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Wasn’t it marvellous at the end when Bogart plugs the nasty Nazi and Rains and he walk away into the fog ... with the closing words ... “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendshipâ€.
I agree that the Russian anthem is very near the top of my list, and now I also enjoy the Dutch anthem (thanks, Dave Horne!).
But my favorite has always been the British anthem. As Americans, many of us sang "My Country Tis of Thee" as kids, and I remember being sadly disappointed to realize that it didn't belong to us. But even today, a full orchestral rendition of "God Save the Queen" can still bring a lump to my throat. I guess those "political bands which have connected them with another" never completely dissolved for me.
I love it, but it's not "anthemy" enough for me. I think anthems should be serene and stately and well... pompous. The intervals should be restrained and manageable (i.e. hummable for your average subject). So based on my own personal criteria , "God Save The Queen" fits the bill quite nicely.
....I think anthems should be serene and stately and well... pompous.
So....does the Polish anthem qualify?
Uh, well, probably not. But I would always make whatever exceptions are necessary for Freddy C's motherland.
Originally Posted by Mark_C
Originally Posted by Old Man
The intervals should be restrained and manageable....
Which of course disqualifies The Star Spangled Banner.
Boy, you got that right! It's a nightmare even for the pros. There are certain pieces that should be labeled "instrumental only", and that's definitely one of them. My own preference has always been "America the Beautiful", but that debate's been around longer than I have, so I'm not holding my breath.
And if it ever did happen, I'm sure I'd miss the good 'ol SSB, if for no other reason than the suspense it provides at sporting events. I love waiting for people who are about to sing it a capella to make their final decision about that first note. (Because you're pretty much committed once you begin singing.) But invariably it's either too high, and they end up getting jammed later on anyway. Or it's too low, because they seem to forget that the 2nd and 3rd notes are even lower. (I guess I find it easy to be sadistic when I'm not in the hot seat. )
....I love waiting for people who are about to sing it a capella to make their final decision about that first note. (Because you're pretty much committed once you begin singing.)....
Main thing I wonder is if they think the cheer at the end is for them.
I think usually they know it isn't but they enjoy imagining it is.
, "God Save The Queen" fits the bill quite nicely. 
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