lute,
with joy let us be seen:
Before our God let none be mute,
but laud him for our Queen.
3 Sound out the trump courageously,
Blow as on solemn days:
Both high and low, come fill the sky
with sweet resounding praise.
For why? when we were bound in thrall,
and eke in grief did stand,
The Lord did set us free from all
by this his servant's hand,
4 Ourselves therefore we wholly bind,
A Sacrifice to he,
In token of our thankful mind
(O God most dear) to thee.
To thee we cry, and also give
most high thanks, laud and praise,
For thy good gifts which we receive,
both now and all our days.
5. When we in grief did cry and call,
thou holpst us by and by,
And thou didst set us free from thrall,
O God, our God most high.
Thy mercy therefore will we sing,
and praise thy holy Name,
For working of so great a thing:
O Lord, preserve the same.
6 Blessed art thou, O Lord of hosts,
Our shield and buckler tried:
Thy Name be prais'd in all the coasts,
throughout the world so wide.
Vouchsafe this inward sacrifice,
to thee (O Lord) we call:
Our hearty thanks do not despise,
we yield our souls and all.
7 For thou through love, when we were lost,
didst send to seek therefore:
This silly bark of ours, so tost,
thou broughtst full safe to shore.
When we through blindness went astray,
with burdens sore opprest,
Thou sentst and set us in the way,
that leads us to thy rest.
8 We praise thee therefore, Lord, on high,
with heart and hearty cheer:
To thee we sing, we call, we cry,
O Lord our God most dear.
Thou art the worker of my wealth,
Our safeguard and our stay:
O Lord, grant this our country health,
on thee we wait alway.
The Second Part
9 To thee (O God) we yield all praise,
thou art our help alone:
To thee it is we sing always,
to thee and else to none.
Then bow to us (good Lord) thine ear,
and hear us when we cry:
Preserve thy Church now planted here,
and watch it with thine eye.
10 Lord, keep Elizabeth our Queen,
defend her in thy right:
Shew forth thyself, as thou hast been,
her fortress and her might.
Preserve her grace, confound her foes,
and bring them down full low:
Lord, turn thy hand against all those,
that would her overthrow.
11 Maintain her Sceptre as thine own,
for thou hast plac'd her here:
And let this mighty work be known
to nations far and near.
A noble ancient Nurse, O Lord,
in England let her reign:
Her grace among us do afford,
for ever to remain.
12 Indue her (Lord) with virtue's store,
rule thou her royal Rod:
Into her mind thy Spirit pour,
and shew thyself her God.
In truth upright, Lord, guide her still,
thy Gospel to defend;
To say and do what thou dost will,
and stay where thou dost end.
13 Her counsel (Lord) vouchsafe to guide,
'with wisdom let them shine,
In godliness for to abide,
as it becometh thine:
To seek the glory of thy name,
their country's wealth procure,
And that they may perform the same,
Lord, grant thy Spirit pure.
14 So will we sing unto thee, Lord,
betime, ere day be light;
And eke declare thy truth abroad,
when it doth draw to night.
To thee, O Father, with the Son,
and Spirit be therefore
All glory now, as bath been done,
from henceforth evermore. Amen.
FINIS
Many thanks for these very interesting texts.
am rather surprised they were not publicised in the 1950s when there was such an emphasis on the New Elizabethan Age
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