| "Flower of Scotland" | ||
|---|---|---|
| Song by The Corries | ||
| Released | 1965 | |
| Writer | Roy Williamson | |
| Composer | Peter Dodds McCormick | |
Flower of Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Flùr na h-Alba, Scots: Flouer o Scotland) is a Scottish song, used frequently at special occasions and sporting events. Although Scotland has no official national anthem (nor does the United Kingdom as a whole, although God Save the Queen is generally referred to as its national anthem[1]), Flower of Scotland is one of a number of songs which unofficially fulfil this role, along with the older Scotland the Brave and Highland Cathedral. It was written by Roy Williamson of the folk group The Corries, and presented in 1967,[2] and refers to the victory of the Scots, led by Robert the Bruce, over England's Edward II at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.
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Popular use
The song has been used by the Scotland national rugby union team, ever since the winger, Billy Steele, encouraged his team-mates to sing it on the victorious Lions tour of South Africa in 1974.[3] The song was adopted as the pre-game anthem during the 1990 Five Nations championship (the forerunner of the Six Nations Championship) which culminated in the deciding match between Scotland and England, which Scotland won 13-7 to win the Grand Slam.[4] The Scottish Football Association adopted "Flower of Scotland" as its pre-game anthem in 1997[5] although it was first used by them in 1993,[citation needed]. Usually only the first and third verses are sung.
The tune was originally composed on the Northumbrian smallpipes,[citation needed] which play in F and have the benefit of keys on the chanter to achieve a greater range of notes.
Ewan McGregor performed the song in Magadan in 2004 during the Long Way Round journey.
In July 2006, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted an online poll (publicised by Reporting Scotland) in which voters could choose a national anthem from one of five candidates.[6] 10,000 people took part in the poll in which Flower of Scotland came out the winner. The results were as follows:
| Tune | Votes (%) |
|---|---|
| Flower of Scotland | 41% |
| Scotland the Brave | 29% |
| Highland Cathedral | 16% |
| A Man's a Man for A' That | 7% |
| Scots Wha Hae | 6% |
Scottish folk metal band Alestorm have performed a cover of it live and recorded it, which is on their album Captain Morgan's Revenge.
See also
- Amhrán na bhFiann
- Auld lang syne
- Cwm Rhondda
- Sosban Fach
- Ireland's Call
- The Fields of Athenry
- Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
- La Marseillaise
- Waltzing Matilda
- Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
References
- ^ http://www.nationalanthems.info/gb.htm - (visited 12.02.2010)
- ^ The Corries website - (visited 28.08.2007)
- ^ SONGS OF THE SIX NATIONS
- ^ http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/02/07/the-perfect-rugby-anthem-flower-of-scotland-91466-22874358/
- ^ BBC Sport Academy - (visited 16.12.2009)
- ^ The Royal Scottish National Orchestra - Stéphane Denève (Music Director) - The RSNO National Anthem Poll Winner
External links
- Flower of Scotland - The website "Cantaria" has a page dedicated to the song, featuring the lyrics and an MP3 file of the song sung by Wild Mountain Thyme.
- The Flower of Scotland - The website "Modern History Sourcebook" also has a page on the song, featuring midi files.
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This page was last modified on 7 March 2010 at 17:03.
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